Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-06
NEW 5Q,ODD-WATT
RADIO STATION
Allotment to St. Louis Shows
Trend Toward Bigger and
Better Service.

The inevitable trend toward bigger
and better broadcasting stations, capa-
BILE of rendering nationwide service,
is evidencing itself in sporadic grants
Of higher power to stations operating
on exclusive channels. The Federal
Radio Commission, it is learned, has
approved the construction of a $4,000
watt tranSmitter by station KNOX, st.
LouiS-the maximum power allocated
any Station-and has sanctioned power
increases appreciably widening the serv-
ice ranges of stations WGN, Chicago;
WCCO, Minneapolis, and VIDAL, Balti-
more.
Power increases in the near future
likely will be awarded other stations
operating on cleared channels because
little interference can be caused by high
powered stations which occupy entire
wave lengths to themselves.
Majority for Superpower.
On the contrary, a majority of the
commission holds that the public in
tereSt is best served by stations with
sufficient power to reach out and af-
ford the greatest possible audience good
radio. The commissions chairman,
Judge Ira E. Robinson, alone favors re-
Strictions on power, contending that it
tends to concentrate "a vast new public
utility in the hands of few" and that
high power is not necessary to serve
great areas and to give adequate pro-
grams to the public.
Whereas there were but three super
powered stations of $4,000 watts in the
entire United States just week ago,
and only four at this time, there will
be at least nine within the next few
months. This number gradually will be
increased by the issuance, to merited
stations, OF similar grants for con-
structing 50-kilowatt capacity trans
mitterS.
In the intermediate power grades, be-
tween 5000 and $4,000 watts, the trend
also is upward, inasmuch as stations
about 5000 watts are given cleared
channels. The commission is granting,
wherever it considers it to be in the
public interest, construction permits for
higher-powered tranSmitters and also
Straight-out increases in power.
Ill Effects Outlined.
The decided tendency toward super
power is not without its i'll effects upon
the stations themselves. The big sta
lions are being crowded out of the
cities and into the non-reSidential sub
urbs, so as to eliminate the blanketing
effect of their signal strength upon
receivers, rendering extremely difficult
the task of tuning out local to get
clear distance reception.
AS Franklin Y. Yates, broadcaSting
engineer of the commission, explains it,
the big stations will be forced to go
outside of town so that their signal
strength will be sufficiently low to af-
ford city listeners the essential degree
of station selectivity. He holds that
stations should be removed from the
city limits, to Is miles, depending
upon their power, and that no station
with more than 1000 watts should be
in the main residential sections
Station KNOX, having a present
power assignment of 5000 watts, is
authorized to construct 50,000-watt
transmitter. This will place the station
on a par with WEAF, New York; WGY
Schenectady, KDKA, Pittsburgh, ano
WLW, Cincinnati, which made its debut
last week as 50-kilowatt station.
Other High Power Stations.
other stations recently granted con-
| struction permits for $4,000 watts are
XII, Los Angeles; WBAP, Fort Worth
VITO, Hartford and VIGIL, Chicago
The commission shortly will inform
| station KGN that it will be permitted
| to increase its power from $4,000 to 25,-
| 900 watts; WCCO that it may use 49,
900 watts instead of its present 10000
with VIDAL to use 10000 watts, dou-
bling its present assignment.
| (Conyriaht 1929 hy Consolidated Press