Radio Broadcast (May-Oct 1925)

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How the Government is Regulating Radio Broadcasting 3^ Harris 4c Ewicii* DR. J. H. DELLINGER AND D. B. CARSON Dr. Dellinger is head of the radio laboratory of the Bureau of Standards, which, being a division of the Department of Commerce, works closely with the Radio Service. D. B. Carson is Commissioner of Navigation and is the general supervisory head of the Radio Service demands for accommodations still to be met. In the radio Class B hotel, it is sun-down and all of the wavelengths are assigned. What does Uncle Sam, the radio room clerk, do? Just what the hotel clerk would do under the same circumstances. The newcomer arrives and wishes accommodations. If he has a friend who will share with him his room, or Class B wavelength, the clerk welcomes him and makes this room assignment. He is glad to have each double bed filled with two paying guests. If a third friend arrives and the first two are willing to have a cot placed in the room, all are happy and are all accommodated. But if the latecomer does not find such a friend to accommodate him, obviously the clerk will not turn out one of his regular patrons to make room for the newcomer, nor will he insist that the earlier arrival share his bed, or wavelength. Uncle Sam, in planning wavelength assignments in the Class B wavelength range, takes the same stand. As the Secretary of Commerce puts it, "The Department cannot give what it has not got." And it is perfectly clear that there are no Class B wavelengths left. Hence one can properly read between the lines of the Department's recent statement that there will be no further assignment of Class B wavelengths for the present or the near future. Nor will the Department willingly destroy the value of present wavelength assignments by demanding that they be shared with latecomers. "S. R. O." AT THE BOX OFFICE LET us go back again to the theater for ' comparison with the radio station. The early-comers, or those who bought tickets in advance, fill all the seats, yet there is a long line at the box office despite the sign " Standing Room Only." Uncle Sam, with no radio seats in the Class B orchestra, has hung out his "S. R. O." sign, too. But he will, in fact under the law he must, grant licenses and assign wavelengths. He does this by a ticket of admission which entitles the new broadcaster to work only in the Class A range, 205 to 280 meters. In this range he is not comfortably seated as a member of the radio broadcasting party. He finds himself standing behind the back seats, jostled by other late-comers, and seeing the performance at great disadvantage. But he is simply paying the penalty as a late-comer. If some of the present Class B stations discontinue service or cease to give service adequate from the public point of view, their licenses, which are renewable every 90 days, will doubtless not be renewed for comfortable third-row aisle seats. In fact, Uncle Sam, just as the theater management, reserves the right to withdraw the admission ticket at any time. Hence a disorderly station, like a dis