Radio Row

Another week of the radio controversy has--in a few directions at least --begun to clear the air. The American Telephone and Telegraph Co., in Manhattan, declared that it has not attempted and does not desire a monopoly of broadcasting; that broadcasting should be regulated by the Federal Government; that the company will grant rights under its patents for reasonable compensation to licensed stations; that its suit against WHN (TIME, March 17) was brought solely to protect its patents from infringement. The company also offered to lease its patents during their life to any licensed broadcasting station.

The assumption of this attitude by the A. T. & T. Co., tended to quash several ambitious dreams by minor politicians of coming noisily to the rescue of "the people" against "the monopoly interests." If the A. T. & T. Co. had stated its attitude more clearly at the start, much of the recent tempest in a teapot over the threatened "radio monopoly" might have been avoided.

President Thayer went even further in a recent interview, by stating that the company contemplated retiring from the broadcasting business entirely. "Radio," said he, "is a thing that fell on us. We are in the business of communication, and naturally we have taken a great interest in it and sought to be in a position to take advantage of our opportunities. But we have never had the slightest intention to control broadcasting."