Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-08
CHANNELS ASKED
FOR USE OF A. P.
AHHD EHNk II III ~
INh NIN HE ~
lii NHH I'LL II.
Statement to Radio Board
:: Cites Membership of
1850 Newspapers.
By the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
The reservation of adequate short
wave channels for the use of the ASso-
iciated Press has been asked of the Fed
leral Radio Commission In its ALLEGATION
of 40 wave bands for the press OF the
country.
< In setting forth the position of the
Associated Press in regard to the radio
ALLEGATIONS Kent Cooper, its general
manager, through Milton Garges, his
executive assistant, has presented a
statement to the commission in which
he cited 1880 newspapers of the coun-
try as Associated Press members and
said I'VE confidently believe the COM
mission will find that it can consistent
~ take care Of the needs of such an
important press association effort"
The commission today planned the
conclusion of its hearings on the press
radio ALLEGATIONS and William c. Can
hon, counsel for the Associated Press,
prepared an argument to show the AS
soc1ated Press could not operate radio
facilities as public utility.
= zThe hearings of the commission were
held after protest by John Francis
1Neyland of San Francisco, representing
sthe Hearst newspaper organization,
against the suggested ALLEGATION of short
Joseph Pierson, cable editor of the
Chicago Tribune on behalf Of the
American publishers committee
- Mr.. Neylan charged that the proposal
eof the American publishers committee
would not serve properly the interests
hof American newspapers, that the COM
s.1nittee did not represent the American
press and that if such a proposal were
adopted by the commission 1t would
give four newspapers, the Chicago Tri-
rbune, the New York Times, the San
Francisco Chronicle and the Los
Angeles Times, virtual control of II OF
1.-The available channels. The remainder
of the channels, he said, had been so
harmed out as not to furnish any ef-
Elective competition to The four papers
named"
: Louis M. Loeb, counsel for the New
York Times, categorically denied the
statements of Mr.. Neylan and at the
same time submitted affdavitS which
he said showed conclusively that other
than in the exchange of news the
-four newspapers which Mr.. Neylan
claimed were in conspiracy" had no
financial or other connections.
Declaring that the Associated Press
asked the commission for the ALLEGATION
of wave bands lin no spirit of antago-
s.nism to any other interests" Mr.. Cooper
have not been advised of any antogo-
nism to our request upon the part OF
any other interest before the commits
sion" He added that IAN informal
statement by one of the commissioners
has led us to believe that the commits
!, sion can and may consistently do what
we request"
IF that now is to be the decision"
Mr.. Cooper'S statement continued, the
Associated Press asks that reservation
of adequate wave bands for its ex-
elusive use be made and that the AS
ISOLATED Press be given time to make It's
application therefor"
a. The Associated Press has been. from
the beginning, DESTROYS of obtaining
radio bands sufficient for its own use"
the statement explained. Always liz
,answer to it's inquiries to the commits
sasion. it has been stated, In writing or
',orally, that any corporation or tndivid-
.ual upon whom a wave band Is con-
~..ferred should operate as a public
ssutility. .
Stand Of Associated Press.
!, 'The reply from us to this statement
has been that the Association Press Is
va membership corporation, organized
'sellnder the laws of New York; that it is
engaged solely in the collection of news
and Its distribution to its members;
that it is not engaged in business fol
@profit; that 1t has been deemed mad
,svisable for the Associated Press to sign
q an application in conformity with the
regulation of the commission thus out
lined, because such an application would
Impose upon the Associated Press the
necessity of operating wireless as a
public utility--an obligation it could not
saneSi,u1n under itc charter
- THE management of the Associated
Press contends and believes that the
commission can and should grant the
Associated Press the bands that it re-
squires, and that the use the Associated
Press will make thereof will not be in