Evening star., 1928-12-24
BOARD TO SETTLE
SHORT-WAVE CASE
Indications Point to Decision
Soon on Universal Wire
less Application.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

An announcement by the Fedora,
Radio Commission within few days
will reveal its disposition of the highly
important communication channels in
the long and short wave bands. Most
important of the decisions will be one
that may grant franchise for the
establishment of new radio-telegraph
network linking the larger cities of the
United States and competing directly
with existing wire services.
Although the commission is main
tanning the utmost secrecy about its
decisions on the n-broadcastlng
bands, the indications today were that
the Universal Wireless Communications
Co. will be awarded enough channels
for the domestic message-carrylng net
work. This concern, a newcomer IN
the radio field, is backed by group OF
Buffalo capitalists, and is reputed to be
sufficiently fortified with patents to es-
tabliSh the service without outside ald.
The Radio Corporation of America
and the Mackay Radio & Telegraph Co,
the latter affiliated with the Postal
Telegraph System, will probably be
awarded additional transoceanic chan
nels for foreign communication They
may also secure channels for point-to-
point wireless services along the Pacific
Coast and on the Great Lakes. But
their applications for intercity net
works, rivaling or supplementing the
wire system and, serving as feeders"
into their transatlantic and trans
pacific circuits, will probably be re-
jected in favor of the Universal group.
Ask 100 Licenses.
wire systems with radio is known to be
opposed by Canadian radio officials,
and their attitude toward the American
move will be watched with interest.
The Universal company proposes to
establish itself wholly as public serv-
ice company, subject to public utility
regulation. 1t has asked for more than
100 licenses for stations in as many
cities in the United States.
The question of monopoly in COM
munications, the laws requirement that
wire and wireless companies shall not
be combined and the nationwide Serv-
ice promised by the Universal company,
have served to win over a majority OF
the commission, led by Chairman Ira
E. Robinson, to the advent Of a new
operator in the radio field. The net
works proposed by the Radio Corpora
ton of America and Postal interests
would have covered about 35 cities
each.
It is understood that allotments of
short waves for emergency uses by
power companies, police, railroads, fire.
boats and airplane landing fields will
be made by the commission, effective
January l. No specific channel assign
ments will be announced until later
The task thus far concluded merely
consisted of setting aside certain por-
tions of the radio spectrum for special
classes of use, and indicating some OF
them that shall use the bands.
The decision of Saturday not to re-
new licenses for picture and television
transmission in the broadcasting band
is believed to affect only WGY, Sche-
reached upon recommendation Of the
engineers of the commission after argu-
ments that the experimental picture
signals are likely to cause interference
with program broadcaSting. There was
a question also whether the interna-
tional treaty authorized television with
in that band. Bands of short waves
will be reserved for picture and tele-
vision work.
FavorS Board of Seven.
Inc raQlO-CeieRTapn feature OI Cle
work of the Federal Radio Commission
emphasizes the Importance of the
growing attitude in Congress that the
commission should be reconstructed as
an agency governing all forms of COM
munication. Senator Watson, chair
man of the Interstate Commerce Com
mittee, to some extent has cryStallized
that attitude by introducing bill to
establish communications commits
sion with authority over the telephone,
telegraph, cable and radio.
Senator WatsonS bill is much the
same as the one several times intro
duced by Senator CouZenS of Michigan.
He proposes a Seven-man control board
TO take over all communication func-
tions, including rate-making juriSdic-
ton, now exercised by the Federal Ra-
do Commission, the Department of
Commerce and the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
In view of the encroachment radio
has already made upon the cable busi-
ness and the likelihood that radio will
compete with the telegraph services
within the country, the prospect of
such legislation is growing. Senator
Watson, however, declared when he in
troduced the measure that he expected
no action on it during the present short
session. Right now he favors one
year extension of the Federal Radio
Commission. The whole problem of
domestic and foreign communications,
he says, will undoubtedly come before
the Seventy-first Congress.
(Copyright. 1928. by North American
Newspaper Alliance.)