Evening star., 1933-06-04
SMALLER NATIONS
| OFFER RADIO ISSUE
Conference in Mexico City
Will Raise New
Problems.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

can government to participate in
~ the North American conference
on the division of broadcasting
wave lengths scheduled to begin IN
Mexico City July 10. Therein lies a
diplomatic rub that may have impor-
tant consequences on the future struc-
ture of the broadcasting systems of the
UniteS States, Canada. Mexico. Cuba
and Newfoundland, the other invited
nations.
Because the United States and
Canada, and to more limited extent
Mexico and Cuba, have gone ahead
and utilized practically all of the limited
number of available wave lengths, the
entrance of the six smaller nations into
the radio picture brings new complica-
tions into situation that may even
tually find the larger countries forced
to yield some of their facilities to the
smaller.
Prospect Of Reallocation.
Indeed. there Is much talk already
about a sweeping reallocation Of North
American broadcasting stations after
the Mexican wave division so that each
nation of the continent will ultimately
have its system operating with due re-
gard for the others. To the average
American and Canadian radio listener
this may mean a repetition of the shake
up of 1928, which saw practically all
stations in the United States shifted to
new dialing points.
Through all of the long preliminary
harangues over the division of the avail
able wave lengths, no mention had been
made of the possible SOVEREIGN radio
claims Of Costa Rica, Ell Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and
Panama. It was assumed on all hands
that. because these nations have made
little or no progress In broadcasting,
they were disinterested.
No one can gainsay their rights 70
participate nor the rights OF Santo
Domingo and Haiti-which for some un-
explained reason were not invited-but
it was frankly believed that none would
take part in the North American parley,
ordered as a result of the recent inter-
national radio conference at Madrid
They were represented at the Maorld
conference only by their Madrid diplo-
matte staffs. Thus far, they have Al
ways evinced practically no interest IN
broadcasting matters, even though all
but Panama have one or more relatively
small stations furnishing program
services.
u, s, and Canada in Accord.
The United States and Canada have
alreadv reached an amicable agreement
regarding division of the wave lengths,
but the fact Is that they have divided
all of the waves without regard to the
smaller nations. This means either
that there must be a. doubling up OF
the use of the available channels, a
widening of the broadcast band to make
more channels available or reduction
-. of I1Sed nv the
United States and Canada.
Mexico has been the prime mover
toward a new division, and there is fear
here that Mexico may be planning to
band the other Latin countries into
little entente that will dominate the
Mexico City conference. Heretofore at
the international radio parleys each ma
ton has been assigned one vote regard
less of size.
Mexican Position Weakened.
Mexico, on the other hand, has so
freely licensed American broadcasters
who have been unable to get radio
franchises from their own government
that her position has been weakened.
Most of the Mexican stations erected IN
recent years have been powerful ones
located directly on the American bor-
der. backed by An1rican capital and
transmitting programs obviously in
tended for the American rather than
the Mexican audience. 1t is calculated
that at the most Mexico has only 25O,-
600 radio sets in operation, which is
fewer than our census shows for the
State of Texas alone.
Cuba has been rather apathetic
toward radio. Some Of its stations, like
many in Mexico, are interfering with
American and Canadian stations. but
not on such serious scale. New
foundlands destinies are largely tied up
with those of Canada. and 1t is expected
to join the United States Canadian bloc
at Mexico City.
Exclusive wave lengths must be
allotted each country. or powers OF the
Jointly used waves must be held within
bounds, to preclude mutual interference.
Such interference is now rampant from
Mexico and Cuba. The big problem OF
the Mexican radio conference will be
the elimination of this interference.
The Americans and Canadians are ex-
pected to seek an enlargement OF the
broadcasting band so that more chan
nels may be made available for alloca-
ton to Mexico, Cuba and other
countries.