Radio age (Jan-Dec 1925)

3EIE SHE 3HE 30E SEE 3EE SEE SHE 3QE B USq Magazine of the Hour M. B. Smith Business Manager A Monthly Publication Devoted to Practical Radio Frederick A. Smith Editor Eeejhe 3HE 3EE 3HE 3BE 3EE =nni= 3EE 3 FIE nr=9 Hr,s£ Super-Stations Licensed — NEW Wavelengths a PROBLEM WASHINGTON, D. C— What to do about the reallocation of wavelengths to broadcasting stations as recommended by the Third National Radio Conference at Washington? What to do is right, for although the Conference adjourned over two months ago, the conferees blissfully going respective ways feeling their recommendations had solved the situation, little as yet has been accomplished. In fact, they have left at Secretary Hoover's doorstep a problem as compared to which the solution of a Chinese cross-word puzzle would be easy. Two months' time is not ordinarily considered a long period when it is remembered that Rome was not built in a day, but the way in which things are popping in radio, sixty days' delay is the equivalent of years in other fields of endeavor. Far from being able to afford relief to existing broadcasting stations in this period of drifting, the situation is becoming more complicated by the fact new broadcasting stations are springing up like mushrooms. How It Started THE pressure upon the officials at the Department of Commerce is terrific. W. D. Terrell, Chief Supervisor of Radio, to whom the immediate solution is entrusted, attacking the Class "B" station situation as a starting point, lost no time putting the Radio Conference recommendations up to the government district radio inspectors throughout the country with instructions for them to get into touch with owners of stations. And then the trouble began! So discouraging have been the reports received from certain of these inspectors — key men, in fact — that the plan of the Conference now appears to be as far from being carried out as the day the reccomendations were agreed upon. In fact, unless miracles are performed in the congested broadcasting areas, I do not believe the present plan can ever be carried out, and I base this prediction upon a talk I had with a high government official who summed up the situation as follows: The third radio conference recom By ROBERT D. HEINL New Broadcasters "Stump" Conferees mended an extension of the Class B band of wavelengths from 288 down to 280 meters and the removal of Class C stations from the wavelength of 360 meters, giving to Class B stations the entire band from-280 to 545 meters. Transfers Planned Steps have already been taken to transfer the Class C stations to either A or B and to shift the Class A stations (Photo by Harris & Ewirjg) W. D. Terrell, the Governments chief radio supervisor, on whose shoulders rests the burden of reallocating the maze of tangled wavelengths. He also is assisting Secretary Hoover in apportioning the first assignment for increased power. between 280 and 286 meters to the band below 280 meters. The continuing committee proposed by the conference to reallocate the broadcasting wave lengths prepared a plan covering the Class B stations as they existed or were contemplated on October 22nd. It was necessarily tentative, it not being definitely known at that time how many stations would have to be provided for or how difficult it might be for the owners to comply with the plan. This plan was referred to the supervisors of each district to be submitted by them to the owners of the stations involved to ascertain what difficulties might arise as to particular stations, and to prevent as far as possible any hitch in its adoption. New Troubles Arise T^HREE or four of the districts have -* already reported that the plan is acceptable. The other districts, however, are experiencing considerable difficulty because of the additional new Class B stations not contemplated and consequently not taken into consideration when the plan was prepared. There are forty-seven Class B wavelengths available for the entire United States, even if two stations are put on each wavelength, which means undesirable division of time. There are only ninety-four operating channels. At the present time, there are sixtyfour Class B stations in operation. The Bureau has been advised that seven Class C stations and fourteen Class A stations are preparing to enter Class B. In addition to this, there are nineteen stations under construction or proposed, which are planning to enter Class B, giving us a total of 104 Class B stations to be provided for on ninety-four duplicated channels. Many of these had not been heard of at the time of the conference. Thirteen of these Class B stations are west of the Rocky Mountains, and if the power of these stations is not increased considerably, they can probably use the wavelengths now being used on the Atlantic Coast, as they have been doing for the past eighteen months. If this can be continued it will leave ninety-one Class B