Evening star., 1933-12-05
STATIONS GRANTED
| POWER INCREASES
Celebrity of Radio Body's
Action, in Cases of WHAS
and WIT, Is Record.

~ REAKING all records for speedy
action, the Federal Radio Com
n mission has awarded two more
IL stations the right to use the
maximum power of $4,000
watts as a means of increasing their
service llngeS. The stations are
wHAS, oulsville, and WIT, Charlotte,
N c., witch heretofore have used 25,ooo
watts T yer.
Only 10 days ago, these stations ap-
peared at formal hearing before the
commission on their applications, claim
ing that with the doubled power they
would perform better service for list
eners In the past, such applications
have been considered for months.
1t has been apparent since last Fall,
however, that the commission would
grant all qualified stations which
sought the privilege, the right to use the
maximum power. At that time it re-
scinded a 3-year-old regulation limit
ing the maximum power to only 20 OF
the 40 exclusive channels originally
cleared for use of high-power stations.
BY eliminating this restriction, it OPEN
ed the way for use of the maximum
power on all clear channels.
20 Have $4,000 Watts.
Whereas there were only a half
dozen 50O00-Watt stations operating in
1928, there are % units of that output
on the air now. In addition, five others
are authorized to install equipment
capable of broadcasting with that
energy.
Among engineers, the view is prevail
ent that the commission soon Will grant
powers in excess of the present maxi
mum. The technical theory is that
nf fnllPh a half lion
watts can be used on exclusive waves
without causing interference, and that
only with high powers can the proper
service be given listeners in rural areas
remote from local stations.
Much depends upon the outcome OF
the experiment soon to be undertaken
by station WLW, Cincinnati, now in
stalling 500,000-Watt transmitter, at
cost of more than 100000. To be
operated during the early morning
hours beginning about January l, this
station Will be employed to test the ad-
VantageS OF Super-poWer Should the
experiments prove successful, it is
believed the commission will authorize
the station to operate With the tre-
mendous wattage during regular pro-
gram hours.
MOST of the broadcast excitement, if
1Sl it can be called that, is turning
toward what is going to happen
In the beginning of the new year.
Here are few instances: Kate Smith
will return to Columbia in January for
30 minutes of broadcasting a week with
Jack Mlller's Orchestra. Freddie Rich
and his orchestra, Helen Morgan and
William O'Neal, baritone, are to join in
a one-hour one-time program on Colum-
bia in that month, the date to be Sc
lected. Guy Lombardo's Orchestra will
leave the present program on Columbia
at the end of January, but Burns and
Allen will continue. The succeeding
band has not yet been picked. Then
February 4 Fred Waring will have a
new sponsor for his PennSylyanianS,
this Columbia program to appear oppo-
site the last half hour of Eddie Cantor
on N. 3. c.
COLUMBIA has started sending the
~ nightly 15-minute concerts of the
Philadelphia Orchestra to Homo
picked up there by KGMB and re-
broadcast.
last and Dumke, better known on
IL the air as Sisters of the Skillet"
are coming to Washington the end
Of the week for an engagement at the
Fox. It will be their first personal
appearance in the Capital.
VIOLET WACHTER announces that
v Ralph Howe has joined the cast
of her Doors" dramatic company
and will take part in the broadcast to-
night over WRC.