Evening star., 1929-01-01
1929RAD|OOUT[OOK.
CONSIDERED BRIGHT.
Progress Made in Broadcast
ing Is Described by Fed
eraI Commission.
BY o. III. CALDWELL.
Federal Radio Commissioner.

DA W. II. 1hLDVLLAs
Federal Radio Commissioner.
The outlook for radio and for radio
broadcasting never was brighter than
it now appears, standing at the thresh-
old of 1929.
Substantial progress has been made
toward putting the broadcasting struc-
ture on sound scientific basis, with
clear channels laid into the homes of
all our citizens in all parts of the Ma
ton.
The value of high power as service
to farm and remote listeners is now
generally recognized, and in the South
West and North, as we'll as East, ade-
quate superpoWer transmitters are be-
ing erected. Meanwhile expansion and
enrichment of both local and chain
programs continue.
Added Thrills Promised.
Certainly. to every owner of a good
radio set 1929 will bring new services
satisfactions and delights, with the
added thrill of cross-continental excur-
sions at the twist of dial
Under the 1923 radio act the COM
mission was ordered to redistribute the
wave lengths and other radio facilities
equally among the citizens of the Ma
ton, according to population. OF
course, this has meant that from GER
tain sections having a high degree of
local radio service provided by enter
prising broadcasterS wave lengths have
had to be withdrawn and transferred
to less favored States and sections.
The Eastern zone has thus particularly
suffered, while the Southern zone has
benefited
The reallocation of November IL
faithfully carried out this change and
all parts of the Nation now have their
proportions of the radio total. based on
population, in strict compliance with
the mandate of Congress.
Expects Better Service.
Each State and section. moreover,
now has its appropriate share of the
various positions on the dial from zoo
meters to 545 meters. Thus, certain
States which formerly had the advan-
tage of using chiefly the upper or longer
wave lengths now have their State
channels fairly spread across the dial,
and have necessarily witnessed the
transfer of some of their stations
down" where they will, however, be
able to give equally good Tor better)
service on relatively cleared channels
as soon as their tranSmitters are ad-
justed to the new assignments.
Meanwhile the broadcast listeners are
also adapting themselves and their re-
ceivers to the new dial settings, and
those with good sets. properly installed,
are finding superior reception on the
new wave lengths as compared with
the old conditions prior to November IL.
This rapid adaptation to the new al
locations is revealed in the letters from
listeners reaching the commissions
offices at Washington An increasing
proportion of these letters indicates salts
faction with the new set-up, and reports
both clearer reception and greatly
increased number of station programs
obtainable on the average home recelv-
ing set
Letters Complain Of Local Gases.
While complaints regarding certain
specific local cases of tiN1e-sharlng, or
program, wave length or power changes,
continue to reach the commission, the
complaining letters are almost entirely
confined to local situations. chiefly re-
garding time-sharing or chain pro-
grams.
While the reduction Of local radio
service in certain parts of the Atlantic
seahoard will occasion some lncon-
venience, as compared with the former
excess of broadcasting enjoyed by
Eastern listeners, it is believed that cltl-
zens thus deprived will cheerfully accept
this equalization and redistribution,
knowing that the facilities thus lost
by them are being made available 10
other American citizens in other parts
of the country which formerly had
little or no radio service.
Many comments have been received
expressing the view that the commits
sion should have reduced the total num-
ber of licensed stations by revoxlng
licenses, instead of requiring time
division. To this point of view take
exception because I cannot concede that
it is important to reduce the number
of actual station licenses. The essential
thing, from radio standpoint, Is to
reduce the stations operating simultane-
ously. In the case of small stations $50
watts and below, believe we can
actually accommodate more stations
than at present, since every community
that desires it could we'll have a small
broadcasting outfit working on part
time arrangement, and all such small
local stations being cared for on half
dozen channels.
III the field of synchroniZing, un-
doubtedly. lies the relief from the pres
ent situation of overcrowding, and while
certainly We must scrutiniZe all claims
carefully, still I think we must look
hopefully at all efforts to increase the
carrying capacity of our channels
whether by 100 per cent modulation or
by improved frequency control.