Evening star., 1947-04-17
City Heads Criticized
On Televisiion lowers
lin Residential Areas
By John w. Thompson, Jr.

District Commissioners and 8on-
ing authorities were criticized today
on the ground they had failed to
protect citizens interests by per-
mitting the erection of radio and
television towers in residential
areas.
The criticism came from George
A. Corbil, secretary Of the Manor
Park Citizens Association who tes-
titled before a Senate House Dis
trict Subcommittee hearing on a
bill to regulate such towers In the
District.
The hearing was interrupted by
a quorum call. It will be resumed
under Chairman O'Hara, Repubn-
can. of Minnesota, In the House
District Committee Room at 10 am.
tomorrow.
Mr.. Corbin, who said he Is the
author Of the draft from which the
pending House and Senate bills have
resulted, charged the present law is
not sufficiently strong to protect cit
liens interests.
Says Wishes Are Ignored.
He said the Commissioners are
supposed to give effect to the wishes
of citizens but added:
They haven't done it."
In connection with the Board Of
Zoning Adjustment which, under
present regulations, must pass on
applications for such towers, Mr..
Corbin observed:
What are you going 10 do with
a Board Of Zoning Adjustment, one
member Of which lives in Alexan-
dria, another In Fairfax County and
only three from the District?"
Mr.. Corbin said, eve are also UP
against it in the press" declaring
that the press will not publish cit
izen resolutions on this subject.
That's a smack at the press" he
said. Formerly they were inter-
ested in our associations and our
schools"
Mr.. Corbin said the papers have
a financial interest in television and
indicated this was resulting in fail
ure to publish stories on the issue.
Meadows Backs Corbin.
Leverett A. Meadows, president of
the Manor Park Citizens Associa-
ton, also urged the committee ito
protect the citizens against the
Commissioners"
Corporation Counsel Vernon E..
West, appearing for the Commits
Sioners, said the city heads feel there
Is ample protection In existing law.
He pointed out the bill applies
only to towers for television, fire.
quency meditation and facsimile
radio, but not to amplitude modu-
lation, tbs present standard sys-
tenn Of broadcasting. MIR. Corbin
suggested an amendment to include
this last within the scope of the
bill.
Curtis B. Plummer, chief of the
television engineering division of
the Federal Communications Com
mission, told the committee that,
from an engineering standpoint,
there are two prime requirements
for a television transmitter. They
are a central location within the
served and maximum
height, because of the line-of-
sight characteristics of television.
Conditions Unfavorable Here.
Mr.. Plummer pointed out that
Washington. unlike New York, does
not have high, centrally located
buildings from which television can
be broadcast.
Asked by Mr.. O'Hara If he thought
Congress had the right to pass
retroactive legislation, Mr.. Corbin
said he did not. He added, however,
ne thought such a bill as is now
pending would serve notice on the
televlsion companies to obtain per-
mits for tower locations in less OBJ
jectionable areas.
The bill would forbid televisior or
radio towers in residential areas ara
also In other areas where the radius
OF the height of the transmitting
antenna would include any home
playground, recreational facility or
school; where the tower would tend
to create or result in a dangerous
safety shazard, or would adversely
affect orderly development of ad-
jacent residential property, property
values or the beauty of the Nation s