Broadcasting (Jan-June 1933)

MAY 26 KOCW, Chickasha, Okla. — Granted modification of CP to move transmitter from Chickasha to Tulsa, change studio location to Mayo Hotel, Tulsa, and change type of equipment. KFDX, Galveston, Tex. — Granted CP to move transmitter and studio locally. WCDA, New York — Granted CP to make changes in equipment. KWEA, Shreveport, La. — Granted modification of CP to change type of equipment authorized by CP. KGDY, Huron, S. D. — Granted modification of CP extending completion date to Aug. 21. KIFH, Juneau, Alaska — Granted modification of CP extending commencement date to June 1 and completion date to Sept. 1. WFLA-WSUN, St. Petersburg. Fla.— Granted license. 620 kc, 250 w. night, 500 w. day (special authority 1 kw. night and 2% kw. day) unlimited time. WJEJ, Hagerstown, Md. — Granted consent to voluntary assignment of license to Hagerstown Broadcasting Co. WENC, Americus, Ga.^ — Granted consent to voluntary assignment of license to Americus Broadcasting Corp. WCAC, Storrs, Conn. — Granted authority to discontinue operation for summer vacation period, from June 12 to Sept. 1. WICC, Bridgeport, Conn. — Granted authority to use time relinquished by WCAC. Stations granted temporary licenses, subject to action by the Commission on pending applications for renewals ; WBHS, Huntsville, Ala. ; WJBY, Gadsden, Ala. ; WNBW, Carbondale, Pa. ; WPHR, Petersburg, Va. WBBX, New Orleans — Designated renewal applications for hearing and granted temporary license subject to action by the commission. Set for hearing: NEW, Eastern Oregon Broadcasting Co., LaGrande, Ore. — CP to operate on 1500 kc, 100 w. night, 250 w. day, unlimited time; (facilities term quota units .2 from KOAC, Corvallis, Oreg.). KWKH, Shreveport, La., and WWL, New Orleans — Date of oral argument on examiners' report No. 470 changed from June 21 to June 14. WNBO, Silver Haven, Pa. ; WCAE, Pittsburgh; WHBC, Canton, O. — ^Argument on examiners' report No. 471, set for June 7. Examiner Hyde recommended that application of WNBO for removal to Monangahela, Pa., be denied and that applications of WCAE to move station locally and WHBC to install new equipment be granted. WBCM, Bay City, Mich. — Application for special authority requesting special experimental license to increase operating power from 500 w. to 1 kw. for 60 days, which was defaulted on May 5, because applicant failed to file appearance and statement of facts, was restored to docket. NEW, Newark, N. J. — Application for 1450 kc, 250 w., sharing with WHOM (facilities of WBMS), heretofore set for hearing, denied because applicant failed to enter appearance. NEW, W. L. Gleeson, Monterey, Cal. (Ex. Rep. 482) — Denied CP to operate on 1210 kc, 100 w., unlimited time, sustaining Examiner Pratt. NEW, W. L. Gleeson, Sacramento, Cal. — Denied CP to operate on 1490 kc, 5 kw., unlimited time, sustaining Examiner Pratt. Examiners' Reports . . . NEW, Herman Radner and Harold F. Gross, M. B. Keller and L. A. Versluis, Lansing, Mich. — Examiner Pratt recommended (Report 479 ; Dockets 1852 and 1898) that application of Gross, Keller and Versluis for CP on 1210 kc, 100 w. night and 250 w. LS, unlimited time, be granted and that application of Radner for same facilities be denied. WIXAL, Boston — Examiner Pratt recommended (Report 480; Docket 1571) that application for experimental relay broadcasting license be granted. Name of applicant has been changed from Shortwave Broadcasting Corp. to World-Wide Broadcasting Corp. and former irregularities have been corrected. NEW, Copper Electric Co., Inc., Lowell, Mass. — Examiner Hyde recommended (Report 481; Docket 1932) that application for CP to operate on 1200 kc, 100 w., D, be granted on ground that service is needed and that Arizona is under-quota in broadcasting facilities. NEW, W. L. Gleeson, Sacramento, Cal. — Examiner Pratt recommended (Report 482; Dockets 1916 and 1987) that applications for CP on 1210 kc, 100 w., unlimited time, and 1490 kc, 5 kw., unlimited time, be denied as in default because applicant failed to appear at hearing. WKAV, Laconia, N. H.— Chief Examiner Yost recommended (Report 483; Docket 1924) that application for renewal of license be denied as in default because of failure to enter appearance at hearing. Widening Into Low Waves Improbable Jansky Sees Trend Other Way, Attacks WIBO Decision ALTHOUGH there is universal agreement among engineers that the frequencies below the 550 kc. limit of the broadcast band are better suited for broadcasting then freMr. Jansky quencies above the 1,500 kc. limit, it is probable that if the broadcast band is widened at all at the forthcoming North American conference it will be by adding high rather than low frequency channels, according to C. M. Jansky, Jr., consulting radio engineer of Washington. In an address May 19 before the third annual assembly of the National Advisory Council on Radio in Education in New York, Mr. Jansky discussed immediate problems affecting broadcast station allocations. Despite the fundamental considerations in favor of use of frequencies below 550 kc, Mr. Jansky said that opposition of other services, which contend that the low frequencies are also best adapted to their needs, is likely to block the demands of broadcasters. Army, Navy and maritime interests have opposed the demands of the broadcasters for enlargement below 550 kc. James W. Baldwin, former secretary of the Radio Commission, who has been the official representative of the NAB at these conferences, has refused to retreat from his position that long waves should be made available for broadcasting. Raps WIBO Decision MR. JANSKY in his talk attacked the Davis amendment and the recent Supreme Court decision in the WIBO case, which was based on the amendment. He described the amendment as "ambiguous and meaningless". Alluding to the WIBO case, he said: "We have just been given an amazing demonstration of the absurd, and may I say exceedingly dangerous consequences which can result from attempts to enforce radio laws which so completely ignore the workings of radio transmission phenomena. If the potentialities were not so serious, what has taken place would be funny, to say the least." Uses Diesel Power TWO DIESEL engines of 790 h.p. each are furnishing the power for the recently established 200 kw. broadcasting station in the Duchy of Luxembourg, which is reported in the European press as having an "agreeable" service range of 1,250 miles on its long wave of 240 kilocycles. The station is operated on American commercial lines, deriving revenues from advertisers in various European countries. It is said to be backed by French capital. Good Old Barter NOTE on American economics, 1933 model: The Olympic Hotel in San Francisco has taken paid newspaper space and radio time to announce that it will accept cattle, vegetables, poultry, or dairy products from visiting farmers in payment for room, meals — and theater. Account Executive Harold C. Wurts of the Ross agency has even gone into the hinterlands to organize special barter parties— From Advertising & Selling. Nebraska Court Drops KFAB Libel Test Case HOPES for final adjudication by the U. S. Supreme Court of the liability of a broadcasting station for libel uttered over its facilities apparently have been blocked by virtue of the recent dismissal of a projected test case by the Supreme Court of Nebraska. Ruling in the suit of C. A. Sorensen, former Nebraska attorney general, against Richard F. Wood, Lincoln attorney, and KFAB, of Lincoln, for libel allegedly uttered by Wood over the station, the Supreme Court held that the case was moot since a settlement of $500 in favor of Sorensen already had been made. The NAB had intervened in the case with the objective of carrying it to the Supreme Court. In the original action, the Nebraska Supreme Court held, on appeal, that the station was jointly liable with the speaker for libel uttered over its facilities. M. V. Beghtol, attorney for KFAB and for the NAB, declared that a motion for reconsideration will be filed in a further effort to perfect the case for Supreme Court review. In its ruling, however, the state court held that since Sorensen had been satisfied, no real controversy exists. THERE were 5,498,700 radio set licenses issued by the British Postoffice in force on March 31, 1933. British set owners pay an annual radio tax of about $2.50. BBC's Telephone Calls Average But Two Daily THAT BRITISH listeners do not display the interest in radio programs that Americans do was emphasized early this month after the failure of Pepsodent to resume "The Goldbergs" on the NBC-KGO network May 1 as scheduled brought 18,000 telephone calls and thousands of letters of protest. The sponsor cancelled the feature in April after the NBC-KPO network was abandoned because of failure to find a suitable time on the KGO chain. Malcolm Frost, British Broadcasting Corporation executive, who happened to be visiting NBC's San Francisco headquarters at the time, commented that BBC does not get more than two telephone calls a day, "possibly because it costs a penny to telephone us." Mr. Frost was en route to Australia on a special mission for the BBC. "British audiences don't take nearly so active an interest in programs as you do over here," he said. "Our only check on their reaction to what is broadcast is through the press. We don't work on such a close time schedule as you do over here, either. When a program of national importance is ready to be presented, we call all the other stations — Edinburgh and so on — they say, 'Ready' and when they have all responded, the program goes on. American audiences don't like to wait for programs. British listeners insist upon a few moments' intervals; they declare they enjoy what they hear all the more if it doesn't follow too closely upon the program which has preceded it." Course in Radio SUMMER courses for the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, starting June 21, will include one on radio speech. Dr. Harry Lee Ewbank, member of the executive council of the National Association of Teachers of Speech, who is also chairman of the radio committee and debating director at the University of Wisconsin, will direct. Course will include practical instruction through public address system, together with continuity writing and organization of material. Prof. Ewbank is the author of "The Technique of Radio Speech" and "Objective Measurements of Radio" Speech." Frequency Measuring Service Many stations find this exact measuring service of great value for routine observation of transmitter performance and for accurately calibrating their own monitors. MEASUREMENTS WHEN YOU NEED THEM MOST R. C. A. COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. Commercial Department A RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA SUBSIDIARY 66 BROAD STREET NEW YORK, N. Y. June 1, 1933 • B R > > AD C A S T I N G Page 31