Evening star., 1936-10-04

right campaign speecn on tne cohipii'
during the first half of the hour
period on the N. B. C. blue network
previously booked for AL Smith
Thursday night, the Happy Warrior
took things into his own hands and
politely informed the President that
he would relinquish his time in def
. erence to Mr.. Roosevelt's high ONCE.
But political maneuvering no less
agile than the Democrats in booking
the President opposite Al Smith S
anti-New Deal speech was being done
along with this gesture. Gov. Smltn
simply moved up his time to the hour
iust after President Roosevelt finlSned
talking. And the Republicans, also
maneuvering booked Mr.. Knox 10
precede Mr.. Roosevelt.
This campaign has been marked py
unusual Willingness on the part OF the
party managers not to interfere WIN
regular program schedules ana 70
book their speakers in so-called open
time" The thought is to avoid
creating popular resentment, Tor every
one experienced in radio knows that
talks are not as popular as entertain
ment, no matter how timely or I'M
portant.
CMITH'S adherents deny that his
~ radio time is being paid Tor by
The American Liberty League. his
sponsor is the Independent Coalition
of American Women, headed by MRS
E. T. Meredith, wife of the one-tlme
Secretary of Agriculture. He Will De
heard in campaign speeches on Ma
tion-wide networks again from Phil
sdelphia October 8; Chicago, OCTOBER
Is. New Haven, october %, and Al
bany, October 81.
. Causing no small amount OF trouble
for networks and stations last week
was the charge by DR.. Francis Z
Townsend that three Chicago station:
had refused to allow him to speaR
without censoring his manuscripts
The stations retorted their policy op'
poses the solicitation of funds excep'
for charitable causes, and DR.. IoWn'
sends talks were intended to ralst
money as well as seek adherents FOL
his old-age pension cause. There'
upon. DR.. Townsend announced M
would have his speeches recorded ane
placed on stations that would accep
them. including the powerful Mexicar
border stations XEPN and XELO
Piedras Negras, which are heare
widely in this country.
TECHNICAL radio goes on trial TO-
l. morrow before the Federal Com
nunications Commission.
The main issue is whether super
power broadcasting stations, ike tine
500. .00O-watt WLW, Cincinnati, shall
be licensed for regular operation
possibly as many as two dozen OF
them for the country-or whether
the F. C. C. instead should license
greater number of lower powered sta
tions.
Because of the vast potential i'm
portance of the conference called BY
the F. c. c., many of the leaders
In broadcasting plan to testify before
the Broadcast Division during the
hearings. 1t is estimated the Ses'
sions may run at least two weeks
Among those planning to testify are
William S. Paley president OF Co
lumbia Broadcasting System; Leno'
r. Lohr, president of National Broad
casting Co.; Powell Crosley, jr., owner
of WLW, and some 10 other wit
nesses.
Great significance attaches to thu
hearings because they constitute the
first step in what may be a sweep
ing change in existing station alloca'
tions. The F. C. c. has announced
that the hearings are preliminary
but that whatever evidence is adducee
may be used by it in formulating
future policy. There has not beer
a reallocation of broadcasting facili'
ties in this country since 1928, a
which time the old Federal Radio
Commission changed the assignment
of practically all stations on the air
That, however, was in radios com
parative youth and before station!
had invested millions in equipment
studios and other plant facilities.
IT HAS not yet been definitely con
cluded by the F. c. c. that re
ALLEGATION is necessary or even de
sirable. The commission, however
wants to appraise the broadcast struc
ture as whole, and among engineer
1t is generally agreed that either ex
isting ALLEGATIONS or the existing reg
ulations must be sweepingly altere,
If the structure is to fit the regula
tions, or vice versa.
A group of 13 of the so-called clear
channel stations, or those operatin
with high power of $4,000 watts o.
exclusive waves, have banded togethe
to urge the F. C. c. to allow super
power of 100000 watts or even NOR
on clear channels as a means of pro
tiding better service to rural listener!
Pitted against this group is a ne'
organization of some 80 regional @
'middle class" broadcasting station!
united in the National Association G
Regional Broadcasting Stations, whic
opposes superpower and clear chan