Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-14
FOREIGN PROGRAMS
UNDER CENSORSHIP
Radio Body to Keep Check on
Broadcasting From
Europe.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

If European radio programs are to be
| relayed across the Atlantic and re-
| broadcast by American stations, the
Federal Radio Commission wants to
keep a close check on their content and
| character. With such supervision in
view, and also in order to curb local
"bootlegging" of the programs being re-
| layed by some American stations via
| the short waves, the commission has
issued a general order imposing certain
restrictions on rebroadcasting activities.
Stations engaged in relay broadcast
ing must obtain written consent from
the commission before any stations
within the United States may pick up
and rebroadcast their programs. Thus
the Federal authority goes directly to
| the source of the program, for this re-
| striction applies equally to the British,
French and German stations which
propose to send over their programs for
reception in the United States.
Whether the order Is aimed at posi-
BILE propaganda uses of radio interna-
tionally the commission did not under
take to say. This is believed to be its
purpose, at least in part.
May Halt "BootIegging."
DomeStically the order is important,
| in that it demands permission from the
Government before several rebroadcast-
ing projects proposing to use the short
/ waves in lieu of telephone lines to link
stations in networks can be undertaken.
It Is also important because it should
prevent certain stations from picking
| programs off the short waves and re-
broadcasting them as their own with
out the permission of the tranSmitter.
| This practice is known in radio as
"bootlegging." owners of short-wave
broadcasting stations, like WGY and
KDKA, have frequently complained Of
| it. There has been no way in law, how
ever, to prosecute such infringements.
Relays of programs from England
have several times been attempted. with
only fair success, by the National
Broadcasting Co. Recently relay short
waves were also granted the New York
and Philadelphia stations OF the Co
| lumbia Broadcasting System for pro-
grams promised from England, France
and Germany.
With respect to relays to foreign
countries, the commissions order only
requires the licensee to report quarterly
the stations abroad which are regularly
receiving and rebroadeaStfng the pro-
grams originated here, and also to sub
NIT certain other technical data about
reception conditions abroad.
Priority Given 0 Calls.
| OIOeE just pktSScu ny bklc
commission fixes restriction upon sea-
board and lake port broadcasting sta
tons covering the absolute priority that
must be given radio signals coming
! from ships or aircraft in distress.
Not only must the stations sign off
Immediately upon notification Of o S
calls, but these stations on the seacoast
or Great Lakes operating on $50 to
| / 900 kilocycles must maintain an eff
| fective and continuous watch for dis
tress signals by employing licensed
operator.
The order applies not only to shore
| stations of five kilowatts and upward
| operating on these wave lengths cover
| ing the upper half of the broadcast
spectrum, but 1t also applies to all sta
tons of these waves or power which are
within from 80 to 100 miles of the
shores.
Thus the broadcasting stations on or
| near the coasts are made veritable
| "watchdogs of navigation" They must
have receivers turned in to the distress
waves and manned by competent opera
| tors. Whenever an S o call Is heard
| they must cease broadcasting, so IS not
to interfere with distress traffic. They
may not go back on the air with their
regular programs until all distress
traffic has cleared.
| Copyright. 1929, by North American
Newspaper Alliance)