Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

ON • THE • INSIDE By K. G. ORMISTON ON April 14th a powwow is scheduled before the Federal Radio Commission on the high-power situation. Examiner Yost suggests that KOA and KPO be allowed 50,000 watts power, along with six other stations scattered over the country. It is expected that some of the other brothers will raise objections, as they may not be satisfied with 25,000 watt assignments suggested for them after they had their hearts set on 50,000. KSL and KGO are the two Western stations who asked for 50,000 and may draw only 25,000. £ The public seems to agree generally that advertising on the radio is overdone. Sometimes listeners get quite rabid about it and write letters to Radio Doings, to the broadcast stations, and even to that august body, the Federal Radio Commission. None of which does a darned bit of good. After years and years of concentration, I've figured out a way to get action on this question. Prof. Lucifer G. Butts worked out the mechanics of the idea. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Here it is in a nutshell — When you hear an otherwise enjoyable radio program ruined by the zeal of an advertising expert, take your pen in hand and write a letter. Not to the radio station, or the commission, or the radio supervisor, or your favorite radio magazine, but to the sponsor of the program Write to the head office of the company that is spending real money in an effort to gain your good will via radio, and tell them they are doing just the opposite. Tell them that you resent the amount or nature of advertising used in their program, and that instead of leaving you in an appreciative frame of mind with nothing but good will for them and their product, the program makes you mad. And that until it is done in better style, you are most certainly not going to buy the company's products. If everybody will do this, it is certain that things will happen pretty fast in rectifying an irksome situation. And then to be consistent, patronize the companies whose programs please you. Give them the preference over concerns and products not advertised by radio. ^ Chief Examiner Ellis Yost recommended to the Federal Radio Commission that station KTNT, Muscatine, Iowa, owned by Norman Baker, be denied license renewal, on the ground that Baker operates the station as an adjunct to his personal business and that it therefore fails to serve the public interest, convenience or necessity. While the Commission has no powers of censorship, it has found that under the law it may refuse license to any station which does not meet the test prescribed in the "public interest" clause. K. G. ORMISTON It exercised this right in the case of KFKB, Milford, Kansas, and the Court of Appeals upheld the decision. With the basic soundness of their attitude established by the higher court, the commissioners will, no doubt, apply the "yardstick" which the law gives them to other cases wherein it appears that a station is operated for the private and selfish interests of individuals. £ DX fans will remember hearing WTIC running late test programs on WEAF's channel last month. Possibly they wondered at the time what WTIC was doing on 660 kilocycles, instead of their own 1060 kilocycle channel. The tests were in connection with some synchronization experiments which have resulted in regular synchronized service between stations WEAF, WTIC, WJZ and WBAL. WTIC and WBAL have long quarreled with the commission for forcing them to share time on one channel, and have been endeavoring to work out a plan which would result in each station enjoying full time privileges. At present, WTIC operates simultaneously with WEAF on 660 Kc. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while WBAL holds forth in 1060. WBAL operates simultaneously with WJZ on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, while WTIC keeps things hot on the old common property channel. And now everybody is happy, providing the synchronization works out alright. RADIO DOINGS Page Thirty