Evening star., 1931-11-29
on the one
- hand, but reactionary on

- hand, but reactionary on
the other, the Federal
Radio Commission at times
presents some curious anomalies.
It's progressive instincts have been
displayed by it's determination,
however belated, to rid the air of
undesirable broadcaSterS. Its re-
dictionary attitude was evidenced
last week when a bare majority
decided against an experiment in
synchronized operation of several
stations on one wave length pro-
posed by the Columbia Broad
casting System.
In the last two months the
commission has ordered nine sta
tions off the air for various
causes, of which six are back in
operation under temporary stay
orders pending appeals to the
courts. For the most part, the
stations ordered deleted were held
to be violating regulations, broad
casting in an undesirable manner
or otherwise operating contrary
to the public interest.
Last week the commission
handed down a 3-to-2 decision
against allowing Columbia to in
stall 250-Watt booster station in
Washington to be synchronized to
the clear channel of WABC, it's
New York key. The station was
sought as an experiment to de-
termine the feasibility of such
common frequency operation. Co.
lumbia also wants the station be-
cause it cannot get all the hours
it seeks for network programs
from WMAL, its present Wash
ington outlet.
Reasons for the majority's de-
ciSion have not been announced
but Chairman Saltzman and
Commissioners Starbuck and La
fount voted in its favor, the latter
issuing a statement declaring his
opinion that the commission
should acquaint itself with all
scientific development of the art
and should permit such expert
mentS as may demonstrate the
practicability of such develop
mentS."
1t is anticipated that the COM
missions grounds for decision,
now being prepared by its legal
division and from which Columbia
can appeal if it chooses, but prob
ably will not, will be based partly
on quota regulations and oppoSi-
ton to new construction, and
partly on a determination not to
break down any more clear chan
nels in the fear of establishing a
precedent that other clear chan
mel operators might seek to follow.
The week previous the commission
also denied an application from
WLBW, Oil City, Pa, to place a
booster to operate on its wave
length in Erie, Pa.
Synchronized operation has
been feared by many stations now
on networks as heralding the day
when complete national networks
will operate on a single wave
length, thus obviating the need of
local affiliateS on the part OF
chains. Under the present wave
set-up this would be impossible.
Moreover, Columbia repeatedly
avoWed that it has no intention
of spreading Synchronization even
should it prove successful.
In fact, Columbia went into the
synchronizing scheme with the
assent of WMAL, which would
have Joined the N. B. G. network
had the application been granted.
Immediately after the commits
sion's decision Columbia an
nounced it was placing one OF its
features. "Kaltenborn Edits the
News" which it has been unable
to place on WMAL because Of that
stations local programs, on Sta
ton WJSV, Alexandria, Va. This
move may mark the beginning OF
a secondary affiliation for Colum-
bia in the Washington area.
Whether the commissions de-
cision in this case will affect ether
synchroniZation experiments now
under way is conjectural. The
N. B. c. is now synchronizing
VITO, Hartford, with WEAF, one
of its New York keys, while WBAL.
Baltimore, is being synchronized
with WIZ, its other New York key.
The results so far as widespread
reception is concerned have not
been any too favorable thus far,
but the experimenters have high
hopes for the future. So high are
their hopes, in fact, that N. B. G.
has invested sums ranging into
six figures in apparatus and work
on the projects.
Early in December the VITO
WEAF and WBAL-WJZ expert
mental licenses expire, and the
question now arises whether the
commission can consistently renew
them in view of its decision on
the Washington booster. Since
N. B. c. has expended such large
sums on the project, it is doubtful
whether the courts would uphold
the commission in an effort to
terminate the experiments. Like
wise, there is a common frequency
experiment among four PennSyl-
vania stations now in progress
with very promising results, and
Stations WBZ- -WBZA, Boston
Boston Springfield, have been
oueratinr a half dozAn wars IN