Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07
RADIO BOARD READY
FOR FALL HEARINGS
No Plans Afoot to Disturb
Broadcasting Structure in
Radical Way.
BY MARTIN CoLEL.

NfeGClnB QOWn 10 cases aILeIs more
than two months of comparative
quietude the Federal Radio Commission
plunged last week into Its Fall and
Winter docket of hearings after re-
newed assurance had come from Chair
man Charles NICK. Saltzrnan that the
commission has no plans afoot to dis
turb the present broadcasting struc-
ture in a radical way.
Another broadcasting upheaval. carry
ing with it the necessity of learning
new dial settings for favorite sta
lions, is furthest from the thoughts
of the commission, according to Gen.
Saltzman. If station wave length,
power and operating hour changes are
to be ordered, they will be gradual
rather than sweeping" said Gen. Saltz-
man, reiterating the assurances he gave
to the radio industry and the public
last Spring.
100 Cases Scheduled.
More than 100 cases were scheduled
for hearings before Chief Examiner
Pratt during September. Nearly half
represent applications for authority to
build new stations, mostly local low
powered affairs. Others are for fire.
quency, power and time shifts which,
except for those involving high power
and cleared channels, are locally i'm
portant in various parts of the coun-
try, but relatively unimportant to broad
casting as whole.
Midseptember win find the commits
sion embarking on five weeks of special
- kaG 10 fka
tons filed during the last few months
for powers of $4,000 watts. The rush
for maximum power grows out of the
commissions order last June limiting
the number of cleared channels that
may be used with that power to four
in each zone. Though this order Is
designed to hold maximum power to
only 20 of the 40 cleared channels,
hardly cleared channel station in
the country has failed to join the
rush for power.
Eight cleared-channel stations are
now operating with $4,000 watts,
namely, WEAF, New York; VITO,
Hartford; WGY, Schenectady; KDKA,
Pittsburgh; WLW, Cincinnati; WTAAd,
Cleveland; WFAA, Dallas, and WENR,
Chicago. Six others have been au-
thorized to build to that power, namely,
WABC, New York; WIS, Chicago;
KNOX, st. Louis; WOAI, San Antonio;
KNX, Los Angeles, and XII, Los An
geleS. Under a recent ruling of the
commission these stations are all as
sured the retention of their power
status, so they are not involved in the
forthcoming hearings. The commission
last week also authorized KDKA to ex-
pertinent with 100000 watts, the high
est power ever attempted anywhere
in the world, during the hours from l
am. to am. These experiments
may furnish the final proof of the eff
f1cacy of superpower and will be
watched with keen interest by the whole
radio world.
Weekly Hearings.
The hearings will be held weekly in
the order Of the zones, and the ap-
plicantS in each zone will be heard
jointly. On September Is hearings will
begin for the applicants from the first
zone. Seeking the one assignment
available for maximum power in the
first zone are WIZ, New York; WOR
Newark; WBz, Springfield, and WHAM,
Rochester.
Second-zone applicants will be heard
the week of September %. Seeking the
one assignment available there are
WCAU, Philadelphia; WHAS, Louis
Vile; WRVA, Richmond, and WV
Detroit.
Third-zone applicants viii be heard
the week of September 30 Seeking the
two assignments available there are
WSB, Atlanta; WHIT, Charlotte; WSM
Nashville; WREC, Memphis; WAPI
Birmingham, and KVOO, Tulsa.
Fourth-Zone applicants will be heard
the week of october 6. Seeking the
two assignments available there are
WMAQ. WBBM WON and VIGIL
Chicago; WTMJ, Milwaukee; WHO
VOC, Des acknowledgements (tempo-
rarily synchronizing); KTNT, Musca-
tine, Iowa, and WCCO, Minneapolis
The application Of KYW was withdrawn
last week because its counsel have 6
stay order from the Court of Appeals
here restraining the commission from
assigning its channel to any other sta
ton or holding hearings on its channel
| Whether the stations owners intend to
press priority or vested rights claims
to the channel, and then later seel
| the higher power, remains to be seen
Flfth-zone applicants will be heard
the week of October Is. Seeking the
| two assignments available there are
KFRC, San Francisco; KGO, Oakland
| XIII, Los Angeles, and KDA, Denver.
Chief Examiner Yost will hear thu
testimony in these cases, with Ben S
Fisher, assistant general counsel, han
ding the legal end for the commission
The commissioners, however, are ex
pected to sit on the cases from theil
zones-for in the last analysis thu
selection of the stations deemed mos
| deserving of the maximum power vii
| be theirs, and their colleagues will
! doubtless follow their recommendations