Evening star., 1933-11-04

NEW DEAL" for the 48 States
" in the ALLEGATION of broadcast
II ing stations. power and hours
4 \ on the air is in its preliminary
ctages before the Federal Radio
Commission in the hope that something
tangible will be accomplished before the
year ends
On motion of Vice Chairman Thad H.
Brown. the commission has adopted
resolution calling for a study into the
existing quota system. the yardstick
governing the distribution of radio IA
cilitieS among tic States and the zones
into which the country is divided.
The quota system was adopted more
than three years ago. 1t was based
upon the Davis amendment adopted by
Congress il 1928, and providing for an
equality Of radio transmission and re-
ceptlon among the people in the five
radio zones and in the States accord
Ing TO population.
Law "Unworkable"
Engineers say the law is unworkable,
If good service is to be given all listeners
and the maximum benefits procured
from the facilities available. Despite
this. CongrCss has not seen fit to alter
OR repeal it.
Tho Radio Commission IN June, 1880.
adopted unit-quotl system. 1t stated
arbitrarily that the country is entitled
to 400 units" OF go to each of the five
radio zones. A unit was eva.uated as
a station of loco watts power operating
full time on regional channel. The
booming 50,000-Watters on clear chan
nels were calculated at five units and
small stations were prorated accordingly
IN unit value.
Under this system about half of the
49, ft,4 a1ay yHon
under-quota. Moreover. the country as
a whole is some 43 units overquota or
the equivalent of that number of 1,0C0-
watt stations.
Political Factor Dominant.
No clue is given as to what the COM
mission will do. The Brown resolution
simply provides that more feasible
method of evaluating frequencies, power
and hours OF operation be worked out.
The commission wants to accomplish
this before Congress convenes in jan
uary because of the insistent demand
from State delegations for more and
more facilities for their broadcaster
constituents.
Because of that pressure it is rea-
sonable to suppose that the commits
sion will try to formulate some method
Of adding broadcasting facilities. Ad-
mittedly too the political factor is
dominant, although there is ample tech
nicsl ground for a change. That
change. according to the engineering
view, should be for a reduction of sta
tions in the congested metropolitan
areas and increases in the great open
spaces in the West.
x X
CIR JOHN REITE. director general
~ OF the British Broadcasting Co.. is
coming to the United States to par
tiCipate in the dedication of N. B. C.'s
Radio City next Saturday night On
the other side of the Atlantic, David
Sarnof. who is on European busi-
ness trip will speak from London.
Entertainment will comprise a cross
section of stars Rudy Vallee will sing
to Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, Maria
Jeritza will represent opera, John Nc
Cormack the concert stage, Amos n
Andy" radio, and Jane CoWl. the stage.
Walter Damrosch and 70-piece Or
chestra also will contribute to the
program.
1T TITLE ORPHAN ANNIE" an
II N. B. c. children's program orig
mating in Chicago. will be carried
by WMAL daily beginning Tuesday.
* x
THE United States Army Band. di-
i rected by Capt. William j. Stan
nard. will begin new radio con-
cert series on WMAL Monday at pm.
For this broadcast Capt. Stannard has
arranged special program to mark the
32d anniversary of his association with
the band.