R.I. Radio Station Interfering With WHRB Reception

Two radio stations have found themselves out-blaring each other at 550, the first station on your dial, since the beginning of the school year.

Said the FCC when informed that licensed station WPAW and unlicensed station WHRB were sharing the same spot and causing a little reception problem: "That's too bad."

And therefore WHRB is going to have to make some alterations.

It seems that Pawtucket network WPAW decided to switch from a wavelength of 1030 to 550 during the summer. When students returned to Cambridge and turned their radio sets to the College network, they occasionally discovered classical music coming in with jazz overtones, jazz coming in with a news commentator's monotone, and newscasts coming in just plain incomprehensible.

But WPAW enjoys an FCC license and will continue to operate over the 550 wavelength with as much volume as it pleases. WHRB, on the other hand, is unlicensed and limited to a certain range, and can register no gripes with the FCC because of interference.

According to the College network chief technician, Augustus J. Fabens '53, the reception problem is only a slight one and has come up in very few places in the University.

The solution is easy enough. WHRB will strengthen its signals in the trouble spots, and that should clear up difficulties.

But if the Pawtucket network should get any louder, the College station will have to move on to another wavelength.