Evening star., 1928-11-16
VOLNA APPEALS
TO RADIO BOARD
Zion 0verSeer Asks for More
Time in Aid for "En-
nobIing" Programs.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

mo Jazz and no absurdities" Even
.hough he believes the earth fiat, VIII
YER Glenn Voliva doesn't use his radio
tation, WCBD, at Zion City, ILL.,, to
ell it to the world. Never has strain
syncopation left its antenna, nor
as any one ever tried to signal Mars
ON it. Radio WCBD has more seri-
'ls purpose.
The noted overSeer of Zion City was
q Washington yesterday to obtain more
-Tme on the air" for WCBD from the
sederal Radio Commission. Somewhat
Unexpectedly. he and his retinue found
themselves involved in three-cornered
truggle for radio privileges in the Chi
ago area.
The pickering and wrangling between
ounSel for WENR and WIS, both Chi
ago and both seeking longer hours of
speration on the same wave length,
we're wholly distasteful to Overseer
Voliva. He came here, he said. to OBJ
tain only five evening hours a week on
the same channel for WCBD. instead
Of its present "daytime-only" assign
ment.
Let "theater and comedy" be fur
uished by other broadcaSting stations.
Zion City'S, he said, is dedicated to
Toviding only the great choruseS, an
hens, cantatas and folk songs sung by
the highly trained talent right in his
flock of about 5000 in the little COM
nunity lying midway between Chicago
md Milwaukee.
Most of Zion City's homes are radio
equipped but the purpose of the station
is to send out "ennobling" programs for
the whole country to hear, he said.
Travelogues on Air.
n.,osznn~ TTol;,,o odSnd that 1,a CValv
occasionally went on the air himself.
The lectures that are broadcast are
usually travelogues, delivered by men,
berS Of his flock who have been sent to
the far corners of the world to make
their own observations and report them.
The Radio Commissions hearing on
the Chicago wave length situation eX-
tended through two afternoons and
two evenings before Overseer Voliva
obtained a hearing. The channel in
question is $40 kilocycles, upon which
VCBD operated before the realloca-
ion, but upon which WIS now has
!ve-sevenths evening time and WENR
only two-SeventhS.
The latter station, owned by Chicago
public utilities of the insult group,
wants its license modified to permit it
more evening hours and to operate with
an increase of power from 5 kilowatts
10 so kilowatts. John E. Wing, WENR
counsel, declared that $3.50, 900 has been
expended on the transmitter, studios
and talent. William r. Dawes, brother
Z Vice President Charles G. Dawes,
testified, as president of the Chicago
Association of Commerce, that the ex-
eellent facilities of the station made it
capable Of serving the entire Central
West.
Demands Charter Rights.
Opposing the granting of any of its
time to the rival station, WIS laid
case before the commission in which
Frank Scott, its counsel, demanded the
production of charter riohts for the
casting. United States Senators Morris
Of Nebraska and Brookhart Of Iowa |
were in the hearing room, ready to be |
called by WIS counsel in opposition to |
demands for radio privileges to power !
interests. Station WIS formerly was |
1wned by Sears -Roebuck, but recently I
Gas transferred to the Prairie Farmer, |
1 farm magazine. It devoteS its pro-
rams largely to the interests of the
AIM.
The Radio Commission will take the
eaSe under adviSement, later deciding
how much broadcasting time shall
finally be granted to the three contest
sng and strangely contrasting applicants |
from the Chicago area.
9 Having authorized the construction |
of WENR's 50-kilowatt transmitter, the |
commission now finds itself up against |
the proposition of giving it enough time |
on the air in an already overcrowded |
radio area to make continued opera |
ton practicable The station Is rela-
lively new in the field, and its owners
find themselves facing reflections cast
u~on their purposes by reason of dis
closures in the Federal Trade Commits
sion's public utility inquiry.
Although strenuous efforts were made
TO keep the public utility propaganda"
factor out of the issue, it was inevitably
drawn into the case.
Copyright 1928. by North American
Newspaper Alliance.)