Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

New Mexican Border Stations Threaten Interference in U. S. Erection of Eight or Ten Transmitters Revealed; North American Conference May be Necessary BACKED largely by American capital, eight or ten new broadcasting stations of substantial power are being erected in Mexico and threaten further serious intei'ference with the operation of stations in the United States and Canada, according to reliable information reaching Broadcasting. During the sessions of the Pan American Commercial Conference at Washington in October, it was learned that these stations will be operated with powers of from two to 10 kw. and for the most part will be located along the Border. In addition XER, at Villa Acuna, new 75 kw. station belonging to Dr. John R. Brinkley, former owner of KFKB, Milford, Kan., already is on the air experimentally, and according to reports, has been interfering with WSB, Atlanta, and CKAC, Montreal, as well as other stations. These stations are being constructed on the theory that American industries will advertise over them since Mexico offers a fertile market for American products.* Moreover, the owners hope to cover substantial American service areas because transmission conditions are excellent in the low flat areas of the southwest. There already are some 40 stations in Mexico, most of them of low power, such as 100 watts or so. The number has doubled in the past year, with the stations operating on any wave length and not adhering to any set allocation plan, since Mexico is not a party to the socalled "gentleman's agreement" between Canada and the United States. Frequencies have not yet been selected for the stations now under construction, but it is considered inevitable that interference will be caused once they take the air, despite the efforts of the Mexican administration to minimize such a condition. The Mexican policy seems to be to allocate new high-power stations on frequencies in between clear channels used by Canada and the United States. CONFERENCE LOOMS THIS situation, coupled with the Brinkley case, may lead to another conference between North American nations regarding the distribution of wave lengths. The Pan American Commercial conference adopted a resolution offered by Lius Sanchez, Chief of the Department of Radio of Mexico, which, among other things, recommends that the countries of America enter into agreements to regulate communications "inasmuch as interference between radio stations is a serious obstacle to the development of international communications." This is taken to mean that before new Mexican stations go on the air, conversations, at least, should be had both with Canada and the United States respecting the frequencies to be used. The Brinkley situation became the center of a State Department controversy almost coincident with the sessions of the Pan American conference. Dr. Brinkley, whose Milford station was deleted because of medical broadcasts considered inimical to public health, visited Washington Oct. 16 to protest to Undersecretary of State William R. Castle against alleged representations by the State Department to Mexican authorities in protest against his Mexican station. The conference was arranged by Vice President Curtis, former Senator from Kansas. At a press conference, Mr. Castle said he had assured Dr. Brinkley that the State Department had not and would not protest to Mexico concerning the station. He did say, however, that about six months ago, the department transmitted to the Mexican government the full record of the Radio Commission proceedings involving Station KFKB which finally resulted in the denial of a renewal license. This was done on the suggestion of the Radio Commission. COMMISSION MAY ACT XER is the highest powered station in the western hemisphere. For several weeks it has been operating experimentally and is reported to be blanketing a 40-kc. range between 710 and 750 kc. Dr. Brinkley had announced XER would operate on 735 kc, or between the clear channels of WSB and KCAC. Because of interference caused with KMMJ, Clay Center, Neb., operating daylight with 1,000 watts on 740 kc, he indicated while in Washington that he would shift XER, to 655 kc, or half way between the clear channels of WSM, Nashville, on 650 kc. and WEAF, New York, on 660 kc. Dr. Brinkley told Mr. Castle that he had been prevented from entering Mexico by the present regime and that he believed State Department protests were responsible. He demanded that he be accorded the constitutional protection guaranteed American citizens in foreign countries. Meanwhile, the Commission itself was awaiting an opinion from its legal division as to whether it could prevent Dr. Brinkley from maintaining in the United States remote control studios connected to XER. Dr. Brinkley proposes to establish such studios in about a half dozen southwestern cities and already has negotiated for the land lines with the A. T. & T. WMAQ License to NBC ASSIGNMENT of the license of WMAQ, Chicago, to NBC, was approved by the Federal Radio Commission Oct. 28. NBC thus takes over management of the station in which it recently procured one-half interest from the Chicago Daily News at a price exceeding $600,000, the newspaper retaining the other half. Radio-Synchronized Scoreboard Covers the World Series THIS "radio-synchronized" scoreboard, offering both word by word and play by play accounts, stole the show at Williamsport, Pa., during the recent world series. The two robot umpires holding the megaphones are simply electric loudspeakers, rebroadcasting the play by play accounts of Graham McNamee or Ted Husing. Every play is followed on the electric scoreboard, devised by C. R. Cummins, owner of WRAK, Williamsport. So great was his success with the arrangement that he has applied for patents and plans to manufacture the scoreboards and market them during the coming year. The photograph shows the Phila delphia batting order, with St. Louis in the field. The players in the field are identified by name ? plates. At the end of the half-inning, the St. Louis batting order is substituted for Philadelphia and the Philadelphia team takes the field, in blue uniforms rather than the white shown for St. Louis. The board, Mr. Cummins said, drew a huge crowd to the courthouse lawn at Williamsport during the entire world series, while the only other board in town, operated by the local newspaper, was virtually deserted. Hitch your radio receiver to this radio scoreboard if you want to achieve the latest thing in synchronization, advises V Mr. Cummins. Two Pacific Coast Networks Are Formed By the NBC After Buying Four Stations KGO is Key of Orange and KPO of Gold Hookups ; Five Station Units Replace Former Single Net TWO Pacific coast networks have been formed by the NBC as a result of its recent purchase of the four stations of the Northwest Broadcasting System. The networks went into operation as five-station units on Oct. 18, being made available for sponsored or sustaining programs either separately or as transcontinental supplements to the NBC-WEAF and the NBC-WJZ networks. The first network, to be known informally as the Orange, consists of KGO, Oakland, owned by General Electric but operated and managed by NBC, as key; KFI, Los Angeles, owned by Earle C. Anthony, Inc.; KGW, Portland, owned by The Oregonian; KOMO, Seattle, owned by Fisher's Blend Station, Inc.; and KHQ, Spokane, owned by Louis Wasmer, Inc. The second network, to be known informally as the Gold, comprises KPO, San Francisco, owned by Hale Brothers Stores and The Chronicle, as key; KECA, Los Angeles, owned by Earle Anthony; KEX, Portland, owned by NBC; KJR, Seattle, owned by NBC; and KGA, Spokane, owned by NBC. In addition to these regular networks, KFSD, San Diego, and KTAR, Phoenix, Ariz., are supplements which may be used with either group. This new alignment replaces the former single nine-station hookup that composed the NBC-Pacific coast network. Stations KEX, KJR and KGA were in the group recently purchased by Don Gilman, Pacific Coast vice president of NBC, as was KYA, San Francisco. The NBC will operate KYA as a non-network station for the time being, plans for its later disposition not having been completed. That business has been good on the NBC-Pacific coast network this year is reported by Roy S. Froth j, ingham, western commercial manager, who stated that out of 119 hours on the air 56 hours, or about 47 per cent, are sponsored. W. J. Bryan, Jr. in^Radio THE firm of Bryan, Button and Cummings, Los Angeles attorneys, has acquired controlling interest in Magnolia Park, Ltd., owners of KELW, Burbank, Cal., according to Robert Kaufman, manager. The senior member of this firm is William Jennings Bryan, Jr., son of the "Great Commoner." Page 10 BROADCASTING • November i, 1931