Evening star., 1936-10-25

stations as means Of improving serv-
ice for the listener. The weight of
the testimony 6 about three dozen
witnesses, however, Is generally against
any drastic ovsfhauling of the exist
ing assignments, but almost 100 per
cent in favct of gradual or "evolu-
tionary" changes.
That, however, Is as far as the COM
batant groups agreed. for from that
point on they favor different methods
Of accomplishing the evolutionary"
result. All groups Of stations-the
booming 50,000- waters that want 10
times that power, the middle-claSs re-
gionals, which also want additional
power, but oppose it for the bigger
outlets, and the little 0-watters,
which have natural desire to grow
up-argued their particular cases.
Even the networks-N. B. c. and c.
B. S.-were on opposite fences on the
basic issue of superpower, the first
favoring it and the latter opposing it.
Nov before the three men of the
Broadcast Division is record. of
evidence which in physical size and
actual scope is greater than any it
has ever seen in its official pursuits,
and upon that record may rest the
future fate of broadcasting not only
in technical way, but economically
and socially. These men are Chair
man E. o. Sykes, who was a member
of the original Radio Commission and
has served continuously since 1927 on
that commission and on the F. c. c.;
Chairman Aiming S. Prall of the F.
C.. c. and Commissioner Norman S.
Case, former Governor of Rhode Is
land. Only Judge Sykes Of the three
members has been through the allo-
cation mill before; he was one of
the f1ve-man commission that pro-
mulgated the 1928 reallocation, which
is the basis Of the broadcast struc-
ture today.
When the hearings opened Octo-
Der there was talk of reallocations
that would shuttle the existing assign
ments so that listeners would pick
up stations at new spots on the dial.
There was also conversation about 80
stations the size Of WLW, with its
half million watts. Of duplication on
many of the clear channels, and of
other far-reaching steps that would
turn things topsy-turvy.
When the hearings closed October
Il, it appeared to impartial observers
that the issue had simmered down
largely to one salient point-whether
there should be superpower. There
was general agreement that regional
stations, now limited to 1000 watts at
night, will be permitted eventually to
60 to 5000 watts at night where the
channels are adapted for it. Like
wise, there was no objection to in
creasing local stations from 100 to
perhaps $50 watts at night.
THE bombardment against clear
channels and In support of dupn-
cation on all of them largely petered
out. True, half dozen groups sup
channels, but they rather generally
conceded that exclusive channels are
desirable for good distant reception
for rural listeners. Thus observers
feel that of the 30 remaining clear
channels out Of the 40 set aside in
1928, perhaps five or six eventually
may be duplicated by placing more
stations on them, but that it is un-
likely the others will be touched.
BY virtue of the expected increases
in power on locals and regionals,
listeners Of those stations can antici-
pate better signal strength and clearer
reception from them. They may ex-
pand their listening ranges somewhat,
but not materially, since it is a recog-
nized engineering fact that when
stations increase power horizontally"
that is, when all stations on a given
wave length go up together, they
simply emit stronger signals and do
not appreciably enlarge their coverage.
Today it appears that the big issue
Is whether the F. c. C. will allow
superpower on any additional chan
nels. 1t would appear that If the
testimony for and against were
weighed, it would balance the scales.
But there are broader issues. Smaller
stations claimed economic ruin" if
clear channels use superpower. Even
c. B. s. opposed it on economic
grounds and threw in the threat that
1t would be forced to prune numerous
smaller stations from its network due
to expected overlapping coverage by
the proposed giants of the air.
IRON the questions asked by COM
missioners and by engineering
officials of the F. c. c., there was
the hint that any general allotment
Of superpower would be opposed
More than likely the F. c. c. will
consider higher power in individual
cases rather than on blanket basis.
, And since WLW already has it and
has admittedly performed q good
Job, the logical conclusion would be
that stations similarly located in the
interior Of the country-like WHAS
In Louisville, or WSM in Nashville,
or KSL In Salt Lake City, or WFAA-
wBAP in Dallas-would be looked
upon favorably in that respect.
In such cities as New York and
Chicago, and even in Los Angeles or
San Francisco, the outlook is not
50 favorable at this time because of
COLupllCdtlIlS SoAnhStAeANS AoNsooos 41A
the former cities there are four clear
channel stations, each now using 50,-
600 watts. II one goes up to 100000
watts, then the others will look for
similar treatment. There are dangers
both technical and economic in such
situations, 1t Is felt, and the F. G. G.
will deliberate long and hard before
It decides the issue. In any event,
it looks as though at least a year
will elapse before anything happens.
HARDLY had the March Of Time"
broadcasts resumed Bill Adams
remarkable simulations of President
Roosevelt's voice in its weekly Thurs
day night news dramatization broad
casts, than the political pot began
IN stev last week over "the affair