Evening star., 1932-09-28
RADIO. COMMISSION
PROBES COMPLAINT
|0F NAVAL STATION
Interference With Labora-
tory at Bellevue Charged
to Station WJSV.
| BROADCASTING COMPANY
SHIELDS TRANSMITTER
Owners Deny New Facilities Will
Bother Experimental Work
Across Potomac.

The Federal Radio Commission to-
day was investigating Navy Depart
mcnt complaint that the new radio
broadcasting station OF the Columbia
Broadcasting System, Station WJSV,
which is scheduled to begin its regular
schedule October 20, will interfere
seriously with research work Of the
service across the Potomac RIVER at
Bellevue, D. c.
Although it is understood the Radio
Commission has prepared a reply to
the Navy on the problem this communi-
cation was not available for publication.
Columbia Broadcasting System en-
gineers take issue with the Navy'S con-
tention that Station WJSV. located on
the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
and costing upward of S50,000, will mar
the scientific inquiries going forward at
Bellevue.
Engineers TO Make Study.
Radio Commission engineers will in
uuire into the technical features of the
situation and Navy Department spokes-
men today expressed full confidence
that the commissions decision will be
satisfactory to the service. Naval officers
said Station WJSV, which will take
over chain programs now being carried
by Station WMAL, Is located about l
mile from Bellevue. The proximity Of
this new station to the laboratory. they
said, would interfere seriously with re-
search work and naval communications.
Station WJSV is located about 81 miles
from the giant naval radio towers at
Arlington, Va.
The Navy Department asserts the
service has put millions of dollars into
the construction and equipment at the
laboratory at Bellevue. where scientific
work of a secret character is carried
forward Naval authorities said that
before the Radio Commission was set
| up. the law prescribed that no radio
station could be erected within so miles
of Bellevue They said the first the
naval scientists knew Of Station WJSV
was when they saw the towers be-
ing erected on the other side of the
river.
officials of the Columbia Broadcast
ing System said the technical problem
was recognized long before the organi-
Zation chose its new site for the station
Columbia engineers, they said, figured
out that it is feasible to eliminate har-
monies entirely by shielding. If any
harmonics are received by the Naval
Research Laboratory from WJSV. they
said, they will be scarcely discernable
and certainly will not interfere with
naval work.
Begin Tests October 10.
The Columbia Broadcasting System
! has already built a transmitter house
antenna towers and ground system. as
we'll as leasing the land for Is years.
1t is scheduled to begin testing on
October 10, with regular broadcastS
| following 10 DAYS later.
The new station is slated to use TO-
900 watts power compared with 500
watts. on which WRC and WMAL
operate.
Harry Butcher. representative of the
| Columbia Broadcasting System. here
said because of precautions taken by
| his organization the Naval Research
Laboratory is not likely to encounter
serious dificultie4
I'VE are shielding the transmitter
| he asserted lin an effort to prevent the
research laboratory from receiving our
harmonics which is the only thing
they are afraid of. We are likcr"Te
shielding the leads down from the - =
tenna and doing everything scientifically
possible to suppress these harmonics. y