Evening star., 1948-10-06
Navel Shifts
Curbing Radio Phone
Use by Press Argued

mlgnC gredtly reSCrlct or prevent use
of radio mobilphone by newspapers
were at issue today in final oral
arguments before the Federal Com
munications Commission.
The American Newspaper Pub
fishers Association and spokesman
for several individual newspapers
throughout the country we're sched-
uled to voice protests, probably to-
morrow, at hearings expected to con-
tinue for eight days.
In a preliminary statement today,
ANPA declared that the proposed
wave-length plan as it would affect
the gathering and transmission of
news from reporters automobiles is
"a fragrant disregard of the public
service nature of news dissemina-
ton"
100 Groups Represented.
"The American reading public
should not be denied any facilities
for speeding the transmission of
news and photographs" Cranston
Williams, ANPA general manager
said. THE development of Ameri-
can communications from the tele-
graph to the teletype and from wire
less radio-photo transmissions shows
that American newspapers have
been in the forefront in perfectine
every device which would improve
service by expediting the collection
and distribution of local. national
and international news. 1t Is in
conceivable that newspaper wave
lengths could be withdrawn entirely
from this vital service to a free
people"
Representatives of more than 10t
businesses, public agencies the radio
industry and other groups using
radio communication facilities begar
their arguments today. FEC Chair.
man Wayne Coy called the proceed.
ings "one of the longest and mos,
complex oral arguments ever under.
taken before the commission. HI
noted that most of the wave-lengtf
ALLEGATIONS which the FEC now may
establish on a permanent basis were
authorized as long ago as 1945 anc
have been functioning experimental.
ly on widespread scale,
FEC officials refused to comment
on the ANPA stand before tha,
organization makes its oral argu.
ment.
News Use Not Excluded.
A commission spokesman ex.
planned, however, that, according tc
his understanding Of the proposed
new allocations, newspaper use oi
radio phones would not be wholly
excluded. The new overall alloca.
ton plan would include the service
under a general industrial classified
ton along with many other users
he said.
The packed hearing room attestec
to the wide interest in the proceed.
ings, despite their highly tecnnica.
nature. Among services affected by
the ALLEGATION plan are buses anc
trucks, taXicabs, railroads, industria
users of radio services for power
petroleum, forest products and simi.
lar operations, public safety agen.
cies, such as police. fire, specia
emergency, forest conservation ane
highway maintenance radio com.
munication.
The Associated Police Communi.
cations Officers, the international
Association of Chiefs of Police anc
the National Police Radio Commit.
tee were among the first organiza
tions to make statements on the
general ALLEGATION plan. For thu
most part they agreed with thu
commissions proposals, which gave
practically unrestricted wave-iengtt
ALLEGATIONS to public safety bodies.
Mr.. Coy said in an opening state.
ment that the proposed ALLEGATION!
would result in the aviation industr,
losing seven exclusive frequencies
industrial organizations gaining l08
public safety gaining los. maritim
mobile gaining and land transpor
tation gaining IA. Individual or
ganizations that might lose one O
more exclusive frequencies woult
gain by having considerably large
number of references which the,
would share with others.