AMERICA'S DILEMMA

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 10, 23 September 1927, Page 6

AMERICA'S DILEMMA

TOO MANY STATIONS. New Zealanders cannot realise the extent of the trouble occasioned in the United States through the superabundance of broadcast stations. Recognising the new radio act has failed to prove a panacea for broadcasting ills, a number of memibers of Congrese already are planning to propose amendmeuts. Many radio experts feel that satis factory reception conditions never can be established with the present 697 Stations on the air. For ideal conditions 300 stations are practically the limit, according to this view. . S$ince the Government cannot. arbitrarily cut down the number of stations without confiscating property, a violation of constitutional right, a plan for congressional appropriation of about $10,000,000 (£2,000,000) to buy up the physical equipment of several hundred stations has been suggested. Opponents of this scheme insist that limitation of stations to 300 would immediately set up a dangerous inonopoly; a cry already raised by smaller stations and would-be broadcasters who have not obtained licenses. egal authorities insist that to a certain degree, the commission already has confiscated radio property by placing some of the stations in the lower congested wave bands where their efficiency has been decreased. Several stations which had advertising contracts have complained to the commission that this business has been withdrawn as a result.