WASHINGTON, April 15.—Oral arguments on behalf of radio stations in Charlotte, N. C., and Tulsa, Okla., were presented today at the Federal Radio commission's hearings to determine assignments of high power privileges on the various cleared channels.
The commission's chief examiner, Ellis A. Yost, has recommended that stations WSM, Nashville, and WSB, Atlanta, be given the available assignments for use of 50,000 watts in power in the third zone. The arguments today were in opposition to this recommendation.
CHARLOTTE'S CLAIMS.
Thomas F. Littlepage, representing station WBT, Charlotte, said that there was no station south of the Mason and Dixon line better equipped than WBT to render the most efficient service to the greatest number of people.
Charlotte, Littlepage said, is centrally located to serve an area of 5,000,000 inhabitants. The station is owned by the Columbia Broadcasting company and 60 per cent of its programs are chain programs, he said.
Littlepage said that the Columbia Broadcasting system planned to make WBT an outstanding station modeled after WABC in New York. Charlotte is in a better position to serve the south than either Atlanta or Nashville, the attorney said.
BLACKWOOD'S PRAISE.
Calling attention to testimony at previous hearings, Littlepage quoted from the testimony of Governor Blackwood of South Carolina, who said that the area of North Carolina and South Carolina between Greensboro and Seneca was perhaps the most populous section of the entire south.
"Whatever will improve Charlotte," the governor said at that time, "will improve the whole of South Carolina and North Carolina."
WSB STATEMENT.
Frank Scott, representing WSB, Atlanta, urged high-power assignments be given all the southern applicants. He said that while WSB seemed to be in a preferred situation because of the Yost recommendation, it would be glad to see high-power made available throughout the south because of troublesome atmospheric conditions' which make reception difficult even under the best circumstances.
Should the commission refuse the blanket high power allocations, however, he asked consideration of the qualifications of WSB for selection ahead of the other applicants.