Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-28
COLUMBIA SYSTEM
SHOWING STRIDES
Takes Lead in Concert b.
reau Field by Merging of
Seven Bureaus.

The year 1880 was no lean year for
the Columbia Broadcasting System,
younger Of the two nationwide radio
networks.
Despite the general tapering off of
business. Columbia doubled its station
clientele during the year and more than
doubled its gross sales for time on the
air" It branched OF into the FORE
front of the concert bureau field by
effecting a merger under its control of
seven leading concert bureaus Of
America.
While it hardly parallels its contem-
porary network, the National Broadcast
ing Co., in gross income, Columbia
made notable strides. and has started
out the new year with a group Of i'm
posing contracts that indicate another
heavy increase in revenue. Gross in
come Of the two networks totaled $685.
667, 1871, or an increase of about AZ per
cent over the 1929 figures. OF this
business approximately $4,000, 900 is
The gross income for both networks in
1929 was nearly $19,000,000.
One Years Development.
Details of the years development in
the N. B. G. organization are not yet
available Listeners, however, are ia
miliar with the innovations in the pro-
gram fields of both networks, while on
the technical side emphasis had been
placed on the laboratory development
Of television and the practical introduce
ton of synchronization, or the multiple
operation Of stations on the same wave
length without distorting interference.
Columbia grew from a network of 80
stations to chain of 76 stations in the
United States and Canada during 1880
-$the largest single broadcasting net
work in the world" according to its
26-year-old president, William S. Paley.
N. B. @. at the end of the year had 70
associated stations, normally divided
networks. Only on extraordinary occa-
Sions do either Of the networks have
their entire station clienteles linked.
In televiSion Mr.. Paley said Columbia
Is now in position by virtue of a license
from the Radio Commission to deal eff
fectively with it. mo one yet knows
how soon television is coming or just
how it is to be used, but when it does
come we shall be ready for it." he said.
As to SynchrOnixation.
In synchronization Columbia is "far
from the achievement of a definite
plan" said Mr.. Paley. N. B. c., on
the other hand, shortly plans to intro
duce its first regularly licensed syn
chroniZed set-up, with stations VIDAL,
Baltimore, and VITO, Hartford, oper-
ating simultaneously on the channels
occupied by WEAF and WIZ, its key
stations in New York. This, it is ex-
pected, will be the forerunner of entire
networks synchronized on the same
channel by means of booster" stations.
"Broadcasting and strengthening OF
the chain, operating our key station
| (WABC, New York; at maximum power
working at television and synchroniZa-
ton, intensifying our already conspic-
uously good news broadcasting service
constantly improving our program
structure along both popular and CLASH
cal lines, selling every opportunity to
enlarge our foreign service-these are
our major jobs on the operating side
for 1881 as we see them now" Mr.
Paley said.
| (Copyright, 1881, by the Consolidated Press