Evening star., 1934-03-04
PRESIDENT FAvORS.
NEW RADIO BODY.
Roosevelt for Control by
Federal Communica-
tions Commission.
BY SOL TAISHOFF.
IF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT has

BY SOL TAISHOFT.
IF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT has
his way-and he usually does
tho regulation Of all phases Of
L communication, embracing radio,
wire and the cables, will devolve
upon the shoulders Of q newly Great
ed Federal Communications Commis-
sion by this Summer.
In q series Of legislative onensives
since George Washington's birthday,
the Chief Executive has made It
abundantly clear that he wants the
Federal Radio Commission abolished
and the new agency created during
the present session Of Congress. First
came the appointment Of Representa-
tive Aiming s. Prall, influential New
York Democrat. to the radio commits
sion as successor to William D. L.
Starbuck, q Democratic Hoover ap-
pointee. Then he dispatched . mes
sage to Congress asking for the
new commission, and on the follow
ing day bills were introduced In both
houses Of Congress with that objec-
tive.
Amendments Attached.
A ponderous measure was intro
duced in the Senate by Senator Dill,
Democrat, Of washington, congres.
sional radio leader. In it the Sen
ator combined provisions of the pres
ent radio law with those Of the In
terstate Commerce Commission laws
relating to communications regula-
ton. But he also threw into the
measure Q sheaf Of proposed amend
ments affecting broadcasting which
he has sponsored for several years.
and which are certain TO draw the
fire Of broadcasters In this regard
the measure Is drastic, and does not
seem to accord with the presidential
wish that controversial matters be
left out Of the legislation.
In the House Representative Ray
burn, Democrat, Of Texas, intro
duced o measure identical with the
Dill bill in 80 far as communications
and the makeup Of the proposed COM
mission are concerned. But he left
broadcasting regulation severely alone,
in the hope Of expediting passage
Of the bill
ut is my thought" said the Pres
ident in his message to Congress,
that q new commission such as ]
suggest might well be organized this
year by transferring the present au-
thority for the control Of communi-
cations Of the radio commission and
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
The new body should, in addition, be
given full power to investigate and
study the business Of existing COM
panies and make recommendations
to the Congress for additional legts-
lation at the next session"
Early Organization Seen.
In compliance with that request,
both Senator Dill and Mr.. Rayburn
included In their bills proviso that
the new commission should make q
special report to Congress not later
than February /. 1895, recommend
ing such amendments as it deems
desirable in the public interest. That,
of course, presupposes that the COM
mission will be going organization
we'll in advance of that date.
More significant, however. is the fact
that the new agency would have broad
powers enabling 1t to investigate the
whole realm Of communications. One
Of its first tasks unquestionably would
be to ascertain whether there should
be mergers in the telegraph and radio
communications fields along the lines
proposed by the Roper Interdepart-
mental Committee. which initiated the
move for q consolidation Of Govern
ment agencies regulating communica-
tions. Involved in this study will be
fusions of companies now competitive
in telegraph, telephone and radio pub
lie service having properties evaluated
in the billions.
Under the legislation, the new COM
mission would have seven members
appointed by the President, as against
five on the present radio commission.
The commission would be split into
three divisions Of two members each,
with the chairman q member Of each
division. The radio division would
have jurisdiction over broadcasting,
amateur and mobile service; the tele-
phone division over common carriers
engaged in voice communication by
wire and radio other than broadcast
ing and the telegraph division over all
matters relating to or connected with
common carriers engaged in record
communications by wire. radio or
cable.
Division DirectorA
In addition, each division would
have q director, who would be sort
Of supervisor reporting directly to his
particular division Of the commission.
The present personnel Of the Radio
Commission, other than commission
ers themselves, would be absorbed by
the new agency.
That the Dill proposal will be Wig
orously opposed by broadcasters was
apparent as soon as the measure was
introduced. Among other things, it
would destroy clear channels used by
high-power stations on the two coasts,
by allowing duplication on them at
distances Oh Z,ZUU u1ucS. n0OISOtcI, II
would not calculate those additional
stations as to quota value. In other
words, it would allow perhaps dozen
or two new big stations In the country
without taking into account the facili-
ties now assigned in any particular
localities.
Another provision would allow in
discriminate licensing of 250-watt sta
tions without charging them to quota.
This might mean an influx Of little
stations in populous areas, and aggra-
vate competition among stations. The
Commission would be empowered to
fine stations up to $1,000 day for
violations, and to suspend them for
indefinite periods. The political equal
ity section Of the present law, relating
to assignment Of time to candidates.
would be frightened and station L.
censes would be limited 10 one year
instead Of the three-year maximum
allowed In the present law.