Radio Broadcast (Nov 1926-Apr 1927)

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APRIL, 1927 PUNISHMENT FOR THE DEFENSELESS ETHER 557 have the courage, foresight, and backing of the radio public and the radio industry to bring about such a healthy weeding out of stations is doubtful. If the radio industry, however, is to grow to its fullest strength, wholesale station reduction is absolutely necessary. Although the average cost of a radio set is under $150, there are only one third as many sets in operation as there are pleasure automobiles. The radio industry has sold to only a fourth of its potential customers. The only reason the radio market has not come to its own is because of lamentable broadcasting conditions. The industry could well afford to establish a fund of several million dollars to negotiate and encourage the consolidation of stations; It would be promptly repaid by vastly increased sales. We offer our concrete suggestions as to how curtailment and consolidation of stations could be worked out — in the New York area, for example. The accompanying chart is calibrated in ten-kilocycle frequency channels. The first column shows a typical list of some of the stations now licensed and in operation within twenty-five miles of New York and which may be received with an average set — and the frequency band which they occupy; the second, the number of out-of-town channels which can now be tuned-in by an average five-tube receiver; the third, the maximum number of stations which should be established in the New York area by combination of three or four existing stations if the rest of the country is to have an adequate number of channels and New York itself interference-free reception; the fourth, the greatly increased number of out-of-town channels which can be tuned-in under the proposed allocation plan; the fifth, the stations now heard with an average receiver operated near New York; and the sixth, some of the stations within reach of New York, which, under good conditions, could be tuned-in by a good five-tube receiver. A local station usually excludes out-oftown stations on each of the two channels above and below its own frequency as well as those on its assigned channel. A station more than fifty miles away rarely, if ever, covers more than its ten-kilocycle channel, however. Every local station eliminated, therefore, means perhaps five additional stations for the broadcast listener. The chart shows that consolidating the New York stations to six, will, under good conditions, make available sixty-six out-oftown channels through local broadcasting, instead of twenty-seven. It is not possible to list in the first column every one of the local stations which are heard under all and sundry conditions, but the list, as presented, serves to show the contrast between the present system and that suggested here. Station wnyc should be discontinued because its program standards are hopelessly below par and will remain so unless the city appropriates a million dollars a year for talent. The station, furthermore, is not being used entirely for broadcasting FRANK A. ARNOLD Mr. Arnold recently joined the National Broadcasting Company as director of development. For the past nine years he has been an officer in the Frank Seaman advertising agency. His work in the N. B. C. will present an interesting opportunity to combine his experience with visual mediums with radio — the aural medium purposes; its point-to-point communication for broadcasting police alarms is misuse of the broadcasting band. Stations weaf and wjz are the acknowledged leaders in the New York area and both deserve a place in the ultimate line-up of stations. The character of programs of weaf and wjz should, however, be more consistently planned to appeal to different audiences. Two similar programs should not be broadcast at the same time by these two or any other two stations in the same area. If extensive curtailment of stations along the lines suggested herein is carried out, every station in a given area should be compelled to formulate a policy appealing to the taste of a special audience. Newark's wor has endeared itself to a large audience, but it should be the only New Jersey representative in the metro politan area. It should absorb wnj, waam, wkbo, and woda, etc., now contributing nothing but congestion to the situation. Each of these stations is struggling under the handicap of interference and lack of prestige. Their absorption by wor would be most desirable from every standpoint, including that of the persons now paying the bills for their maintenance. Stations wabc and wgbs now share the same channel and might profitably be combined in a single station. Broadcaster webj, or one of the others in that frequency region, could readily assimilate wpch, wqao, wmsg, and wbny, in the hope of making one strong station out of the present conglomeration of radio noise which they now thrust into the ether. Or still better, the whole group might better combine forces with wabc and wgbs so that only five major stations of ample resources would be serving the New York area. Likewise the many other smaller stations in the New York area. By consolidation with one of the six they would reach a potential audience of undreamed of proportions compared with the paltry few who now, by virtue of the fact that they reside under the shadow of the individual stations' antennas, are forced to listen to so much — well, blather. There would be no difficulty in securing adequate revenue from commercial broadcasting to make each of these consolidated groups a tip top station. Broadcasting in New York would be so attractive under these improved conditions that the radio audience would double in a year. Punishment for the Defenseless Ether BETWEEN July 1, 1926, and January 15, 1927, 181 new broadcasting stations have been placed in operation, 148 additional stations were under © Harris & Ewing TESTING AT THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS The investigator shown in the illustration is making tests to determine the faults in radio battery jars, by means of polarized light. Part of the equipment employed is shown