Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-14
REID TAKES LEAD
IN RADIO INQUIRY
Illinois Representative Is Out
spoken in Opposition to
Davis Amendment.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

In the rush Of activity pertaining to
radio now conferred in Washington one
of the striking developments is the
appearance of a new leader in radio
legislation In the person of Representa-
tive Frank r. Reid (Republican) OF
Aurora, Ill.
The trend of his searching inquiries
into the status of broadcasting since the
November reallocation, particularly
while former Commissioner H. A. Bel
lows was testifying at the House hear
tngs, distinctly reveals him as the out
standing opponent of the Davis equali-
zation amendment and as an advocate
of high power. In less spirited way
he also appears as supporter OF the
Federal Radio Commissions effort to
Improve radio conditions pursuant to
the amendment.
On these issues he is decidedly at
odds with Representative Ewin Davis
of TullahomA Tenn, author of the
amendment = divide wave lengths,
powers an mrs on the air equally
among the ~ zones and equitably
among the Gates according to their
population. Conflicting views at the
hearings have largely been between
these two. Party lines have not been
drawn on these moot issues but 1t is
certain they will be the big subjects of
the subsequent congressional debates on
radio.
Davis Is Adamant.
Mr.. Davis has made it plain that he
will not be Swerved one jot or little
against his amendment by the wide
spread opposition to it among radio
engineers and by the recommendations
for a breakdown of the zone system
urged by Mr.. Bellows on behalf of the
National Association of BroadcaSterS.
He also continues to oppose high power,
and he has made realization the target
of attack for its reservation of cleared
channels for super-power and for the
predominance of chain stations on these
channels.
Mr.. Reid is best known as chairman
Of the important flood control COM
ment, along with most of the Illinois
delegation, at the last session of Con-
gress. His present active appearance
on the radio scene is generally attrib-
uted to his interest in the effort of the
Chicago Federation of Labor to obtain
better facilities under the ALLEGATION
for its 50-000-watt transmitter, VIGIL,
now building in Chicago.
It was he who drew from Chairman
Robinson of the Federal Radio Com
mission the statement that radio re-
ception conditions were better before
the reallocation than now. From Mr..
Bellows Mr.. Reid exacted the opinion
that there can be no doubt that the
reallocation has brought about consid-
cradle improvement. Such opposite
views and the conflicting testimony of
listeners have led MIR. Reid to urge that
competent technical witnesses be called.
Chairman Robinson'S view that the
reaIlocation should have been ap-
preached gradually was supported by
Mr.. Bellows, who leads faction of the
radio industry that wanted different
kind of reallocation. Mr. Bellows, how
ever, would not go along with Judge
Robinson and Representative Davis in
their opposition to high power, declar-
ing that the 5,000-watt maximum which
they support has just as great an in
reference range as $4,000 watts. He
also favored cleared channels.
Majority members of the Federal Ra-
do Commission, who have been at odds
with their chairman on the ALLEGATION |
project, will be heard by the House |
committee this week. Their defense of
the reallocation primarily will be based
on scientific principles, which, they will
claim, they exercised so far as the Davis
amendment permitted. They will con-
tend that the extension of the commits
sion for only one year by the last Con-
gress was tantamount to mandate
from that body to improve reception
conditions within that period.
They also will claim they have brought
about improvement generally through
out the country, and that the present
structure is flexible enough to bring
about further improvements as the
radio art progresses.
Estimate Of Volume.
One of the most significant of recent
announcements in the radio world is
that of Radio Retailing, leading jour-
nal In the trade, estimating that the
1928 radio sales attained record re-
largest estimate made for the year that
featured the political conventions and
other great stimuli to radio sales. It
compares with total of $425, SOC, 900
In 1927.
The magazine estimates that 5000 900
sets Of all kinds were In use at the end
Of the year. compared with $500, 900 in
1927. The radio audience is placed at
about $4,000, 900 persons, against 49,
100000 the preceding year.
The survey, regarded as one of the
most trustworthy IN the held, SHOWS
that 2.550,000 factory-built sets, includ-
ing consoles and built-in receivers, were
retailed last year for $306,000,000.
About 1000 combined radio and
monograph sets were sold for $4,000
600. The number of tubes sold totaled
50,200000 for an aggregate of SGT, 300,-
600. About 2,460,000 loud speakers
were sold for approximately 500 000, 400.
The battery market exceeded $50, 000,-
600. Equipment and parts brought in
around $20,000,000. Both showed
marked declines, the former particu-
larly due to the preponderant sales of
house-current SETS Radio exports came
near the $11 900 900 mark.
From another source it is learned that
the types of sets leading the market in
1928 ranked in the following order:s
Atwater Kent, Majestic, Radicals,
Crosley, Zenith, holster, Philco, Fada
and Steinite.
The only figures available placed At
water Kent production at around $780,
600 sets and Majestic at more than
425,000.
(Copyright, 1929. by North American
NeYsoaper Alliance.l
mENWWNuz1E iEl HIlhEm