Evening star., 1933-12-31
InitatOr of Roosevelt
In BrOadcaStS Revealed
William Perry Adams Is Like President Only In
Voice-Other Characteristics Are in
Contrast With President.

ing from an old crystal set to the most
modern multitude receiver, in his
laboratory to carry on his observations
Let me tell you why devote my
time to reception alone" he said. Radio
transmission is fairly well understood
Its problems have been almost entirely
| overcome. Not SO with receiving. In
fact, 1t Is more difficult to understand
today than in 1924, owing to continual
electrical discharges in transmission
electrical transmitters all over the
world.
There is no receiver yet made that
attains perfection or even near per-
fection in clarity, distance, kilocycle
selectivity sensitivity and freedom
from harmonics of other transmitters
The broadcast channels are so jammed
| together with -to-signal elec-
trical transmission that it's wonder
we obtain any clarity at all"
But there's a ray Of sunshine peer
ing through the static-making star
dust, according to this observer. He
! himself has developed a receiver with
overhead insulation, using no aerial or
ground, for which he claims an effici-
ency more than 80 times greater than
! the ordinary receiver and which
practically excludes static and fading.
But he admits it isn't practical for
everyday use.
DR.. Everette sees in the opening Oi
the ultra-short wave lengths, or micro
| waves, a vast new field for radio de-
velopment, with hundreds of thousands
/ of wave lengths free from normal
ethereal disturbances potentially avail
! able. But it can't be done overnight
| he says. and the new waves must he
developed and brought into use grad
ually.
! A DDITIONAL competition threat
n ened to existing broadcasting sta
tionS by the expected licensing of q
| dozen or more stations of powers up tC
| 1000 watts in the new channel band
| of 1,500-1 900 kilocycles may be the
cause of considerable controversy when
applications for the new wave length;
/ are received.
The Federal Radio Commission last
week reserved three "high-quality'
channels of 20 kilocycles each in thc
| 1.500-1 800 kilocycle band, thus widening
! the present band of 550-1 500 kilocycles
! for new program services 10 be hearo
by those whose radios can tune in tn:
additional waves.
Because most of the applications fol
| the newly available channels are ex-
| pected to come from cities already vel
served by competing radio stations, the
| fear is felt that the new stations vii
merely mean added economic compe-
| tition. Thus, if someone seeks tc
establish a new station in the 1900
1000 band in such cities Of New York
| or Los Angeles. the stations now oper-
ating there are. expected to protest
! vigorously against potential 1nroads- il
| their business.
One of those sympathizin5 with these
! apprehensions is Commissioner H. A
| Lafount. who voted for the widening 0i
| the broadcast band, but objected tc
that portion Of the rule which permit;
the transmission of commercial or
| sponsored programs on these expert
mental waves" Under the. new rule
promulgated by the commission, the
waves 1880, 1850 and 1870 kilocycles
are made available but are labeled as
experimental" thus being subject tc
recapture if their technical feasibility
is not proved by those who secure IL
censes to operate on them.
In opening this band to broad
| casting" declared Mr.. Lafount, 1.-The
commission does so on an expert
| mental basis and The facilities SO as
! signed are not chargeable to quota.
! This means that further program serv-
! ice will be added to overquota and
radio congeSted areas. We have hac
reason to view the economic distress
of existing broadcasting stations during
the past year. Additional competition
! therefore, will mean additional eco
nomic distress to stations already Ii
censed, with consequent lowering Of the
standard of service to the general
! public"