Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Deviation Records Set During August 117 Stations Stay in 50-Cycle Limits, Inspectors Report A PROGRESSIVE increase month by month in the number of broadcasting stations maintaining their assigned frequencies within 50 cycles has been reported by William D. Terrell, chief radio supervisor of the Department of Commerce, since the district supervisors began such computations last March. Of 304 stations measured during August, the last month of record, 117 or 38.5 per cent maintained their frequencies within 50 cycles, plus or minus, despite the fact that the order of the Federal Radio Commission making this mandatory does not go into effect until next year. Many of these stations, with their excellent equipment, have shown deviations of less than 10 cycles. The August "honor roll" of the department shows the largest number of stations yet recorded as attaining this efficiency. In addition to the 117 stations taking top place, there were 64 that deviated under 100 cycles, 67 under 200 cycles, and 56 over 200 cycles. Not all of the country's stations are measured, of course, due to the physical inability of the district supervisors to do so with their present staffs. Following is a complete tabulation of the stations deviating under 50, 100 and 200 cycles during August : UNDER 50 CYCLES KDKA, Pittsburgh, Pa.; KFBB, Great Falls, Mont. ; KFDM, Beaumont, Tex. ; KFEQ, St. Joseph, Mo. ; KFI, Los Angeles, Cal. ; KFJI, Astoria, Ore. ; KFJK, Portland, Ore.; KFKA, Greeley, Colo.; KYW. Chicago, 111. ; KFLV, Rockford, 111. ; KFQU, Alrna-Holy City, Cal. ; KP SD, San Diego, Cal. ; KFVD, Culver City, Cal. ; KFWB, Hollywood, Cal. ; KFYR, Bismarck, N. D.; KGBZ York Neb.; KGEF, Los Angeles, Cal.; KGFJ, Los Angeles, Cal.: KGGF, Coffeyville, Okla. ; KGHI, Little Rock, Ark.; KGIZ, Grant City, Mo. ; KGW, Portland, Oreg. ; KHQ, Spokane, Wash. ; KLX, Oakland, Cal. ; KLZ, Denver, Colo.; KMBC, Kansas City, Mo ; KMO, Tacoma, Wash. ; KMOX, bt. Louis, Mo.; KMPC, Beverly Hills, Cal.; KOIL, Council Bluffs, la.; KPO, San Francisco, Cal. ; KSAC, Manhattan, Kan. ; KSTP St. Paul, Minn; KTAR, Phoenix, Ariz. ;' KTRH, Houston, Tex. ; KTSM El Paso, Tex. ; KVOO, Tulsa, Okla. ; KXO, El Centro, Cal.; KYA, San Francisco, Cal. ; WAAB, Boston, Mass. ; WABC, New York City, N. Y. ; WADC, Akron O. ; WAWZ, Zarepath, N. J.; WBSO, Needham, Mass.; WBT, Charlotte, N. C. .; WBZ-WBZA, Boston, Mass. ; WCAM, Camden, N. J.; WCAO, Baltimore, Md. ; WCBA, Allentown, Pa. ; WCBM, Baltimore, Md. : WCFL, Chicago, 111. ; WCHI, Chicago, 111. ; WCRW, Chicago, 111. ; WCSH, Portland, Me. ; WDAF, Kansas City, Mo. ; WEAF, New York City, N. Y. ; WEAN, Providence, R. I. ; WEBC, Superior Wis. ; WEEI, Boston, Mass. ; WENR, Chicago, 111.; WFAA, Dallas, Tex. ; WFAN-WIP, Philadelphia, Pa. ; WFI, Philadelphia, Pa. ; WFOX, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; WGES, Chicago, 111. ; WGN, Chicago, 111.; WGR, Buffalo, N. Y. ; WGST, Atlanta, Ga. ; WGY, Schenectady, N Y. ; WHAP, New York City, N. Y. ; WHAS, Louisville, Ky. : WHO, Des Moines, la. ; WHP, Harrisburg, Pa. ; WIBW, Topeka, Kan. ; WISN, Milwaukee, Wis. ; WJAY. Cleveland, O. ; WJDX, Jackson, Miss. ; WJKS, Gary, Ind. ; WJR, Detroit, Mich. ; WJSV, Alexandria. Va. ; WJZ, New York City, N. Y. ; WKBF, Indianapolis, Ind. ; WKBI, Chicago, 111 ; WKBN, Youngstown, O. : WKBW, Buffalo N. Y. ; WKRC, Cincinnati, O. ; WLAP, Louisville, Ky. ; WLBZ, Bangor, Me. ; WLIT, Philadelphia, Pa. : WLS, Chicago, 111. ; WLW, Cincinnati, O. ; WMAL, Washington, D. C. ; WMAQ, Chicago, 111. : WMT, Waterloo, la. ; WNBH, New Bedford, Mass. ; WOAI, San Antonio, Tex. ; WOC, Davenport, la. ; A'OI, Ames, la. ; WOL, Washington, D. C. ; Britain's Broadcast Dramas BBC Productions Chief Heard Himself on Blattnerphone Before Realizing Actors' Difficulties IT TOOK that remorseless little instrument called the Blattnerphone, the machine on which the British Broadcasting Corporation records and reproduces voices and programs almost immediately after rehearsals, to bring Val Gielgud, BBC productions director, to an appreciation of the fact that his was "almost the most unpleasant voice he had ever heard." At least, so he told the BBC audience in a recent broadcast address. But listening to the Blattnerphone, he added, he learned a great deal more than he ever knew before about the difficulties that face actors in adapting their voices to broadcasting conditions. The fact that more and more people seemed to be getting annoyed by the many plays that are featured on the BBC and that more and more people were writing for and against plays led the British radio authority to conduct his own investigation. From the large amount of fan mail being received he concluded that people were at least listening to plays. From the BBC we have the following summary of his address: "During the last year the broadcast play had grown more popular and its level of performance had improved, but it still remained very largely dependent on the interest and good will of its different audiences to achieve a fair hear ing and sensible and helpful criticism. While there had been a considerable increase in the amount of helpful criticism, it was surprising that the proportion of those who wrote helpfully was not larger. The broadcast play was not, and was not meant to be, a substitute for seeing a play in a theatre. A good many people seemed to listen to a broadcast play without the slightest intention of enjoying the play at all, but merely in the hope of catching out the BBC on some entirely trivial point. WWNC, WIS Join NBC EFFECTIVE Oct. 10, WWNC, Ashville, N. C, and WIS, Columbia, N. C, previously affiliated with the CBS, became linked with the NBC network. They were welcomed into their new affiliations by a special inaugural program the night of Oct. 10, featuring "what the Governor of North Carolina said to the Governor of South Carolina." Arrangements for the association were completed by M. H. Aylesworth, president of NBC, with Charles A. Webb, president of the Ashville Citizen and Times, owners of WWNC, and W. Frank Hipp, president of the Liberty Life Insurance Co., owner of WIS. Donald P. Sanders is managing director of WIS, and G. O. Shepherd is president and director of WWNC. WOR, Newark, N. J. ; WOS, Jefferson City, Mo. ; WOWO, Fort Wayne, Ind. ; WPAW, Pawtucket. R. I. : WPTF, Raleigh N. C. ; WQAM, Miami, Fla. ; WRAX, Philadelphia, Pa.; WREC, Memphis, T. enn. ; WRUF, Gainesville, Fla. ; WRVA, Richmond, Va. ; WSB, Atlanta, Ga. ; WSMB, New Orleans, La. ; WTAG, Worcester. Mass. ; WTAM, Cleveland, O. ; V/TAR, Norfolk, Va. ; WTMJ, Milwaukee, Wis. ; WWJ, Detroit, Mich. ; WWVA, Wheeling, W. Va. UNDER 100 CYCLES KBTM, Paragould, Ark. ; KELW, Burbank, Cal. ; KFAC. Los Angeles, Cal. ; KFEL, Denver, Col. ; KFRC, San Francisco, Cal. : KFSG, Los Angeles, Cal. ; KFXF, Denver, Col. ; KGA, Spokane, Wash. ; KGAR, Tucson, Ariz. ; KGB, San Diego, Cal. ; KGER, Long Beach, Cal. ; KGO, Oakland, Cal. ; KHJ, Los Angeles, Cal. ; KICK, Red Oak, la. ; KJR, Seattle, Wash. ; KMA, Shenandoah, la. ; KMED, Medford, Ore. ; KMJ, Fresno, Cal. ; KNX, Los Angeles, Cal. ; KOA, Denver, Col. ; KOMO, Seattle, Wash. ; KRLD, Dallas, Tex. ; KRMD, Shreveport, La. ; KROW, Oak'and, Cal. ; KSOO, Sioux Falls, S. D. ; KTBS, Shreveport, La. ; KTM. Los Angeles, Cal. ; WAAF, Chicago, 111. ; WBAK, Harrisburg, Pa. ; WBAP, Fort Worth, Tex. ; WBEN, Buffalo, N. Y. ; WCAU, Philadelphia, Pa. ; WCKY, Covington, Ky. ; WCOD, Harrisburg, Pa. ; WDBO, Orlaido, Fla. ; WDEL, Wilmington, Del. ; WDOD, Chattanooga, Tenn. ; WDRC, Hartford, Conn. ; WFBR, Baltimore, Md. ; WGAR, Akron, O. ; WHAM, Rochester, N. Y. ; WHB, Kansas City, Mo. ; WHBL, Sheboygan, Wis. ; WHDH, Gloucester, Mass. ; WIBA, Madison, Wis. ; WILM, Wilmington, Dela. ; WJAG, Norfolk, Neb. ; WJAX, Jacksonville, Fla. ; WJBO, New Orleans, La. ; WJBW, New Orleans, La. ; WJJD, Mooseheart, 111. ; WJTL, Oglethorpe University, Ga. ; WLEY, Lexington, Mass. ; WMBI, Chicago, 111. ; WMCA, New York City, N. Y. ; WNAX, Yankton, S. D. ; WOW, Omaha, Neb. ; WRC, Washington, D C • WRHM, Minneapolis, Minn. ; WSBC,' Chicago, 111.; WSM, Nashville, Tenn. ; WTAD, Quincy, 111. ; WTIC, Hartford, Conn. ; WWAE, Hammond, Ind. UNDER 200 CYCLES KDYL, Salt Lake City, U. ; KECA, Los Angeles, Cal.; KEX, Portland, Ore.; KFAB, Lincoln, Neb. ; KFBK, Sacramento, Cal. ; KFH, Wichita, Kan. ; KFNF, Shenandoah, la.; KFOR, Lincoln, Neb.; KFOX, Long Beach, Cal. ; KEPY, Spokane, Wash. ; KFXM, San Bernardino, Cal. ; KGDM, Stockton, Cal. ; KGGC, San Francisco, Cal. ; KJBS, San Francisco, Cal.; KLS, Oakland, Cal.; KMCS, Inglewood, Cal. ; KMMJ, Clay Center, Neb. ; KOAC, Corvallis, Ore. ; KOH, Reno, Nev. ; KOIN, Portland, Ore. ; KOL, Seattle, Wash. : KPCB, Seattle, Wash. ; KPRC, Houston, Tex. ; KREG, Santa Ana, Cal. ; KRSC, Seattle. Wash. ; KSCJ, Sioux City, la. ; KSEI, Pocatello, Idaho ; KSL, Salt Lake Citv, U. ; KSO. Clarinda, la. ; KTAB, San Francisco, Cal. ; KTAT, Fort Worth, Tex. ; KTBR, Portland. Ore. ; KTHS, Hot Springs, Ark. ; KWK, St. Louis, Mo. ; KWKH, Shreveport, La. ; WABZ, New Orleans, La. ; WACO, Waco, Tex. ; WAIU, Columbus, Ohio ; WAPI, Birmingham, Ala. ; WBBM, Chicago, 111. ; WBBR, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; WCCO, Minneapolis, Minn. ; WDAY, Fargo, N. D. ; WDBJ, Roanoke. Va. ; WDSU, New Orleans, La. ; WEXL, Royal Oak, Mich. ; WFBM, Indianapolis, Ind. ; WGBF, Evansville, Ind. ; WGBI, Scranton, Pa. ; WGCM, Gulfport, Miss. ; WIBO. Chicago, 111. ; WKJC, Lancaster, Pa. : WKY, Oklahoma City, Okla. ; WLAC, Nashville, Tenn. ; WLOE, Boston, Mass. ; WMBD, Peoria Heights, III. ; WMC, Memphis, Tenn. ; WNAC, Boston, Mass. ; WOV, New York City, N. Y. ; WPCH, New York City, N. Y. ; WPEN, Philadelphia, Pa. ; WPG, Atlantic City, N. J. ; WREN, Lawrence, Kan. ; WRNY. New York City, N. Y. ; WSAR, Fall River, Mass. ; WWL, New Orleans, La. ; WXYZ, Detroit, Mich. Ban on Brinkley's XER is Considered Commission to Make Ruling on U. S, -Mexican Station ACTION to prevent Dr. John R. Brinkiey, former licensee of Station KFKB, Milford, Kan., from maintaining studios in the United States for his new 75 kw. station at Villa Acuna, Mexico, just across the border from Del Rio, Tex., is under consideration by the Federal Radio Commission. The Commission has asked its legal division for a ruling as to the legality of such a situation. While it is generally regarded that the radio act does not prohibit the location of studios across the international border from the transmitter, several Commissioners are believed to harbor the view that the Brinkiey plan violates the intent of Congress. The Davis amendment states that stations must be charged to the states in which the main studios are located. Dr. Brinkiey, who was removed from the air because his broadcasts were held to be inimical to the public health, has announced that plans are being completed to link his Mexican station with studios in a half dozen southeastern cities. He said that arrangements have been completed for remote control operation from studios at Milford and Wichita with the American Telephone and Telegraph Co., and that all studio locations have not yet been definitely assigned. Others will be at Salina, Abilene, Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Satisfactory outlets for local talent and new features as well as "greater facilities" for national advertising are to be provided, according to Dr. Brinkiey, and no chain programs will be used. INTERFERENCE SEEN WITH 75 kw. on its antenna, XER will be the most powerful station in the western hemisphere, and possibly in the world, since most foreign stations figure their power by input rather than on the air. Dr. Brinkiey is said to plan operation on the mid-channel of 735 kilocycles or in between stations CKAC, Montreal and WSB, Atlanta. Interference naturally is expected with these stations and with other on adjacent channels. The Canadian station, assigned to the 730 kc. Canadian clear channel, is understood to have registered complaint with the Dominion State Department. It is not indicated clearly just when Dr. Brinkiey proposes to begin operation. Previously he had announced the station would go on the air in October. It is reported that Howard Wilson, former secretary to Dr. Brinkiey, and J. Buryl Lottridge, manager of KFBI, at Wichita, (formerly KFKB), have been appointed exclusive advertising representatives for the new station. Dr. Brinkiey recently sued the Kansas City Star, operating WDAF, for $5,000,000 because of the campaign it waged against him and his station. About the same time that Dr. Brinkley's license was revoked by the Commission, the Kansas Medical Society cancelled his license to practice medicine in that state. Page 14 BROADCASTING • October 15, 1931