Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11
RADIO CHAINS ADD
SEVERAL STATIONS
New Broadcasting Align
ments Seen in Deals Now
Being Contaminated.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

New alignments in broadcasting, with
the chains acquiring possession of more
stations of their own, are evident from
deals being consummated in the radio
realm.
BY its acquisition of wPG, Atlantic
City, the Columbia Broadcasting System
is now able to count seven stations
which it either owns or controls by
direct or indirect relationship. Under
the pending deal whereby the General
Electric and Westinghouse companies
will sell their radio interests to the
Radio Corporation of America it Is an
ticipated that the National Broadcast
ing Co, which becomes a 100 per cent
subsidiary of the Radio Corporation OF
America, will find itself In possession Of
at least 10 stations.
Whether this means concerted drive
on the part of the network organiza-
tons to control their own program OUT
lets rather than depend upon tndepend-
ent stations can only be surmised. Close
observers of broadcasting trends behave
that circumstances, and not the willful
desires of the chain executives, are
bringing about the changes.
Municipality Owned.
1t was circumstance, at least, which
enabled Columbia to lease the Atlantic
City station for flve-year period, for
1IlC City 4dOl1CIS Vi IIlG NEW JSTSEY re-
sort wanted to be relieved of the finan-
cial burden of the station. It is munich
pally owned and remains so by the deal.
Columbia's complete management Of the
station began May /.
Columbia owns outright wABC, its
New York key station, while directors
Of Columbia own WCAU, Philadelphia,
Sam Pickard,, the former radio COM
missioner and now vice president Of
Columbia, personally owns WKRC, Gin
| cinnati. Then the chain has controlling
stock interest In WBBM, Chicago;
WCCO, Minneapolis, and KNOX, st.
Louis.
If, as expected, the National Broad
casting Co. takes over the General
Electric and Westinghouse broadcasting
stations. 1t will add five stations to the
five it already owns or operates. The
National Broadcasting Co. owns WEAF,
New York City, outright. It manages
and operates WIZ, New York City, and
WRC, Washington, which are owned
by the Radio Corporation of America.
II also manages and operates KOA,
Denver, amid KGO, Oakland, Calf,
which are owned by General Electric.
Expected to Get WGY.
In fact, at the insistence of the Fed
eral Radio Commission, the National
Broadcasting Co. recently became the
licensee OF the two Radio Corporation
| OF America and the two General Elec-
trio stations. This left WGY, Schenec-
| tady, as the only station of General
Electric under its own management,
but the National Broadcasting Co. is
expected to take this over also.
Four Westinghouse stations will be
taken over If the terms of the big radio
deal so demand. They are KDKA,
Pittsburgh. the first commercial broad
casting station in the world; KYW, Chi
cago; WBZ, Springfield, Mass, and
| WBzA, Boston. Ownership and opera
ton Of these stations by the National
| Broadcasting Co. will not leave Radio
Corporation Of America, General Elec-
trio and Westinghouse entirely out of
proadcasting, for officials of all three
companies dominate the board of direc-
ton OF the National Broadcasttng Co.