Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-21
SHORT-WAVE FANS
I'm CLOVER NOW
Foreign Programs Result in
Project for Interna-
tionaI System.
By ROBERT MACK.

New thrills are being experienced BY
radio fans who romp up and down the
short waves In search Of foreign radio
stations.
Operas from Rome and programs
from Shanghai, Honolulu and other
corners of the globe now are received
regularly as short-wave broadcasting
gains in public favor and the kinks are
taken out of the receiving sets. As q
matter of fact. ample evidence Is being
received In ofdcial radio circles tending
to show that international audiences
have been built up on the short waves.
Out of this development comes an
ambitious project for an international
Short-wave system, centered in the
United States, but tying into a dozen
different nations. This plan. now be-
fore the Federal Radio Commission,
contemplates the is3swchange of pro-
entirely divorced from the operations Of
the two major broadcasting networks
OF this country.
The principal owners Of the powerful
Curtiss- Wright group Of aircraft COM
pantes are behind the world wide short
wave broadcasting scheme Station
W2XAL of New York, the short-wave
auxiliary of broadcast station WRNY,
would serve as the key to the project
Forming of Corporation.
The Short-Wave Broadcasting Cor
poration has been formed by an ANAL
gamation of the interests of the two
New York stations and the Short-wave
& Television Corporation of Boston.
Already a universal type of receiving
set, combining broadcast, short-wave
and television reception. is being manu-
featured
The plan is to bolster up programs
broadcast on these short waves In such
way as to create a greater demand
for short-wave receivers, manufactured
and marketed by the company. In that
manner, the cost Of maintaining the
service would be betrayed, since Federal
regulations provide that no pecuniary
return may be realized from short-waVe
broadcasting, which is yet in an ex-
perimental status.
In building up case for the project
before the commission, Walter S. Lem
mon, president Of the new corporation,
said that already more than 100 sta
tons in this country have agreed to feed
American programs to the proposed net
work. He said that arrangements al
ready have been made for foreign pick
ups. TO be broadcast by short waves in
Santiago, Valparaiso, Sac Paulo, Shang-
hal and Rome.
Approval Given Plan.
Testimony in favor of the plan was
given to the commission by Benjamin
Cohen, former secretary of the Chilean
legation, who has Investigated the South
American field; Lieut.. Col. Mako PEN
neroi, military attache of the italian
embassy, who pledged cooperation Of
the radio interests of his country; Ches-
ter w. Cuthell, director of Curtiss-
Wright, and A. H. Bosdaro, former Brit
iSh theatrical impresario.
Four international channels would be
employed, with plans for stations in
other nations also to operate on the
channels for program interchanges. The
channels sought are 6,040, IL 300. %, 250
and 21,460 kilocycles. The power Of
W2XALI, now of 500 watts, would be
stepped up gradually to is, 900 watts If
the authority is granted and its location
moved from New York to Boston.
The project was pointed to as vital
factor in the promotion Of aniity toward
American ideals and paveS the way for
a greater world trade for American
goods" by Mr.. Cuthell. Lieut.. Col Pen
neroli said that the broadcasting Of
opera from Rome by short waves has
resulted in thousands of regular listen
ers in the United States, and that Ital-
ians were anxious to receive American
programs.
Copyright, 1917