Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Page Twenty-two RADIO DOINGS January, 1931 WITH THE C€HMII/I€N Twenty Stations on Probation Pending further investigation of eharges of irregularities, twenty broadcast stations, cited for alleged violations of regulations, were granted extensions of licenses until December ? 1st by the Federal Radio Commission. Two of these stations are on the Pacific Coast: KMPC of Beverly Hills, Calif., and KEPS of Portland, Ore. KGAR, Tucson, Arizona, also is on probation, and the examiners have definitely recommended that this station be refused further renewal cn December 3 1 . KJR Wins Fight for Channel The KJR-KOMO-KVI controversy which has been waging for some time in the Northwest, has been finally settled by the Federal Radio Commission. It will be remembered that Judge Sykes held court in Seattle last June in this case. Under the decision announced December 1 2th, KJR will remain on 970 kilocycles and has been granted permission to install on RCA 5000 watt transmitter. The application cf KOMO for 15,000 watts on 970 kilocycles was denied, and this station will remain on 920 kilocycles. * * * Lafount Opposes Channels for Education Only The apportionment of certain hours on commercial broadcasting stations for educational purposes under the direction of the Federal government would be preferable to the setting aside of 15 per cent of the channels for educational stations in the opinion of Radio Commissioner Harold A. Lafount. "If every station, including the great nation-wide networks, were required to contribute an hour and fifteen minutes each day, the demands of education might be cared for admirably and nation-wide coverage guaranteed," he said. The assignment of 1 5 per cent of the broadcasting channels to education would be unwise economically and technically, he believes. This plan, he said, would not cover the nation as effectively as the scheme he proposes. Moreover, the granting of certain channels to educational interests would bring similar demands from other groups and organizations. * * * More Equalization Plans Advanced The Federal Radio Commissioners are unanimously agreed that something should be done about the unequal distribution of broadcasting facilities, but they are at a loss as to which of the three plans proposed by themselves should be adopted. Mai. Gen. Charles McK. Saltzman, chairman, and Judge E. O. Sykes have come forward with suggestions following proposals by Judge Ira E. Robinson, former chairman, and Commissioner William D. L. Starbuck. Judge Sykes' plan is, in fact, an indorsement of the scheme offered by Judge Robinson, while Commissioner Harold A. Lafount has approved Chairman Saltzman's idea. The line-up is, therefore, two against two with Starbuck sponsoring an independent plan. Unless the commissioners are playing politics, as some of their critics charge, it is likely that a compromise proposal will be adopted. General Saltzman's suggestion, in brief, is to reduce gradually the "unfit and unworthy" broadcasting stations in the 24 states that are over-quota and at the same time increase the facilities of states that are under-quota. This plan, he believes, will bring about a more equitable distribution of stations, hours, and power "with a minimum of violence or inconvenience to worthy stations now existing." The unfit stations would be eliminated, he suggests, by a strict enforcement of all rules and regulations of the commission. Judge Sykes not only indorses Judge Robinson's plan for increasing the facilities in under-quota states, but also recommends the withdrawal of stations from over-quota states "because of interference which would be created by allocating to under-quota states their quota." He proposes that the Engineering Division of the commission make a thorough study of the broadcasting set-up and prepare a schedule of equal distribution of facilities according to population and area for submission to the commission. Commissioner Starbuck's plan provides for a gradual equalization, first among the Five Zones and then among the respective states. Proper applications from under-quota areas would be accepted, while the over-quota sections would be slowly reduced by mortality. * * * White Would Kill Third of Stations Representative Wallace H. White, of Lewiston, Maine, who, after this session of Congress will move to the Senate, returned to the third session of the Seventy-first Congress with blood in his eye for the Federal Radio Commission. Hardly had the legislative bodies had time to get settled before he introduced a resolution calling for a survey of all broadcasting stations with a view of eliminating from onethird to one-half of them. The proposal was referred to the house committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, of which he is chairman. Giving as his reason for the action that several members of the committee felt that there are too many radio stations, Mr. White criticized the Radio Commission for adding to, rather than reducing, the number of such stations. "Under the original act, it was the belief of the committee that it would give the Federal Radio Commission a chance to cut down the number of radio stations," he said, "but since that time there has been no decrease. "In fact, even where a radio station has 'died,' the Radio Commission has not taken advantage of the opportunity to keep a station off the air but instead has issued licenses to fill the gaps." The "excuse" of the commission that it is "not certain of its power" and consequently is afraid to drive stations off the air, is "not well founded," Mr. White asserted. "There should be a reduction of from one-third to onehalf of the number of stations," he concluded. * * * Advertising Arouses Commissioner's Wrath On the warpath on the subject of too much advertising in the air, Commissioner Ira E. Robinson declared: "Advertising over the radio can be accomplished without disgusting the public, but assuredly it is not so now. If the present overdose continues, no returns from advertising by radio will be received. The method is simply killing the goose that lays the golden egg." Judge Robinson cited the case of a station in Argentina that was barred from the air for eight days because it was broadcasting more than 250 words of advertising between successive numbers.