Evening star., 1934-03-18
RADIO EQUAL|z|NG
CLAUSE D|SL|KED
Elimination From Law Is
Possible During This
Congress Session.

The equalization clause In the radio
law, which all broadcasters have
viewed as the Frankenstein which has
obstructed station development TO en-
able them better to serve listeners,
may be relegated to the legislative
scrap-heap at this session Of Congress,
after regulatory spree" Of seven
years.
Called the Davis amendment" this
provocative statute was the target of
all broadcasting interests at the
hearings this week before congress
sional committees for the creation Of
a Federal Communications Commits
sion which would absorb the functions
of the Federal Radio Commission and
take over control OF the wires and
telephones as well as radio. Even
the Radio Commission itself, for the
first time since it was created in 1927,
has come out vigorously for its re-
peal.
The amendment, in brief, prescribes
that there shall be an equal distri-
button of radio stations, power and
hours Of operation among the five
zones into which the country is di-
vided for radio purposes, and an
equitable division of facilities among
the States in each zone, according to
population. Thus, a State like New
York, with its tremendous concentra-
ton of people, is entitled TO as many
stations in all categorieS as a dozen
States in the sparcely settled West,
despite the fact that their area may
far exceed New York and their scat
tered population may need more sta
tons with higher powers.
The amendment has not worked
out in practice. Many areas are un-
derserved because of the restriction
on new stations, despite the fact that
from the technical standpoint many
additional stations could be licensed
without interference. 1t has ham,
strung the Radio Commission in al
locations, and has deprived thousands
OF listeners in remote areas Of the
service which the very same law as
serts they should have.
Adopted when the commission first
began its work, the amendment was
to be a temporary expedient TO help
drive chaos out Of radio" But it
was continued year after year on the
ground that the commission could
not be trusted without it, and might
upset ALLEGATIONS of stations to the
detrtment OF the public.
Contrary TO Natural Laws.
1t was because of this amendment
that the Radio Commission four years
ago adopted its so-called quota
system" so it would have a yard
stick by which to measure the ia
cilities assigned to each State and
zone. This latter system has been
riddled with criticism to the point
that the commission was preparing to
overhaul it when the opportunity
came to ask Congress to repeal its
parent-the Davis amendment-and
obviate that arduous task.
In asking that the Davis amend
ment be repealed, Chairman Sykes
OF the Radio Commission told the
Senate Interstate Commerce Com
mittee that it is contrary to natural
laws "and results in concentration
of the use Of frequencies in centers of
population and a restriction of ia
cilities in sparcely populated States,
even though interference would permit
the operation of one or more add.
tional stations.
Speaking for the organized broad
| casters, Henry A. Bellows, former
commissioner and now vice president
OF Columbia BroadcaSting System,
told the same committee that the
quota system, devised under the Davis
amendment "a1readv ereaks sO y,oIIch
that the commission is now in the
process of overhauling it." He spoke
for the National Association of
BroadcaSters.
If the amendment is repealed, it is
logical to assume that additional
stations would be licensed in about
practically all of the geographically
large but SparSely populated States.