Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Zone and State Quotas Remain Unequalized in New Tabulation Wide Disparities Still Exist Despite Commission's Efforts to Observe Davis Amendment WIDE disparities in the distribution of broadcasting facilities among the five radio zones and the states continue to exist, despite the efforts of the Federal Radio Commission to bring about the equalization required by the Davis amendment, the Commission's latest compilation of quota figures reveals. In substance, the figures show that the Davis amendment, which became law in 1928, is still inoperative, and that approximately one-half of the states are overquota, with the other half more or less delinquent in facilities. As a matter of fact, records show that on the whole the disparity of assignments is even greater now than it was before the so-called quota regulation (General Order 102) was adopted last January, due to the fact that at the time this order was adopted simultaneous day operation was not charged to quota. The figures show that the country is exactly 34 units over-quota, or approximately the equivalent of that number of 1 kw. stations operating full time on regional channels. The Commission has established the arbitrary figure of 400 units as the total to which the country is entitled, or 80 to each zone. Of the 48 states, 23 are overquota and 25 under-quota. Three territorial possessions (Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands) and the District of Columbia are delinquent in facilities, while Alaska is over-quota .32 of one unit. ZONES ARE UNEQUAL THE view is held that the Davis amendment is inoperative because it is physically impossible to assign all of the facility factors equally among the five zones when they are so disproportionate in size, but are approximately equal in population. The amendment declares this shall be done to bring about equality both of reception and transmission. In spite of the Commission's efforts to comply with the Davis amendment, it is indicated by the quota figures that the natural laws of economics frustrate the working out of a mathematical distribution of facilities if interference is to be averted. It is hoped that the new frequency deviation regulation, (General Order 116) which becomes effective next July, and which provides for a reduction in tolerance from 500 cycles plus or minus, to fifty cycles, will permit the successful operation of all stations on the air without as much interference as now exists. A comparison of the quota units as of January 8, when General Order 102 became effective, with the current figures, discloses that the Fourth or Middle-Western zone — 89.29 units, which made it 9.29 units over-quota, to a total of 92.54 units, or 12.54 units overquota. In the cases of the other three zones, changes have been effected since the first of the year in accord with the intent of General Order 102. The Fifth or Pacific zone, for example, last January was 13.25 units in excess of the 80 units to which it is entitled, while the new figures show it to be but 12.73 units over-quota. The First or Eastern zone was 5.17 units under-quota at the beginning of the year, as against 4.24 units under "Quo Quota Quantum" FIRST ZONE Pet. of Zone Quota Present Over or Facilities Units Quota Under Quota Population Due Due Assigned Units Per cent New York 12,688,066 43.83 36.07 89.20 + 4.13 + 12 Massachusetts 4,249,614 14.80 11.34 9.98 — 1.86 — 16 New Jersey 4,041,334 14.07 11.26 11.63 + 0.27 + 3 Maryland 1,631,626 6.68 4.56 4.10 — 0.45 — 10 Connecticut 1,606,903 6.60 4.48 3.66 — 0.93 — 21 Porto Rico 1.643,913 6.38 4.30 0.40 — 3.90 — 91 Maine 797,423 2.78 2.22 2.20 — 0.02 — 1 Rhode Island 687,497 2.39 1.91 1.40 — 0.61 — 27 District of Columbia . 486,869 1.69 1.86 1.30 — 0.05 — 4 New Hampshire 465,293 1.62 1.29 0.80 — 0.49 — 38 Vermont 859,611 1.26 1.00 0.60 — 0.40 — 40 Delaware 238,380 .83 .67 0.70 + 0.03 + 4 Virgin Islands 22,012 .08 .06 — 0.06 —100 Total 28,718,441 100.00 80.00 76.76 — 4.24 — 5 SECOND ZONE Pennsylvania 9,631,350 34.54 27.63 20.24 — 7.39 — 27 Ohio 6.646,697 23.84 19.07 18.66 — 0.42 — 2 Michigan 4.842,325 17.36 13.89 11.40 — 2.49 — 18 Kentucky 2,614,589 9.38 7.60 7.62 + 0.12 + 2 Virginia 2,421,861 8.68 ' 6.95 9.50 + 2.55 + 37 West Virginia 1,729,206 6.20 4.96 4.95 — 0.1 — 0 Total 27,886,017 100.00 80.00 72.36 — 7.64 — 10 THIRD ZONE Texas 5,824,715 20.27 16.22 22.77 + 6.55 + 40 North Carolina 3,170,276 11.03 8.82 7.82 — 1.00 — 11 Georgia 2,908,506 10.12 8.10 7.95 — 0.15 — 2 Alabama 2,646,248 9.21 7.37 6.22 — 1.15 — 16 Tennessee — 2,616,556 9.11 7.29 12.83 + 5.54 + 76 Oklahoma 2,396,040 8.34 6.67 9.00 + 2.33 + 35 Louisiana 2,101,593 7.31 5.85 8.50 + 2.65 + 45 Mississippi 2,009,821 7.00 5.60 3.00 — 2.60 — 46 Arkansas 1,854,482 6.54 5.16 4.40 — 0.76 — 15 South Carolina 1,738,765 6.05 4.83 1.70 — 3.13 — 65 Florida 1,468,211 5.11 4.09 8.35 + 4.26 +104 Total 28,735,213 100.00 80.00 92.54 +12.54 + 16 FOURTH ZONE Illinois 7,630,654 28.15 22.52 34.67 +12.15 + 54 Missouri 3,629,367 13.39 10.71 12.05 + 1.34 + 12 Indiana 3,238,503 11.05 9.56 7.48 — 2.08 — 22 Wisconsin 2,939,006 10.84 8.67 7.95 — 0.72 — 8 Minnesota 2,563,953 9.46 7.57 9.04 + 1.47 + 19 Iowa 2,470,939 9.12 7.30 11.45 + 4.15 + 57 Kansas 1,880,999 6.94 5.55 4.71 — 0.84 — 15 Nebraska 1,377,963 5.08 4.06 7.26 + 3.20 + 79 South Dakota 692,849 2.56 2.05 3.01 + 0.96 + 47 North Dakota 680,845 2.51 2.01 2.99 + 0.98 + 49 Total 27,105,078 100.00 80.00 100.61 +20.61 + 26 FIFTH ZONE California 5,677,251 46.07 36.86 36.43 — 0.43 — 1 Washington 1,563,396 12.69 10.15 15.80 + 5.65 + 56 Colorado 1,035,791 8.40 6.72 9.42 + 2.70 + 40 Oregon -T 953,786 7.74 6.19 9.15 + 2.96 + 48 Montana 537,606 4.36 3.49 3.00 — 0.49 — 14 Utah 507,847 4.12 3.30 6.60 + 3.30 +100 Idaho 445,032 3.61 2.89 2.60 — 0.29 — 10 Arizona 435,573 3.53 2.83 2.60 — 0.23 — 8 New Mexico 423,317 3.44 2.75 4.03 + 1.28 + 47 Hawaii 368,336 2.99 2.39 1.40 — 0.99 — 41 Wyoming 225,565 1.83 1.46 0.20 — 1.26 — 86 Nevada 91,058 .74 .59 0.80 + 0.21 + 36 Alaska 59,278 .48 .38 .70 + 0.32 + 84 Total 12,323,836 100.00 80.00 92.73 +12.73 + 16 the most over-quota in the nation — actually has increased in units assigned. On January 8 it had a total of 96.60 units and was 16.60 units in excess of its quota, whereas the new figures show it is 20.05 units over. The Third or Southern zone also enjoyed an increase from quota now, while the Second or East Central zone now is 7.64 units under-quota as compared with 9.94 units under quota at the beginning of the year. Changes in the status of the individual states of material significance also are shown in the analy sis of quotas for January as compared with the new figures. Illinois, as the most over-quota state in the country, was 10.00 units in excess of its quota at the beginning of the year, and since then has acquired 2.49 units additional. Pennsylvania, as the most underquota state in units, lacked 7.95 of the 27.64 units to which it is entitled on January 1, but was still 7.39 units below quota when the new figures were compiled. There are nine states, however, which are more under-quota than Pennsylvania, on a percentage basis. In defense of the Commission it was pointed out that the grants of facilities in over-quota states and zones since the adoption of the new quota regulation were not actual violations of General Order 102, but resulted from the simultaneous day operation of stations on the same channel, which were going on before the order was adopted. Previously, these day assignments had not been charged to state or zone quotas. 1930 CENSUS BASIS JUST six weeks ago, the Commission adopted the official 1930 population census figures as the basis for computing the distribution of broadcasting facilities, but they had very little effect upon the general distribution. Up to that time, the preliminary figures released by the Department of Commerce covering the 1930 population census were employed in following out the terms of the Davis amendment. This new tabulation showed differences between the quota units due under the preliminary figures and the final census figures affected 33 states, Porto Rico and the District of Columbia. No state gained more than .05 of a unit, which occurred in the case of New Jersey, while the greatest loss was .04 of a unit, in the case of Kentucky. The changes were as follows: New Jersey, +.05; Kentucky, — .04; New York, —.03; Indiana, +.03; Utah, +.03; Connecticut, + .02; Porto Rico, —.02; District of Columbia, +.02; New Hampshire, —.02; Ohio, +.02; Alabama, —.02; Louisiana, +.02; Illinois. +.02; Minnesota, — .02; Nebraska, — .02; Colorado, — .02; New Mexico, — .02; Massachusetts, — .01. Maryland, — .01; Pennsylvania, — .01; Michigan, +.01; Virginia, +.01; West Virginia, +.01; North Carolina, — .01; Georgia, +.01; Arkansas, — .01; South Carolina, +.01; Missouri, — .01; Wisconsin, +.01; Kansas, —.01; South Dakota, +.01; North Dakota, —.01; California, +.01; Washington, —.01; Montana, +.01. KOIN, Portland, Ore., is building a new addition to house its technical department. November 1, 1931 • BROADCASTING Page 17