The Department of Commerce has for some years urgently presented the
necessity for further legislation in order to protect radio listeners from
interference between broadcasting stations and to carry out other
regulatory functions. Both branches of Congress at the last session passed
enactments intended to effect such regulation, but the two bills yet remain
to be brought into agreement and final passage.
Due to decisions of the courts, the authority of the department under the
law of 1912 has broken down; many more stations have been operating than
can be accommodated within the limited number of wave lengths available;
further stations are in course of construction; many stations have departed
from the scheme of allocation set down by the department, and the whole
service of this most important public function has drifted into such chaos
as seems likely, if not remedied, to destroy its great value. I most
urgently recommend that this legislation should be speedily enacted.
I do not believe it is desirable to set up further independent agencies in
the Government. Rather I believe it advisable to entrust the important
functions of deciding who shall exercise the privilege of radio
transmission and under what conditions, the assigning of wave lengths and
determination of power, to a board to be assembled whenever action on such
questions becomes necessary. There should be right of appeal to the courts
from the decisions of such board. The administration of the decisions of
the board and the other features of regulation and promotion of radio in
the public interest, together with scientific research, should remain in
the Department of Commerce. Such an arrangement makes for more expert, more
efficient, and more economical administration that an independent agency or
board, whose duties, after initial stages, require but little attention, in
which administrative functions are confused with semijudicial functions and
from which of necessity there must be greatly increased personnel and
expenditure.