Evening star., 1934-02-11
ny THE RADIO EDITOR.

~
ernment experts, to ascertain
what, If any, changes should be made
tn Federal regulation of this mode OF
communication.
Secretary of Commerce Roper, 1t is
harmed, has been instructed by the
President to appoint such a commit
Tee in furtherance of the recent in
vestigation of the entire wire and
wireless communication field made
under his direction by an 1nterde-
partmental Committee.
The report of this committee, rec
ommending creation of Federal COM
mission on communications and urg-
ing strictly regulated monopolies IN
the various branches Of communica-
lions, was submitted to Congress by
President Roosevelt last month.
Personnel to Be Announced.
Personnel of the Broadcasting Com
pnittee, which will differ from the in
terdepartmental group, will be an
nounced shortly, it is expected. At
the same time, Secretary Roper is ex-.
pected to disclose the scope of its
activity. The plan is to have the
committee conduct a survey Whlcn
probably will consume six weeks or
two months and to submit its report
for coordination with the communi-
cations report in the drafting OF new
LEGISLATION. Presumably, hearings will
be held by the committees of Con-
gress charged with radio and COM
munications legislation before enact
ment Is sought.
In 1882 the Radio Commission, at
the behest of the Senate. made
thorough investigation of commercial
broadcasting in the United States and
gave 1t a clean bill Of health. This
report mquestionably will be relied
upon to a large extent in the new
survey. Since the committees find
ings will be employed as the basis
for new legislation affecting broad
casting, great interest has been
aroused regarding it within the broad
casting industry.
The first report of the Interdepart-
mental Committee did not invade
broadcasting beyond the recommenda-
tion that its regulation be vested In
the proposed new communications
commission and that the Federal
Radio Commission be abolished. Sug-
restion also was made by Secretary
Roper, however, that broadcastlng
regulation be made the subject OF a
separate report.
Drafting Bill!
Senator Dill, Democrat, of Wash
ington, and Representative Rayburn,
Democrat, of Texas, chairmen. re-
spectively, of the Senate and House
Interstate Commerce Committees, are
collaborating in the drafting of bill
designed to put into effect the rec
concentrations of the 1nterdepart-
mental Committee on the communl-
cations aspects of its findings. Whlle
senator Dill favors creation OF a
communications commission he is
opposed to the setting up of giant
monopohes" through merging OF such
companies as International Telephone
g. Telegraph, which includes Postal,
All-America Gables and Mackay
Radio Telegraph, Western Union,
r. G. A. Communications, Inc ano
other units engaged in wire and raolo
communications, both national and
international.
II is Senator Dill's view that the
Communications Commission shoulc
be created first and that 1t shoulo
decide whether there should be mo-
nopolies in communications. He also
holds that all phases Of communlca.
tions, including broadcasting, should
be left to the consideration Of such
supercommission, which after study
could recommend specific legislation
TO Congress.
Thus, 1t appears that there Is very
little chance for definite legislation
at the current session of Congress on
communications and broadcaStlng
Before Congress would have oppor-
tunity to pass on such legislation
would be held. In the opinion OF
qualified observers, only a specific re-
quest from the President that such
legislation be enacted will bring &C.
tion at this session.
A DID to the sradio laurels garnerec
a by Uncle Sans bright young
men the epochal feat of estab.
hshing the words most remote broad
casting station. 1t Is Station KFZ
Little America Anarctica owned anc
operated by the Byrd Antarctic ex'
petition, affiliated with the Colunlbis
Broadcasting System and licensed b!
the Federal Radio Commission.
Located on the icy wastes at tn
''bottom Of the world" KFZ mad
its debut Just a week ago in pro
gram relayed over c. B. S. Every Sat
urday night hereafter for nearly tw,
years the station Is scheduled to fee'
ito listeners in this country the stor,
Of those sturdy. men under Admira
Richard E. Byrd who are penetrating
the mysteries of the South Pole.
Station Licensed.
KFX was licensed by the commits
sion last month to operate for yea
at Antarctica and was authorized t
use variety Of channels rangin
from 5000 kilocycles to 21,625 kilo
cycles. The propagation charac
teristics of the various frequencies wi
be tested and those best suited fo
the communication will be employed
KFZ Is located at the forward bas'
about 400 miles from the South Poll
Since last Fall there have bee
Saturday night broadcasts from tn
Byrd flagship, Jacob Rupert, as
chuned the ice packs of the Soutf
sn route to Little America. Th
vasaries Of short-wave broadcastin
Under such adverse conditions on oc
panons completely knocked out recep
tton, but several of the Saturday nigh
programs Cracked through" in goo
5hape, to use the parlance Of tn
radio technician
For its first broadcast, KFZ Wa
en improvised station. For a wee
after docking" engineers attached
The expedition worked frantically
transfer the apparatus from the shi
by dog team. airplane and manpowe
and set up In time for the air debu
Admiral Byrd, in a radiogram to Hel
bert L. Pettey, commission secretar
explained that the station was tempe