Evening star., 1934-11-04

American newspapers are DecOm1nt
the operators of broadcasting stations
Whereas at one time educational in
stitutions, churches and radio shop
were the largest classes of station oper
ators, today the publishers far outstriI
them as the largest single class o.
broadcasters.
Moreover, their number Is increas.
ing progressively. the increase being
particularly marked during the cur.
rent year. OF the slightly more thar
900 broadcasting stations in the United
States, more than 100 are owned ir
whole or in part by publishers, mos
Of them the publishers Of daily news.
papers. In Canada. 13 out of abou
10 stations are similarly owned.
The present trend toward newspaper
ownership, either outright or through
corporate affiliation, is in significant
contrast with the situation some
or 10 years ago, when many impor
tant publishers. viewing their radio
stations as expense burdens, eithel
sold them or gave them away. In tht
last IL months more than q dozer
radio stations either were purchased
or established by newspapers-and il
appears that the movement has only
gotten started.
New Paper Radio Units.
Within the last few weeks the own.
Tribune, already the operators Of KSC
in Des Moines and KWCR in Cedar
Rapids, purchased WHIT, Waterloo
Iowa; the publisher of the Shreveport
OaD Journal and Times purchased
KTBS. Shreveport, and the publisher
Of the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News anc
the Miami Daily News purchased
WLBW, Erie, Pa, which he proposes
to move into Dayton shortly, and tool
an option of WHO'D, Miami. The lat
ter publisher, incidentally, is James M
Cox, former Governor of Ohio and the
1920 Democratic candidate for PreSi-
dent of the United States.
Last week a brand-new broadcast
ing station went on the air ir
Waterbury, Conn. 1t is known. a.
WlxBS, operating with 1000 watts
on 1880 kilocycles in the newly
widened broadcast band between
l 500 and 1000 kilocycles. Its owner
is the publisher of the Waterbury
Republican and American, who has
chosen to pioneer this new band OF
wave lengths as a means of gaining
a foothold in radio both as service
to his community and as a means OF
a natural adjunct to his
At a wave-length hearing that has
occupied the Federal Communications
broadcast division dur
ing the last fortnight two news
papers are seeking radio stations.
One is the Cleveland Plain Dealer,
in control of Wink, in Cleve-
land. and WAIU, in Columbus, which
wants certain shifts made that would
pave the way for a second outlet for
itself in Cleveland. The other is
the Portland (Me) News. seeking a
new station in that city.
Low Power Station Approved.
A few weeks ago the F. c. c.
authorized the present operators
of WEBC, Duluth, to establish a new
low-power station in Hibbing, MINI.
the Duluth station is largely owned
by the publishers Of the superior
(Wis.) Telegram. Also authorized
was the removal of wGLC. Hudson
Falls, N. Y, into Albany, where 1t i:
to be operated by the present man
ager Of WOKO. Albany; WOKO il
partly owned by Frank Gannett',
Albany Knickerbocker Press. Tht
Gannett newspaper interests alst
operate WHEC, Rochester, N. Y, ane
WESG, Elmira, N. Y.
These are the more recent acquisi
tions by publishers. Not long agC
william Randolph Hearst acquired
KYA, San Francisco, by purchas'
from the National Broadcasting Co
He already owns WINS, New York
WISH, Milwaukee; WCAE, Pitts
burgh, and operates KYW, Chicago
under a lease from the Westinghouse
company. This lease expiring shortly
when KYW is moved into Philadel
phia December 3. Mr. Hearst is ex
pected to take over by purchase o
lease either WENR or VIGIL o
Chicago. Mr.. Hearst also has pendin;
the acquisition of a new station II
Los Angeles, which awaits a cour
decision of conflicting claimants.
Among other newspaper radio &C
quisitions of relatively recent date tn,
publishers Of the st. Paul Dispatch
Pioneer Press and Minneapolis Tribun,
jointly purchased what is now WTCN
Minneapolis; the publisher of the Nev
Bedford (Mass.) Mercury and Stand
ard-Times acquired WNBH. New Bed
ford: the publisher of the Columbus
Dispatch acquired part ownership ol
WNBS, Columbus; the publisher o.
the Baton Rouge Oa) Star-Time:
and Morning Advocate bought WJBO
Baton Rouge, and the editor OF the
Ogden CUtah) Standard-Examinel
took control of KLO, Ogden.
Other Chains Own Stations.
At least one chain newspaper pub
Usher other than Mr.. Hearst and Mr.
Gannett is the operator Of multi
plicity of stations. The McClatchy
newspaper interests of California owr
five stations, four in California and
one in Nevada. The owners of the
Lancaster (Pa.) New Era and Intelli.
gencer Journal control and operate
three stations in Pennsylvania and
two in Wilmington. Del. Jesse Jones
chairman of the Reconstruction Fl.
nance Corp. who controls two news
papers in Houston, directly or indi.
rectly controls three radio stations ir
that city. The South Bend Und. }
Tribune, the Portland Oregonian and
the Harrisburg (Pa) Telegraph con-
troll two stations each in their re-
spective localities.
Against these radio station acouisi-
tions by newspapers-and more may
be expected, especially in view Of the
proviso In the 1884 communication,
law permitting the establishment OF
some new l00-watt stations-it is In
teresting to note that the Chicago
Daily News, which four years ago sold
so per cent interest in its WMAQ
Chicago, is about to dispose of the
other half to the National Broadcast.
ing Co.