Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-14
RADIO BECOMES
POLITICAL ISSUE
Democrats Charge G. o. P.
Has Favored Crust" in
New Wave Allegations.
By MARTIN CODEI..

Radio now enters politics with VEN
geance. Not only is the radio TO be
used extensively as vehicle OF political
expression, but radio broadcasting as an
industry is being drawn into the mael-
strom of campaign partisanship.
Radio programs sponsored by the
major political parties will go on the
air with scheduled regularity, beginning
tonight for the Republicans ana next
Monday night for the Democrats. The
first gun in a political battle that Is
brewing around the radio industry was
fred Yesterday from the offices OF the
Democratic national committee in this
city. which issued a statement contain
Ing some vigorous comments on the SUD-
ject of the newly announced BROADCAST
reallocations.
The program part of the radio cam
nairn is designed to gather in votes and
neither party has met many dlfncultleS
in contracting for time on either the
networks or individual stations. Inc
effort to draw radio into the partisan
phases of the presidential campaign
apparently is founded upon the dissat1s-
faction of certain independent broad
casters with their new wave length and
power assignments under the plan of
reallocation ordered effective November
II bv the Federal Radio Commission.
vigorous protests that have been
made by independent radio broadcastlng
station owners. particularly in the
Middle West. over the new ALLEGATION OF
wave lengths. threaten to find their way
into the political campaign" says the
statement THE charge is made by
some of these owners that the commun-
fly of interests between the adminlstra-
ton and the Republican party with the
s,ad nen1.
cnstrated by the new ALLEGATIONS an
nounced by the Federal Radio Commits
sion"
Hartford Raising Funds;
The statement goes on to say that
20 far as the Republican national COM
mittee is concerned the situation is in
tensified bv the fact that Gen. James G.
Hartford, president of the Radio Cor
poration, Of America, is now on leave of
absence In order to devote all his time
to raising campaign funds for the Re-
publican party Judge Ira Robinson,
chairman of the Radio Commission, is
then quoted as having characterized the
realiocation as SO unfair that he could
not vote for it.
Further on Herbert Hoover. Repub-
lican candidate, for President. is said to
be coming in for share of the crit
icisrn" by reason of his former control
over radio. as head of the Department
of Commerce. and that departments
protecting wing" over the pseudo in
dependent" Federal Radio Commission.
Neither Democrats nor Republicans
have yet had occasion to attack the
brcadcasting stations belonging to the
"trust" or the chains controlled by it
on the ground of political discrimira-
ton. Each party hes completed ar
rangements to go on the air periodically
under commercial contracts for stipu-
lated hours. The Socialists have also
arranged for chain broadcast hours,
Norman Thomas, their presidential can
6idate. being scheduled to open series
of campaign speeches on the Pacific
Coast chain Saturday.
That the reallocation should be drawn
into politics was e; source of regret eX
pressed by several members of the Radio
Commission. Chairman Robinson, q
West Virginia Republican. has made 1t
plain that his opposition to the reallo-
cation was not actuated by political
motives but represented an honest diff
ference of opinion with his colleagues.
Commissioners Caldwell and La Fount
are the other Republican members of
the radio board, and Commissioners
Sykes and Pickard are the Democrats.
lOui tOGCu ttlI pan bIlLOuSI,
Judge Sykes signing the official order
Is acting chairman.
Radio observers generally agree that
the arrangements of the several big
chains and of most individual stations
have pursued an astlite course with re-
gard to avoiding political partisanship
end adhering to the requirement of the
law that an equal opportunity be given
Ell candidates IN the use of their facili-
ties
The father" of the largest of the
broadcast networks in realty is the head
Of the General Electric. Co.. which oper-
etes number of stations of its own
and which is commonly charged with
being dominant in the "radio trust"
group. He is Owen D. Young, promi-
fient Democrat.
Moreover, the reallocation does not 60
into effect until November IL. or until
after the general elections. The COM
mission Is pledged to support its project
and hopes for its biggest fight in the
courts and not in the political arena,
regardless of the outcome Of the Presi-
dental elections.
fCopyright. 1928. by North American News
paper Allancel