Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Disadvantages of Widening Broadcast Band By PAUL M. SEGAL Return to Pre-Commission Days Would Result in the U. S. ; Europe's Demands Laid to Lack of Quota System Mr. Segal THE INTERNATIONAL Radiotelegraph Convention of Washington, 1927, makes provision for broadcasting use, in European areas, of frequencies outside the band 550-1500 kc. It so provides in Article 5, Section 7, of the General Regulations, the band 160-194 kc. in regions where broadcasting stations were previously in operation below 300 kc. In the band 194-224 kc. broadcasting is permitted in Europe, while in other regions these frequencies are assignable to mobile services (except commercial ship stations), or to fixed air services exclusively, or to fixed services not open to public correspondence. In providing these additional frequencies for broadcasting in Europe, the Convention recognized that the radio needs and circumstances of different areas may be such that in frequency ranges where inter-continental interference is not probable there should very properly be regional arrangements designed to take care of such requirements. This accords with the provision contained in Article 14 of the Convention, authorizing special arrangements on matters which would not interest the governments generally, a provision which the United States and Canada now propose to broaden so as t& give specific encouragement to regional arrangements. Proposals by Union THE INTERNATIONAL Broad casting Union, a semi-official organization of European broadcasting administrations, has proposed that the assignment of broadcasting frequencies among European countries, pursuant to their regional needs, be widened at Madrid this fall. In substance, the Union proposes that the bands 150-285 -and 370-460 kc. be assigned to broadcasting and that the bands 460-485 kc. and 515-540 kc. be L designated as bands in which radio broadcasting has a prior right of use on condition of not interfering with the mobile service now authorized therein. As to this last proposal, it is significant that there are now 23 ^European broadcasting stations operating outside the bands allotted to radio broadcasting by the Washington Convention. The authorization of such operation on ^condition of non-interference is quite within the privilege of any nation under the provisions of Article 5, Section 1, of the Regulations, wherein the administrations reserve the right to assign any rreqency to any station upon the THE OTHER SIDE of the controversy over the proposed widening of the broadcast band into the lower frequencies, one of the major questions facing the International Radio Conference at Madrid, is presented in this article as an answer to the arguments set forth in the August 1 issue of BROADCASTING by Louis G. Caldwell. Mr. Segal, prominent radio attorney, contends that the adaptation of the proposal of the International Broadcasting Union to North America would disrupt the broadcasting set-up in the United States just as it appears to be getting on a sound basis. sole condition that no interference with services of other countries will result. A significant feature is that the proposal of the Union, by its very terms, is limited to Europe. The enlargement of the broadcast band is not proposed as a matter of general international policy. The Union merely specifies that the term Europe be enlarged to include territories bordering on the Mediterranean and Black Seas as well as the Atlantic coast of North Africa. The Union recognizes that because of history and methods of operation, and the character of receiving and transmitting apparatus, it is necessary that local circumstances be taken into account and local problems be recognized by regional agreement. Because of a resolution of the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, there is lately a considerable discussion MADRID DELEGATION NAMED Sykes, Jolliffe and Lichtenstein Will Represent U.S./ Several Refused Honor Because of Economy Mr. Lichtenstein Judge Sykes Dr. Jollitte PINCHED by the economy wave, President Hoover has appointed a small delegation to represent the United States at the International Radio Conference which opens at Madrid Sept. 3, and at which the battle for securing long waves for broadcasting will be fought. Acting Chairman E. O. Sykes of the Radio Commission was named chairman of the delegation, and Dr. C. B. Jolliffe, Commission chief engineer, and Walter Lichtenstein, executive secretary of the First National Bank of Chicago, were appointed as delegates. The State Department on Aug. 4 announced the appointment of the delegation, which includes telegraph as well as radio representatives. Only eight technical advisors were named, as against 26 at the last international conference in Washington in 1927. There were 17 delegates representing the United States at that conference, under the chairmanship of Mr. Hoover himself, then Secretary of Commerce. It is known that appointments as delegates to the Madrid sessions, expected to last for three months, had been proffered at least a dozen persons prominent in radio, legislative or administrative capacities. The sharp reduction in the appropriation for the conference, together with the cut in per diem allowance from $12 to $6 per day, however, was responsible for rejections. Senator Wallace White, Jr., of Maine, for example, had accepted an appointment prior to enaet(Continued on page 2U) as to the possibility of anticipating difficulties in North American broadcasting by extending the provisions of the European regional agreement to this continent and by enlarging the broadcast band in North America to the degree proposed by the International Broadcasting Union for Europe. Arguments Pro and Con IN SUPPORT of this suggestion two considerations are urged: (1) that additional facilities are required on the North American continent to accommodate the broadcasting needs of Mexico and Cuba,* and (2) that the additional frequencies proposed are more suitable for broadcasting than the band 550-1500 kc, because of the unsatisfactory behavior of waves at frequencies higher than 1000 kc. as to absorption, fading, skip-distance, etc., a view supported by the investigations of many experts. _ In opposition, it has been said that the necessary reallocation of existing services in the proposed bands is unduly difficult and expensive. This opposition is met by the International Broadcasting Union with the statement that among those services are some that without inconvenience, and even to their advantage, could be maintained on waves outside these bands, or better yet, by means of metallic circuits. For our purposes it may well be assumed that this suggestion of the Union is less than correct, and that all existing services could be satisfactorily taken care of elsewhere should the broadcast band be enlarged. It appears, however, that some consideration must be given to the welfare and prosperity of American broadcasting as they may be affected. Conditions on Continent A BRIEF reference may be made to the conditions prevailing on the European continent, which renders widening of the band desirable there, and this may serve to indicate certain fundamental differences in situation. It is an apt analogy to say that the European continent finds itself today in very much the same situation as did the United States prior to the enactment of the Davis Amendment; that from the European view the enlargement of the broadcast band is as inevitable as that amendment was here, and it is due primarily to the same causes. From the radio-technical standpoint, the European continent, with its various nations, is comparable to our country with its component states. Europe has suffered from several "reallocations of 1927," such as in the United States gave rise to violent protests from areas described as "under-served." For example, extracts from correspondence between the Lithuanian government and the International Broadcasting Union, are available, which, it is certain, could {Continued on page 23) August 15, 1932 • BROADCASTING Page 9