Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03
CUBA MAY ENTER
RADIO RELATIONS.
Restricted Wave Lengths
CompIicate International
Problem.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.


station proposed for Cuba, the relations
of North American countries over the
use of the restricted number of radio
wave lengths are becoming more and
more complicated. Those relations are
already rather acute because of Can
ada's oft-repeated dissatisfaction with
the present division, and because a new
high-powered station is being built In
Mexico which is expected to usurp one
of the American wave lengths this
Autumn.
It is under American auspices that
Cuba may enter the lists for $4,000
watts, the maximum power now en-
ployed by only handful of American
stations and sought by all but hand
full of the cleared channel broadcasters
in this country. Cuba's telephone in
tereSts, which are dominated by the
International Telephone & Telegraph
Co., an American concern, and the
Cuban Tourist Commission are reported
by Consul General Dumont at Havana
to be backing the project for the new
giant station at Havana.
New Sales Market Seen.
/ OnOIl1Cldfly IL Is SJdteu UIldb OIlc IVA
| tional Broadcasting Co.'S network would
were erected. Moreover, American radio
| manufacturers are reported to be ex-
! tremely interested in the prospect OF
| opening up lucrative new market for
radio receiving sets in Cuba, where only
10000 to $4,000 sets are now in use.
Although the island republic has rela-
| lively few radio sets, it has 81 broad.
casting stations, SO of them in Havana.
Most of them are operated by former
radio amateurs, and nearly all depend
upon photograph records for their
| broadcast material The reason that
so little complaint of interference has
been heard from them is the fact that
they use extremely low powers on wave
lengths staggered between those used
by stations in the United States and
Canada.
Erection of a 5o,oo0-watter in Ha-
vana, as proposed, would inevitably
mean that Cuba, like Canada and Mex
leo, must make a demand for exclusive
channel rights. Cuba's highest powered
station today is CAK, Havana, with
1000 watts, operating on a channel
otherwise assigned exclusively to Can
ada. If any Cuban station went to
$4,000, it would doubtless need q chan
mel that would be exclusive over North
America, especially inasmuch as its pro-
moters propose that it should be heard
over the West Indies and on both the
American continents.
At present the SO available channels
are divided between the United States
and Canada, the latter using 6 ex-
clusively and sharing IL. Neither Cuba
nor Mexico is party to the gentle
mems agreement" that prevails between
the two larger countries, an agreement
which probably will be replaced soon by
a more formal treaty, in the writing Of
which both Cuba and Mexico will want
to take hand and demand their share
of exclusive channels.
Radio 10 Have Worlds Fair.
Heralded by the annual convention of
the Institute of Radio Engineers at
Toronto, August 18 to 81. the Fall and
Winter radio season will be inaugu-
rated by the Radio Worlds Fair In New
York City September % to AZ. Both
are events of major importance in the
radio world, the Toronto meeting bring
ing together the best minds" in the
industry and the technical genius whose
products are exhibited to the public at
the New York show.
Preliminary announcements from the
Radio Worlds Fair management are to
the effect that the industry is looking
to a minimum 1930-31 market for
100000 receiving sets, 2,250,000 of
them of the AC and DC variety; 1,00O,-
600 battery sets, 100000 mantle or port
able sets and 250,000 automobile sets.
This is the show at which the sets
revealed to dealers at the Atlantic City
trade show in June are displayed to the
public for the first time More than usual
interest attaches to the 1880 fair, in
that some of the larger companies, hav-
ing refused to disclose their new models
at the Atlantic City show, will reveal
them for the first time there.
X \
Music Stores Lead Radio Sales.
How the music stores have turned to
the handling of radio sets is indicated
by the fact that music dealers last year
had the highest average of radio sales
per dealer of any other retail outlets.
Radio has replaced the piano, and Is
the counterpart of the photograph as
the basic commodity offered by many
music stores.
Whereas stores handling radio ex-
clusively averaged sales of $25,976 each
last year, music stores reported average
sales of $38,043 in the annual survey
conducted by the Department of Com
merce. That survey revealed that radio
outlets now include, besides music shops
and radio stores, such establishments as
automobile agencies, department stores,
hardware stores, merchandise stores, jew
elry shops, and even such far-removed
establishments as undertakers and grain
dealers in the rural communities.
With but few exceptions, sales of
radio equipment per dealer varied last
year in almost direct ratio to the size
OF the community, according to the
averages worked out by the Electrical
Equipment Division 'of. the Department
OF Commerce on the basis OF its survey
OF radio dealers. The average sales per
dealer for the country amounted to $l3,-
1865, but the averages vary from $3.50
per dealer IN communities Of a popula-
ton Of less than 10000 to $54,4I6 per
dealer in communities of 300 900 or
more population.
Department Of Commerce returns
| showed that the IS per cent of the
countrys dealers who reported did an
aggregate business of more than $14O,-
100000 If the percentage is accepted
as true index, it would indicate that
| the aggregate retail business in radio
amounted to more than $3.50, 900 900
last year. For the first three months
OF 1880 the Department Of Commerce
by the same reckoning estimates that
total sales of radio equipment mounted
to $l44,500000 in the whole country
which compares with the estimate of
Sl32, 100000 for the same period of 1929.
RADIO ANNOUNCER MADE