Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
RADIO Commission
CLOSES 1,ODOCASES
R. c. A. Decision Features
Biggest Session in
Boards History.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
With its docket cleared of thousands
of cases in the busiest session since its
organization. the Radio Commission
stands In recess until next September.
Driving to clean up their desks before
leaving the Capital for the Summer,
the five members in the past week dis
posed Of about 800 applications, in
GLIDING what many believe to be the
most important to confront the COM
mission-the famous RCA case.
Climaxing the long night in the courts
| by the Radio Corporation of America to
retain some 400 licenses held by its
| four subsidiaries, the commission de-
cided to renew the licenses regardless of
the Delaware Federal Court decision,
holding the corporations tube sales con-
tract with other manufacturing compa-
MES was illegal.
Section 10 Of the radio act provides
for revocation Of licenses held by a COM
pany finally adjudged guilty" of at
tempting to monopolize radio communi-
cation. The majority OF the commission
held a monopoly or an attempted mo-
| nopoly in the sale Of radio tubes did
not constitute monopoly in commune
cation.
/, Three Stations Cut.
Three broadcasting stations were or
dered off the air during the past year
KVEP, Portland, Greg; KFKB, Milford,
Kans.. and KTNT, Muscatine, Iowa.
While not authorized to exercise the
power of censorship over programs put
on the air. the commission in passing on
license renewal applications takes into
4 consideration ~
ment provided in the past by the sta
| ton IN question. If it considers such
programs haven improper and not
| In the public interest the commission
refuses to renew the license.
This course was followed in the case
of the three stations taken from the
air. The difficulties OF KVEP arose
| from its broadcastS during political
campaign. KFKB was shut down as
| the result of the activities of It's owner,
DR.. John A. Brinkley, in connection
with his so-called gland operations. In
! the case of the Musactine station, the
| commission held that Norman Baker,
its operator. was using the station to
advertise his hospital. which specialized
in the treatment Of cancer.
Appeal Pending.
The latter station has an appeal
QSIlQulS DcIOIS Tie OOuIL Oh Appeals,
but that court sustained the commits
sion's action in the Milford station
| case and this is regarded by the COM
mission as precedent.
Other important steps taken by the
commission included a reduction Of
| the deviation tolerance for broad
casters. In effect, this provided that
stations could deviate but so cycles
from their assigned frequences.s as
compared with 500 cycles previously
allowed. Commission engineers be-
lieve the order. which goes into effect
next June, will vastly improve radio
reception.
The commission attempted to allo-
cate the SO channels set aside for
continental short wave communica-
ton. but litigation In the Court of
Appeals prevented final disposition.
Another problem still pending is the
assignment of eight stations to the
remaining channels available for the
maximum power OF $4,000 watts Hear
ings have been held and testimony from
20 applicant stations has been taken.
but further consideration was deferred
until next Fall.