Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-11
COMMUNITY RADIO
PLAN IS OFFERED.
WilIiamsport Mans Pro-
posaI Would Open Way for
800 Local Stations.

A big plan for little broadcasting sta
tons, under which the way would be
opened for the licensing Of possibly soC
local or community stations on the basis
of one watt per 1000 population, is be-
fore the FEDERAL Radio Commission.
Claiming that $500, 900 is behind the
venture. Clarence R. Cumnnins Of Will
Transport, Pa, as trustee for Community
Radio, a corporation to be formed, laid
his plan before the commission in the
rough, It provides for IS OF the 96
wave lengths all in one block as the
first requisite, which would entail Q
sweeping revision of the broadcast
structure. Then, he said, the channel
separation would be reduced from 10 to
2 kilocycles, increasing the number OF
channels from 25 to 1875 and making
available community station service to
every city and town in the country.
Offers Cash for Experiment.
From the engineering standpoint the
opinion is that it can't be done, but
Cummins Is firm in his conviction that
it is the salvation of radio. Community
Radio itself, he said, wants to operate
400 such local stations in the East and
Middle West Gas against the 200 now
licensed for the entire country, and
would provide a wire-program service,
similar to the chain programs now fur
niShed, to such Community stations in
other parts of the country.
As evidence of the good faith of the
enterprise Cun1mins said it will offer
the commission cash deposit of $780,
600 when it applies for experimental
authorization. To show the skeptical
engineers, he declared, he will apply
within the next few weeks for authority
to conduct experiments on tWo-ki1o-
cycle separation, with 5 or 10 local sta
lions in Pennsylvania. Once the COM
mission approves the project the $780,
900 viii be available, he said, although
he declined to name the hackers.
AS the first step Cummins appeared
before the commission Monday to OPP
pose the granting of increases in power
to any existing local or regional sta
tons. His opposition was expressed at
the hearing Of Station WEDH Of Erie,
Pa, which sought q shift in frequency
and an increase in power from 80 TO
500 watts. Cumnins himself formerly
operated Station WRAK, at Erie. but
had it removed to Williamsport after a
controversy with Louis Benjamin, pub
Usher of the Erie Dispatch Herald
Broadcasting Cooperation, which oper-
ates Station WEDH He claimed inter
ference will result from any increases
in power and that the local stations
are now sandwiched in between high
powered stations. Under the present
set-up the. radio lanes are overloaded
with traf1c, he said.
Asks IS Channels Set Aside.
Briefly, Cummins said his plan is
that the commission set aside IS chan
nels, or 10 additional, to augment the
six now devoted to local stations. BY
reducing the separation to two kilo-
cycles there would be available 125
frequencies, in which all low-powered
stations would be assigned on scien-
tific basis. Thereafter any community
of 1000 or less now without facilities
would be granted licenses on the basis
of one watt per thousand Of population,
provided service in the public interest
would be assured. 49,,
Community Radio then would apply
for about 400 local station licenses in
the East and Middle West on the same
basis. At least five permanent studios
would be established in the largest edu-
cational and amusement centers, and
temporary studios elsewhere, and pro-
gram wires would serve the proposed
400 community radio stations.