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HOUSE MAY PROBE SUPER-POWER; CLEAR CHANNEL THREAT SEEN
Coincidental with a report that the Federal Communica¬ tions Commission is considering a plan of frequency reallocations which would have the effect of breaking down the clear channels, Congress prepared to inquire into the FCC’s ban on super-power broadcasting before adjourning.
Chairman Lea, of the House Interstate and Foreign Com¬ merce Committee, scheduled tentatively a hearing on the Larrabee resolution for mid-May. The resolution recommends that the FCC look further into the possibilities of super-power operation with the aim of authorizing experimental of "one or more stations to operate on power of more than 50 KW. "
Representative Sweeney (D.), of Ohio, who several times ' has attacked the FCC for stopping Station WLW, Cincinnati, from operating with 500 KW. experimentally, is expected to be one of the main witnesses before the Committee.
The breakdown of the clear channels would be brought about by issuing licenses to local stations in small towns on the same frequencies, according to one published report.
Elimination of the clear channels may have international complications, it was pointed out. Under international a.greements, particularly the recent North American agreement, with its Nation¬ wide shift of frequencies the latter part of the Summer, the United States may have up to 32 clear channels.
On the other hand, if these clear channels are broken down by permitting other stations on them, the opinion within the Commission is that other countries signatory to the agreement may also move in on these channels and cause such interference and atmospheric havoc that none will get good service. Some even see possibilities of such havoc as to bring a demand for govern¬ mental operation of radio. Such a possibility is viewed with con¬ siderable alarm, because it would provide the opportunity for complete domination of this means of mass communication by any party in power.
The question has been raised as to whether distribution of clear channels to small local stations would result in better service. The people in these towns would have a radio station, it was explained, but by reason of its own limitations and inter¬ ference, which would seriously restrict its coverage area, it might not attract sufficient advertising income to pay its expenses.
Through putting such a program into effect, it was said, approximately 40,000,000 rural listeners would be denied the high type of programs which they have been enabled to get for the last 12 years over the clear channel station service.
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