Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

New Transmitter House of WMCA WEVD, New York — Granted right to join in protest against the removal of transmitter of WCGU from Brooklyn to Long Island City. AUGUST 30 WPG, Atlantic City, N. J. — Modification for fulltime (facilities of WLWL, New York. ) WSYB, Rutland, Vt. — Modification to request 1 less hour week-day evenings. WOAI, San Antonio — License to cover CP for 5 kw. auxiliary transmitter. KTAT, Fort Worth — Modification of license to change name to KTAT Broadcast Co. KGEZ, Kalispell, Mont. — License to cover CP to move transmitter and studio locally. KMTR, Los Angeles — Modification of license to increase power from 500 w. to 1 kw. Application returned: WTSL, Laurel, Miss. — Voluntary assignment to Laurel Broadcasting Co. WBAL, Baltimore, Md. — Granted synchronization extension with WLZ to Dec. 1. KFOR, Lincoln, Nebr.— Granted CP to move transmitter locally. WKAQ, San Juan, Porto Rico — Granted license to cover CP, 1240 kc, 1 kw., half time. WFAS, White Plains, N. Y.— Granted license to cover CP, 1210 kc, 100 w., quarter time. WHEB, Portsmouth, N. H. — Granted license to cover CP, 740 kc, 250 w. D. WMC, Memphis, Tenn. — Granted license to cover CP, 780 kc, 500 w., auxiliary purposes only. WBT, Charlotte, N. C. — Granted license to cover CP, 1080 kc, 25 kw., unlimited." KPJM, Prescott, Ariz. — Granted license to cover CP, 1500 kc, 100 w., unlimited. KPIM, Lamar, Colo. — Granted license to cover CP, 1420 kc, 100 w. ; shares KGIW. WNBX, Springfield, Vt. — Granted modification of CP to change location of transmitter slightly. WBBC, Brooklyn, N. Y. — Granted modification of CP, extension of completion date to 10-31-32. WHAS, Louisville, Ky. — Granted modification of CP, extension of completion date from 8-17-32 to 10-17-32. KONO, San Antonio, Tex. ; WRSCWOAN, Memphis, Tenn., and KGRS, Amarillo, Tex. — Granted installation of automatic frequency control equipment. KVOO, Tulsa, Okla. — Granted modification of CP, extension of completion date from 8-17-32 to 12-17-32. WFLA-WSUN, Clearwater, Fla. — Granted license to cover CP, 620 kc, 1 kw. night and 2% kw. day, directional antenna. KFGQ, Boone, la. — Granted special authority to operate from 6 a.m. to 8 :30 a. m., CST, on Sundays only, from 9-4-32 to 10-30-32, inclusive, provided WIAS remains silent, with understanding that it may be terminated by the Commission at any time without prior notice. WJMS, Ironwood, Mich. — Granted authority to operate until 7 :15 p.m., CST, during September. KRMD, Shreveport, La. — Granted special authority to operate from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., CST, on Saturdays only, from 9-3-32 to 3 a.m., EST, 12-1-32, with understanding that it may be terminated by Commission without prior notice. Action on Examiners' reports : KGGF, Coffeyville, Okla. — Remanded to docket to permit KFBI, Milford, Kan., to be heard. Applicant desires to move to Coffeyville, Kansas. KFWI, San Francisco (Ex. Rep. No. 391) — Denied application to increase day power from 500 w. to 1 kw., sustaining Examiner Hyde. NEW, J. T. Griffin, Tulsa, Okla.— Denied CP for new station, 1400 kc, 250 w. night, 500 w. day, sustaining Examiner Hyde. NEW, Joe K. Jernigan, Cyril W. Reddock, Julian C. Smith, John T. Hubbard, d/b as Troy Broadcasting Company, Troy, Ala.— Granted CP for new station on 1210 kc. with 100 w. power, daytime, sustaining Examiner Pratt. NEW, Tennessee State Press Co., Knoxville, Tenn. — Denied CP, 560 kc, 1 kw., 2 kw. LS„ unlimited time (facilities WNOX ) . Failed to enter appearance. Set for hearing: KLRA, Little Rock, Ark. — CP to make changes in equipment and change power from 1 kw. to 1 kw. night, and 2V2 kw. LS. KPJM, Prescott, Ariz.— Voluntary assignment of license to M. B. Scott and Edward C. Sturm. KTFI, Twin Falls, Idaho — Modification of license to increase D. power from 500 w. to 1 kw. (facilities of KGKX.) Dismissed: WBCM, Bay City, Mich. — Modification of license, 1410 kc, 500 w., (Continued on page 2U) WMAC's new transmitter house is located at College Point, Flushing, L. I., which commences operation about Sept. 15. The last word in station architecture and construction, the transmitter incorporates a "secret" ground system devised by Frank Marx, Knickerbocker Broadcasting Company's chief eng overquota zones. In an outstanding instances of this sort, two established stations with substantial investments were put out of existence solely because they were located in an overquota zone while during the same period additional facilities were given without hearing to two other stations in the same city. "Duplicate operation of stations is permitted on some clear channels (without hearing) and is refused on others for grounds which are at least equally applicable in both cases. "Distance separations from the Canadian border and power limitations on Canadian-shared channels are determinative in some cases and are disregarded in others. "So-called 'experimental' assignments to broadcasting stations are charged against quota in some cases and not in others. "Violations of identical regulations are considered ground for deleting a station in one case, and are not considered sufficient reason even for subjecting another station's renewal application for hearing." Re Clear Channels THE COMMITTEE declared that clear channels, called the only means of reaching large portions of the rural sections, are "undergoing a relentless process of corrosion which threatens ultimately to ruin them." The corrosion, the report adds, has taken the form of permitting duplicate operation of stations on clear channels by "consent" of the dominant clear channel station, the authorization of daytime and limited time stations on clear channels at inadequate separations and the recent consent of the United States to the use of two United States clear channels by proposed Canadian stations of ineer, all embedded in salt marsh, and regarded as ideal for transmission. The antenna system includes two 350-foot towers. The transmitter house has three apartments, one being the home of Mr. Marx and his family. The other apartments are used by engineers on duty. 50 kw. power, immediately or eventually. "Individual members of the Commission informally hold the broadcasters responsible for what is occurring because of the 'consents' which some of them have given. In a measure this criticism is justified. As a consequence of the importance of the advertiser to a broadcast station's economic support and of the fact that the ordinary advertiser cares little for rural coverage, there is over-emphasis on urban as against rural coverage. This results in pressure on the Commission for the impairment of clear channels by duplicating stations. The origin of this pressure, however, would seem to emphasize, rather than lessen, the Commission's responsibility to protect the listening public aganst further impairment of interferencefree reception. Congress did not delegate to individual broadcasters the power to barter away the rights of rural listeners." Failure to Hear Cases THE COMMITTEE also criticized the Commission for its failure to sit more frequently in the hearing of oral arguments. Out of more than 200 cases decided during the past year the Commission sat in only five hearings and permitted oral argument in only eight cases, although that privilege was requested in a large proportion of cases, the report states. "Since the Commission was originally established to act as a quasi-judicial body for the hearing and applications," the committee says, "and since, with its large staff and the falling off of application, its duties are comparatively light, it would not seem asking too much of it that it sit more frequently in the actual hearing of the contentions of both the opposing parties." Fortunately, the report continues, both applications and hearings are showing a marked decline, which is only partly due to the depression. A more potent factor has been the adoption of definite rules and regulations which, to the extent that they are certain, intelligible and uniformly enforced, naturally obviate the pressing of a large share of hopeless applications. A slap at certain educational and propaganda groups which have been campaigning against the American Plan of broadcasting in favor of the so-called European is taken by the committee. "A great deal of misinformation has been assiduously circulated with regard to the nature and success of systems established in other countries," it said in urging a "trustworthy compendium of information as to the manner in which other countries regulate radio communication." Hits Canadian Plan THE CANADIAN plan for nationalization of its broadcasting is analysed by the committee with a good* deal of skepticism as to its practicability. It refers to the Radio Commission report submitted to the Senate in response to the Couzens-Dill Resolution showing that annual gross expenditures for 571 out of the 607 stations m the United States last year totaled $77,995,405.68. Canada plans to collect $2 a year from each of 600,000 radio set owners as the main source of revenue to sustain its system. "It is clear, therefore," says the report, "that for financial reasons, if for no other, realization of the Canadian plan faces serious practical obstacles. Unless the receiving license fees are greatly increased, or unless advertising revenue proves much greater than may be expected from the experience of United States stations, the Canadian Commission will not receive enough money to operate the proposed chain of stations, let _ alone the acquisition or construction of such stations." Anticipating that it will take five to ten years to accomplish the project, the report adds, however, that evidence of a "substantial undercurrent of opposition" to government control of broadcasting in Canada might tend to delay or prevent realization of the plan. Court Cases Reviewed REVIEWING court litigation, the committee brought out that the Supreme Court of the United States has yet to utter its first pronouncement on either the validity of the construction of any provision of the Radio Act of 1927, despite a half dozen attempts to have the questions adjudicated finally. Summaries are given of the past year's court decisions, together with the more important pending cases, such as those raising the issues of property rights, validity of the Davis amendment and free speech on the air. The report points out that the expense of an appeal is almost prohibitive for small stations, the cost of printing records averaging $2.25 a page and the records being regularly of substantial size. The decision of the Nebraska (Continued on page SO) Bar Report Criticizes Commission (Continued from page 13) September 1, 1932 • BROADCASTING Page 29