Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20
GREAT CHANGES
IN RADIO SEEN
important Steps and Radical
Departures in Field Are
in Prospect.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

BY MARTIN CODEL.
Inducements are stirring in radio
which portend important changes and
radical new departures in American
broadcasting and broadcasting methods
during the next few years.
Changes in the ownership of stations
the synchronization of two or more
stations on single wave lengths and the
use of higher and higher powers are in
prospect, Apace with such develop
mentS, the increasing use of program
conttnuities specially recorded for broad
casting bodies marked changes in the
program technique of large and small
stations alike.
On reliable authority, the writer
learns that certain unnamed interests
are back of project that calls for the
purchase OF many broadcaSting stations
throughout the country during the next
few years. These are to be operated as
individual units under central control,
somewhat as chain newspapers are
operated. Later they may be joined as
network, especially If synchronization
makes 1t possible to do so without going
to the Government for more of the
more favorable wave lengths.
$4,000, 900 Asked.
This syndicate, it is understood, ap-
preached station WOR, Newark, with
the thought of purchasing it. but ne
gotiations did not go very far when the
staggering price of 100000 was asked
for that station.
That the big motion picture pro-
ducers now without radio outlets of
their own would like to get into broad
casting Is well known. Warner Broth
ers and Fox have long been sold" on
radio, but unlike Radio Pictures and
Paramount have not been able to gain
a foothold. Metro Goldwyn- Mayer
likewise wants to 60 into broadcaSting
and may be expected to join forces in
the radio field, as 1t has in motion pic
lures, with the Hearst interests, whose
radio executive, e. J. Cough, even now
is on tour to consult with Hearst
publishers about radio.
Around WLW, Cincinnati, and
wGPS, New York. not to omit WOR,
many rumors Of chain ambitions have
been woven. They have not been SUBJ
stantiated, although movements are
discernible which lead to the belief
that any one or all of these stations
may be keys of hookups under new aus
pieces within the next year or so.
AS matter of fact, WLW and WOR
are frequently hooked together and with
various other stations for certain pro-
grams, and few weeks ago WGBS was
admitted to this quality group" for
certain programs which WOR could not
wMAQ, Chicago; WTAM, Cleveland;
VIII, st. Louis; WJR, Detroit, and
KQV, Pittsburgh. Here is a nucleus
for q possible third chain, although
each of these stations has other chain
affiliations with which it appears quite
satisfied for the present
Own Soatone system.
Warner Brothers now own, besides
the Brunswick radio plants, the Soa-
tone system of preparing recordings for
broadcasting. and has big plans for ex-
plotting recorded programs. Then still
another New York company, known as
Radio Artists Of the Air, Inc, and
headed by Eddie Bowling, is reputed to
have nearly 200 stations under contract
for recorded radio broadcasts.
The announcement that WOR was
turning to recordings after consistently
refusing TO broadcast anything but
original studio performances gave rise
TO reports of concordat with the War
Yers, reports which cannot be substan-
tiated. In radio circles IL Is generally
believed that the economies of broad
casting, especially since WOR changed
hands as part of a recent big depart
ment store merger in New York, con-
EUralnSQ the new OWIeTS 10 W
records to reduce expenses.
Then, again, there Is the ambition Of
Victor, now in the Radio Corporation
of Americas family" to promote its
recordings via the broadcast channels
Efforts to place Victor records on the
National Broadcasting Co. chain last
year were successfully resisted by M. H.
Aylesworth, president Of N. B. c., but
the story will not down that Victor,
Has =
tends to develop a new outlet for its
records. Some credence Is given this
report by the fact that Victor has cir
cularized all radio stations to the effect
that they must cease the broadcasting
Of Victor records.
SynchroniZatiOn Is Goal.
EXPERIMENTATION, or the placing Of
enough stations to cover the entire
country on one wave length, Is the big
goal of radio engineers. There is no
doubt that II and when the problem of
synchronization is solved the present
chains and other interests will imme-
diately begin forming new networks.
1t is partially to experiment with
synchronization that KDKA, Pittsburgh,
applied to the Federal Radio Commits
sion for authority to employ 400, 900
watts Of power, or eight times the pres
ent maximum Of any station in the
country, in experiments to be conducted
during the hours after midnight. Sta
tons KDKA Of Westinghouse and WGY
Of General Electric propose to go on
the air in these trials with 100000
watts each on the same wave length,
and with the same program, and to note
the results.
At first blush such "superpower" ap-
pears staggering, but 100000 watts is a
relatively small amount when trans
posed to horsepower. One horsepower
equals 746 watts, so that KDKA'S pro-
posed experimental power would amount
to only 537.5 horsepower. OF course,
there is the problem of blanketing the
nearby points on the dial, If not the
whole dial, with such power. But that
also Is one of the problems Westing-
house engineers think they can master.
Meanwhile the rush for the maximum
power OF $4,000 watts continues, and
the list of pending applications Is swell
ing day by day. Eight stations now
have that power. namely. WEAF, New
York; VITO, Hartford; WGY, Science
tady; KDKA. Pittsburgh; WLW. Gin
cinnati; WTAM, Cleveland; WENR,
Seven have been authorized to build to
that power, namely, wABC, New York;
WIS, Chicago; KNOX, st. Louis !;
WFAA. Dallas; WOAI, San Antonio,
Tex; KNX, Los Angeles, and XII, Los
Angeles.
With the commissions ruling that no
more than four channels In each OF the
I'VE zones shall be occupied by $4,000
watt stations, the list of applicants for
that power, all or most of whom will
face hearings on their applications be-
fore the commission next Fall, now in
clude WOR, Newark WCAU, Philadel-
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