Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16
RADIO ORDER SEEN
PROPAGANDA CURB
Commission Clamps Lid on
Extravagant Use of
Rehroadcasting.

First practical cognizance of rebroad-
casting and international exchange OF
radio programs is taken by the Federal
Radio Commission in the issuance of a
sweeping regulation clamping the lid
on extravagant use or abuse of re-
hroadcasting facilities. The order also
is seen as gesture toward insuring
proper selection of programs from other
nations. with vie.y of eliminating
material bordering on the propaganda
stage or adverse to American principles.
Coming on the eve of international
program exchanges, whereby the Amer
lean listener will hear a foreign station
on his loud speaker with full signal
strength and fair degree of fidelity Of
reproduction, the general order fore
bodies orderly regulation of the latest
offshoot of broadcasting. AS a matter
OF fact, the Columbia Broadcasting
System already has introduced the first
of a series of commercial programs
emanating from Canada. The National
Broadcasting Co, as well as the Co.
lumbia Broadcasting System, has been
in negotiation with the broadcasting
systems of France, Germany and Eng
land to arrange the program exchanges.
M. II. Aylesworth, president of the Ma
ttonal Broadcasting Co., only recently
returned from abroad and reported no.
table progress with the European gov
ernments which control broadcasting.
Aside FROM the pure program aspet IS,
the commission seeks to regulate re-
broadcasting both within the CONT
mental limits of the United States and
from foreign countries to conserve the
limited facilities. It does not want to
see the precious frequencies wasted.
Another Element Involved.
For example, in the United States It
will not countenance the hooking up of
many ratio stations by short waves
when telephone wires can be Just as
well used. or even better. The broad
casting chains at great expense link
together their stations, and It would be
unfair competition to permit newcomers
IN the field to use the free air" indis-
crirninately.
There is yet another element involved
In the order. There are instances where
stations without any authority what
ever are picking up programs of first
class station on q selective receiver and
rebroadcasting them over their own
station by injecting a charge of power
and building up the signals. This is an
offense in violation Of the radio law.
Written Consent Necessary.
Specifically, the order provides that
construction permits and licenses for
relay broadcasting will be issued only
on condition that no station engage i
In relay broadcasting shall grant au-
thority to any radio station within the
United States to rebroadcast its pro-
grams without first obtaining written
consent of the commission. A second
proviso is that stations engaged In re-
lay broadcasting shall report at least
once each quarter as to results attained.
These results shall include "the sta
tons located abroad which are regu-
larry receiving and rebroadcasting the
program originated by the licensee, the
times during which reception abroad is
of sufficient intensity and quality to
render rebroadcasting practicable, the
frequencies utilized abroad for recep-
ton OF said programs, and the nature
and extent of tests conducted abroad
where relay broadcasting is carried on
only for experimental purposes and not
for rebroadcastine."
tcopyriEht, 1929, by the Consolidated Press.)