Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

The NEWS MAGAZINE of Jz/' THE FIFTH ESTATE 3L. 2, NO. 2 WASHINGTON, D. C. JANUARY 15, 1932 $3.00 PER YEAR — 15c A COPY -J uba Looms as New Menace to U. S. Radio By SOL TAISHOFF Ihaotic Condition Forecast as Interference From Mexican tations Grows Worse; State Department Adamant )RESHADOWING a condition at will become intolerable unless ompt action is taken by United ates authorities, Cuba is enterl North American broadcasting a new and unexpected menace. With interference steadily growls worse as new Mexican stations substantial power take the air, liable reports reach BroadcastG that private American radio cerests are "investigating" the iban field and contemplate the nation of stations on the island cover Southern and Eastern por>ns of the United States. Heretofore a negative factor in t>rth American broadcasting, iba, however, is strategically lotted for coverage of a wide "eep of American territory. As iba is only 125 miles from the orida coast, engineers say that e over -water transmission would ike Cuban stations of substantial wer even more effective than ose just across the Mexican borr for United States coverage. While the American government y stands by because of an inex cable attitude of the State Dertment, conditions are rapidly proaching a chaotic state. Ini-nal political complications both Mexico and in Cuba have tended By to aggravate the situation. Certain stations in the United lates are known to have been u-ned by private cliques that un;s they paid substantial amounts, ?h power stations would be built Mexico to operate on their wave lgths and would "blast them off I air." fThe government of Mexico is jid to be badly in need of funds, Id special fees are being paid by merican interests seeking radio anchises for the concessions, over jd above the Federal annual fee one dollar (two pesos) per watt power. This price is fixed upon ncessions before they are grant. Mexico was not aroused to the oney making possibilities of oadcastine: until last year, but ice then there has been an influx American capital to build new ations along the border for the deniable purpose of covering e United States. Radio Commission Quiet • V1ERICAN capital is moving into axieo. and probably into Cuba beuse the saturation point has been ached in the United States in so WHILE the State Department looks wise and does nothing, a broadcasting situation is developing in North America, the seriousness of which cannot be overemphasized. More and more Mexican stations of substantial power are "squatting" on wave lengths being used by the United States and Canada. Now Cuba, dangerously close to this country, becomes a new complicating factor. In this article the writer discusses conditions as they exist today and attempts to show the urgent need for prompt action by the authorities of this country. far as new stations of high power are concerned. These interests have as their motive coverage of the American markets rather than those in the countries in which the stations are located. Coverage of foreign markets may be some inducement to American industries to advertise over the stations, but it is far from the predominating influence. The Radio Commission is well aware of the seriousness of the situation, but it has hesitated even to talk above a whisper about it because of the adamant attitude of the State Department. There is no thought of a North American conference for a new deal respecting broadcasting wave lengths at this time, but some far-seeing broadcasters have suggested that conversations, at least, be had with officials of Canada, Mexico and Cuba, to arrange orderly allocation procedure until the whole matter can be threshed out at Madrid next fall. While Mexico has not adhered td any definite allocation plan, Cuba up to this time has been careful to avoid conflict with United States stations regularly received on the island. New developments, however, coupled with the recent death of the man who was responsible for this orderly broadcasting arrangement in Cuba, indicate anything but favorable prospect. Reports from Cuba are to the effect that applications are being made for increased power to 5 kw. and above for two existing stations as well as for new stations. The American interests are not so set upon the installation of new stations as they are upon purchasing existing stations and stepping up their power. There are only two stations in Cuba operating with power of more than 1 kw., while only about one-half of the 60 licensed stations use as much as 100 watts. i Largest Cuban Station THE LARGEST station in Cuba is CMK, operating with 3,150 watts on the Canadian exclusive channel of 730 kc, licensed to the Hotel Plaza in Havana. Announcements over the station are made both in English and Spanish. CMW, also in Havana, uses 1,400 watts and is operating on 588 kc. Advertising rates over stations are fixed by the government. Revolutionist forces are active in Cuba and are responsible to a large degree for the unsettled radio situation. Whether, in their need for funds, the officials in power will permit a deviation from the policy of not allocating frequencies and power to Cuban stations which would disturb United States stations is not definitely known. The current regulations designed to prevent interference were drafted by the late Augustus York, an American who went to Cuba as a soldier in the Spanish-American War and afterward became the government official charged with radio regulation. He was an uncle of Sergeant Alvin York, outstanding hero of the World War. Some ten new stations of sub stantial power now are being built in Mexico, supported by American capital, and mainly along the border. Because of the unsettled political conditions, which resulted recently in reorganization of the Mexican cabinet, no accurate official information is available as to the concessions for new stations which have been granted by the new authorities. A number of applications, however, are known to be pending, seeking assignments on frequencies in between those used by American and Canadian stations. Policy Likely to Continue THE OLD administration favored the location of American-capitalized stations in Mexico, since that country is not a party to the North American "gentleman's agreement" of 1924 dividing between the United States and Canada the 96 available broadcasting wave lengths. The attitude of the new administration is not known, but its dire need for funds indicates a continuance of the policy, regardless of whether interference is caused with American stations. Power boosts for a number of Mexican stations have been approved recently and inevitably will result in further interference to American and Canadian stations. XEO,Mexico City, operated by the National Revolutionary Party, has been authorized to increase its power from 1 to 5 kw., operating on 940 kc. This is a regional frequency used in the United States by WCSH, Portland, Me.; WAAT, Jersey City; WFIW, Hopkinsville, Ky.; WHA. Madison, Wis.; WD AY, Fargo, N. D., and KOIN, Portland, Ore. On this wave also is KGU, Honolulu. The Brinkley station XER, at Villa Acuna, just across the border from Del Rio, Tex., is causing interference with CKAC, at Montreal, on the Canadian exclusive channel of 730 kc, as well as WSB, Atlanta. With 75 kw., the highest power used by any station in the Western Hemisphere, the station is onerating on the midchannel of 735 kc. and is perhaps more easily heard than any station on the continent. It is reported that the station is receiving between $1,000 and $1,500 daily from listeners given medical advice by Dr. John R. Brinkley, a-oat-srland specialist, whose station KFKB, of Milford. Kan., was thrown off the air bv the Radio Commission because of his medical broadcasts and other practices which were construed as endanger Wary 15, 1932 • BROADCASTING Page 5