Mr. MAY. Relative to starting suits, it is my understanding that there have been a number of threats of suit and in almost every case where some one employed counsel and was ready to start a suit they were given something so they would drop the case. I might mention WGL in New York City. I understand there was something said about that in WBBR.

Senator DILL. How definite is your information?

Mr. MAY. I talked with WGL. At the time I had my original hearing in Washington they were coming down to Washington every day. They finally threatened to file suit. That was no more than done than they were given a decent wave, and they quit finally. Senator DILL. Was there anything wrong in that?

Mr. MAY. I maintain that the commission has not been very anxious to try this thing in the court.

Senator DILL. You do not mean that there was anything corrupt in that action?

Mr. MAY. No; but if I really wanted something and I should go to the court and start an action I might get something, although the costs are so high I could not spend the money. There is not enough money in this thing. That is just my opinion. I am not accusing anybody, but that is my opinion, that if I should come to the District of Columbia with a corps of lawyers and plenty of witnesses and with a nice pocket full of money and start a suit on this Federal radio act I would go away with a nice wave length. I can not do it and the radio trust can. That is where this thing is very unfair. If it could have been tried in my own State, I would have tried it because we have talked with the Federal judges and they are all willing to go into it.

The CHAIRMAN. You have already talked to the judges about it? Mr. MAY. I mean as to whether it was possible for us to get an injunction, and they all told us it was possible if we could show the facts. There was no need of submitting anything, because it would be impossible to get an injunction owing to the fact that the law says we could not have an injunction issue.

Senator DILL. I may say that certain members of the committee believed, when the law was under consideration, that it was not constitutional to permit these cases to be brought in the District courts. That is why the matter was stricken out.

The CHAIRMAN. Are there any further questions of Mr. May? If not, shall we meet at 2 o'clock?

Senator COUZENS. I move that we adjourn until 2 o'clock.
The CHAIRMAN. We will adjourn now until 2 o'clock p. m.

(Thereupon, at 12.15 o'clock p. m., a recess was taken until 2 o'clock p. m.)

AFTER RECESS

The committee resumed at 2 o'clock p. m., at the expiration of the

recess.

The CHAIRMAN. Is Mr. Norman Baker present? [A pause, without response.] Is anybody else present who wishes to be heard in opposition to the confirmation of the members of the Federal Radio Commission?

Mr. STENGLE. I wish to be heard on the other side of the question after the opposition is through.

The CHAIRMAN. In favor of the confirmation?

Mr. STENGLE. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. We are not ready for that yet. Does anybody else want to appear in opposition?

Senator WHEELER. Here comes Mr. Baker now.

STATEMENT OF NORMAN BAKER, OWNER OF STATION KTNT, MUSCATINE, IOWA

The CHAIRMAN. Tell the committee your name, where you live, and what is your business.

Mr. BAKER. My name is Norman Baker, Muscatine, Iowa. I am the owner and operator of station KTNT.

The CHAIRMAN. I understand you say it is TNT?

Mr. BAKER. Those are the last three initials of it, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Now, Mr. Baker, you may proceed with any statement you have to make.

M. BAKER. Well, first, Senators, I want to acquaint you with who and what we are, because during my testimony I want to try and show evidence of discrimination and prejudice and incompetency.

First, here is a picture of KTNT radio station with one of the Sunday crowds. Here is another picture of our transmitter, the first one, in 1925. Our new 10,000-watt transmitter is not shown. Here is a photograph of one of our main broadcasting rooms. These two photographs going more or less together give you an idea of one of our Sunday crowds. We claim we are the greatest radio station in the United States for visitors, having 135,000 visitors in 17 visiting Sundays, including two holidays.

Senator BLACK. Where is that?

Mr. BAKER. Muscatine, Iowa. When I say we claim the record for crowds, I mean of any one station drawing crowds in any one single city. This picture shows outside broadcasting.

Senator COUZENS. How long have you been in existence?

Mr. BAKER. We started construction in 1924. Here is a picture of the studio. Here is an airplane view. Here is a view of the studio overlooking this situation here. Here are some more crowds. I never expected to bring these photographs until the last moment, and therefore I did not get to bring photographs of all parts of it.

KTNT is one of the few stations offering a complete daytime service

The CHAIRMAN (interposing). Let me ask you a few preliminary questions: When did you establish this station?

Mr. BAKER. When did I establish it?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Mr. BAKER. We started in in 1914 to build the foundation. But I intend to give you the entire history.

The CHAIRMAN. You are going to lead up to that?

Mr. BAKER. Yes, sir. I want to establish the fact in your mind that we have a real radio station. That is the main thing, and the service that we are giving to our community.

The CHAIRMAN. Very well; go ahead.

Mr. BAKER. KTNT is one of the few stations offering a complete daytime service. The programs begin daily at 6 a. m. The early morning programs include a short religious service with the reading of a daily thought and the singing and playing of sacred hymns. So popular is this service that practically no music is rendered except the numbers requested by listeners, and it is frequently impossible to include all of the numbers requested. From 2 or 3 to as many as 15 or 20 long-distance calls and telegrams are received each morning on the early program, not to mention hundreds of letters of praise.

At 7 o'clock daily there is a program of menu suggestions for the day. Great cooperation from our listeners is evidenced, many suggested helps being received.

At 8.45 a. m. KTNT gives a daily health talk prepared by the attending physician of the Tangley Institute. These talks have covered such subjects as the care and feeding of infants, the control of flies and mosquitos, dental hygiene, home sanitation, and special talks on various diseases, their symptoms and control measures. These talks are of the highest ethical and educational value and are never commercialized.

At 9.15 each morning we have a review of the news-news items, weather forecasts, market reports, etc.

At 10 a. m., daily, KTNT features the cook book. This is undoubtedly the most popular program for housewives in America. The public is invited to submit tried recipes which are woven into cooking talks of educational nature. Our files now contain over 50,000 recipes sent in by listeners, and of this number about half have not yet been included in the daily programs for lack of time. It is not unusual to have four to five hundred favorable-comment letters on this feature in one day's mail.

At noon KTNT gives a lunch-hour musical program.

From 2 to 5 p. m., daily, KTNT gives a varied program of music and educational features, including fashion talks, style news, household hints, gardening talks, and talks on poultry keeping.

During the daytime schedules the musical numbers include vocal, piano, calliaphone, guitar, saxaphone, and orchestra selections supplied by regular studio staff members. Visiting musicians are frequently heard, and it is a common practice to have visiting talent appearing on the lunch-hour programs.

The evening program from KTNT are listed so far as possible on the program schedule attached. The following elaboration may be

of value:

On Monday evening the owner of the station, Mr. Norman Baker, always delivers a talk upon some question of the day. Usually Mr. Baker's talks appeal particularly to farmers and the laboring men for the reason that KTNT is definitely aligned with the farmer and laborer on matters of economic interest. In the radio audience Mr. Baker's talks are awaited eagerly all over the land, and if conditions cause interference on Monday nights, we frequently receive complaints of nonreception from every State in the Union.

Daffy and Gloomy are a popular comedy team that have a tremendous following. They give a one-hour program on Friday evenings that is one of the attractions in thousands of homes. Their songs are almost entirely request numbers, and so numerous

are their requests that they frequently can only sing choruses of them.

Tang and Lee are a team of harmony singers specializing in ballads and popular airs. Their programs are also governed largely by popular request.

The Plough Shoe Cronies are a group of old time fiddlers, and one of the most highly praised of our studio groups among the farmers of the middle west.

A regular feature of each evening's program is the Supper Hour and News Review program beginning at 6.30. On this program we give the day's news, the grain and stock markets, the weather forecast, the sports news and other items of interest to the farm folks who do not have access to the daily papers until they are a day old. This program is one of the most frequently praised of all our programs and farmers especially protest vigorously if anything is allowed to interfere with it. During this program the Farmers' Union of Iowa gives a daily message along some line of their educational work for farm betterment.

For the most part, our evening musical programs are supplied by visiting talent. The programs are always varied. It is fixed policy of our station never to permit an entire program by one or a group of artists rendering similar selections. The variety nature of KTNT programs has resulted from popular demand.

KTNT is the only broadcasting station using the Calliaphone. This instrument is an adaptation of the old steam calliope and the modern pipe organ. It introduces a little of the metallic into the organ tone. As a solo instrument, as a background for the piano, violin, orchestra, or human voice, the Calliaphone supplies a new and distinctly beautiful tone which is extremely popular. Some comment adverse to the Calliaphone may come from people in Muscatine where the Calliaphone is built. That is natural because of the fact that the tuning and testing of the instruments is naturally tiresome when heard constantly, but the Calliaphone is the center of interest among the throngs of visitors at the station, and our comment files are filled with expressions of approval of this beautiful novelty. Attached are many representative comment letters on KTNT program features.

KTNT is known as the most beautiful station in America. This name has been given it by many visitors who have inspected the studios and the studio park. The same appellation is frequently used in press comment by writers who visit KTNT.

This station is situated on a high bulff overlooking the Mississippi River and the Illinois lands beyond. The bluff rises 165 feet above the river and stands on the eastern border of the city of Muscatine. From the studio hill one looks westward down over the city of Muscatine.

KTNT studio park is approximately equivalent to two city square blocks in area, and is elaborately landscaped. The plans and plantings of the grounds were made at a cost of $2,000.

KTNT studios occupy a 12-room building of hollow tile, white stucco construction. The architecture is of Moorish-Egyptian style. The building contains the large, ornate reception hall; two studios; artists' waiting room and lounge; two transmitter rooms; generator

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room; music file room; boiler room; and on the second floor two elaborate parlors. In recessed frames in the walls are hung original oil and pastel paintings of great value. The main studio is hung with corduroy velvet hangings in wisteria and rose tints. The equipment includes two Baldwin pianos, the built-in Calliaphone; the usual music files and equipment; an Orthophonic Victrola with records. The music files contain an almost perfect library of the world's standard and popular music, as well as a large library of literature from which material is drawn for special programs for national holidays or other events when speakers or artists require special material.

KTNT generators are especially mounted to eliminate vibration. They occupy a special room and are of the most advanced type, capable of developing 36,000 watts. They are operated from the Muscatine municipal lighting and power plant.

The KTNT transmitter is of 10,000-watt capacity. It was constructed in our own plant by our engineers under the direction of Mr. Carl Menzer, engineer in charge of the station WSUI of the University of Iowa. The transmitter rooms also contain battery sets for emergency use as well as necessary equipment for maintaining the station.

The antenna towers of steel are 125 feet in height. A T antenna and counterpoise system is used. Towers, studio building, and grounds are all flood lighted.

KTNT studio has a replacement value of $135,000. It is the nucleus around which the Baker industries are built, which industries have a net worth approaching a half million dollars and which will handle a cash turnover this year of approximately $1,000,000.

Attached hereto are a series of pictures and photographs showing views of KTNT. Some of the photos show portions of the crowds that visit the studio. The daily attendance is in the neighborhood of 500 to 1,000. The Sunday and holiday visitors number from 5,000 to 20,000. On the Sundays and holidays since June 1, up to and including Sunday, October 23, KTNT entertained a total of more than 150,000 visitors, which is, we believe, the greatest number of visitors enjoyed by any radio station in America, and attests the high esteem in which KTNT is held.

Senator COUZENS. What is the source of revenue for the station? Mr. BAKER. When I first started to build my station my thought was that my revenue would come—well, first, I am the inventor and manufacturer of the Calliaphone, and it is known as the first new tone that has been heard for 40 years from a keyboard or blowing instrument, and I naturally thought it would be a wonderful thing to show the new tone on the air, and my revenue would come from sales of the instrument. But it did not work out that way. In the past year, 1927, following the refusal

The CHAIRMAN (interposing). But you have not answered the question. Where do you get your money?

Mr. BAKER. That is what we thought we would get it from; but it did not work out, and then we started in selling a complete line of merchandise, and we started out in the morning by announcing some special things. But some two weeks ago we inaugurated a different plan. Our program is a little bit different now than when that article was prepared. We start now at 6 o'clock in the