Evening star., 1928-11-02
RADIO BODY DENIES
UTILITY STATIONS
coard Scans BroadCasting
Applicants Carefully to Pre-
vent Propaganda Spread.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

Under fire in Congress and before
the Federal Trade Commission for their
i,.opaganda activities, public utilities
re undergoing severe scrutiny when
,aey are applicants for radio broad
Gsting privileges from the Federal Ra-
Cio Commission.
The Radio Commissions decision yes
tsrday against extending a permit
g.anted to Richmond concern to erect
= broadcaSting station at Roanoke is
the elimination of a rigid inquiry which
reveals an attitude until now unex-
pressed, against public utilities. engag-
ing in broadcaSting.
Flat statements to this effect were
made by two Virginia members Of Con-
gresS, Schuyler o. Bland and Clifton A.
Woodrun1, who appeared in opposition
to the proposed Roanoke station. The
attitude is further revealed in the sharp
Interrogation of the applicant by Chair
man Robinson of the radio board, who
commented on the possibility that the
:; alton might engage in spreading pub
lc utility propaganda
Chairman Robinson, stanch opponent
of high-pcWer radio, showed in the
hearing and in a statement accompany
ing the decision in the Roanoke case
that he has been following closely the
Federal Trade Commissions utility in
quiry. The case was decided by 81
to-2 vote, Robinson joining with Sykes
and Pickard in opposing renewal and
Caldwell and Lafount favoring it. Hav-
ing delayed progress in building the
station since March, when the permit
was first granted, the company must
now forego the project entirely.
Congressman Oppose 1t.
The decision calls attention to the
fact that Congressman Woodrum and
Bland testified that "since the Rich
mond Development Co., the applicant,
is subsidiary of a public service cor
poration, it should be against public
policy to permit it to operate a broad
casting station"
The commission majority then makes
the statement that the consideration
that weighed most heavily was that
Roanoke must not have two stations if
other communities in the State are to
obtain a fair share of radio facilities.
However, the statement accompany
ing the decision makes point of Chair
man RobinSon'S doubt whether the
charter of the corporation, closely af-
f1liated with water works company,
authorizes it to engage in broadcasting.
Because the application for the station
states that it would be used to "pro-
mote better understanding between the
public and public utilities generally" :"
Robinson is quoted as being of the
opinion that this indicated an inten-
ton to engage in type of propaganda
extensively condemned after revelations
uncovered by the Federal Trade Com
mission
In broadcasting some stations oper-
eted by public utilities are recognized
as rendering public service. The Roa-
noke decision came out the same day
that the commission refused the appli-
cation of Station WNAC-WBIS, Boston,
for prior right to the channel OBJ
tanned by WEEI, Boston, under the
forthcoming reallocation. The latter
station is owned and operated by a
large electric light company.
Goodwin Builder"
In the course of the Federal Trade
Commissions investigation last Spring
1t is interesting to note that Station
WEEI was described as the company's
greatest builder of good will" A docu-
ment introduced in evidence and signed
by E. S. Mansfield, in charge OF WEEI
stated that the 100000 invested in the
apparatus has been charged against
advertising. because it was used ito
improve public relations"
One of the most persistent appli-
cants for high power and more time
on the air is a station owned by the
insult interests, WENR, Chicago. Now
operating with 5 kilowatts, bu built to
use SO kilowatts, it is asking for the
higher power and more hours of opera
ton. and will soon have hearing be-
fore the commission. At present It has
only two-SeventhS time on wave
length on which it must divide time
with WIS, Chicago
The askance with which the public
service corporations are being eyed on
account of the Federal Trade Commits
sion disclosures should in the minds of
many radio observers, serve to lend
impetus to the prospects of wired ra-
cio." Power companies have immedi-
ately available to them the lines along
which programs can be directed into
homes and received either on ordinary
radio receiving sets or on specially in
stalled sets, the service to be furnished
at small monthly charge. One of the
largest of the public utility groups, the
North American Co., has long been on
wired radio" and proposes early next
year to try it out in Cleveland.
Copyright. 1928, by North American
NeWSpaper AlifanceA