OVER the AERIAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 222, 19 September 1930, Page 14

OVER the AERIAL

Beam wireless signals travel at the Ate'of 156,000 miles per second,, and the sending apparatus handles the messages at the rate of 1250 letters per minute.

The IYA broadcasting Choir will contribute to the local programme on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday the Orpheus Musical Club will make an initial: appearance in the studio.

In reply to a request from the Wellington Radio Society, the Prime Minister has indicated that he will do whatever is possible to forward the proposal for the establishment of an all-Empire short-wave broadcasting station- in Britain.

The perennial question of copyright is again to the fore. In Dunedin recently an enthusiastic public meeting decided upon an endeavour to find some means of meeting the demands upon the B class stations made by the Australasian Copyright Association. The opinion was, expressed that it was unfair to expect the B class stations to provide amusement and also pay copyright fees.

Listeners have thoroughly enjoyed the songs rendered at IYA by Mr. Rex Harrison this week. His interpretation of "The Prologue" on Tuesday was particularly fine. Mr. Harrison is an old Canterbury boy, who has spent several years in Sydney, where he has appeared frequently before the microphone. On Sunday evening he will render a programme of seven items from IYA. It is to bo hoped that the Broadcasting Company will make a regular and frequent practice of engaging artists of Mr. Harrison's calibre for performances at its four stations.

' It will be seen that a message of 125 code words could be in London one miiiute after transmission commenced in Australia. A*certain .amount of electrical energy flows through telephone receivers connected to a crystal set tuned in to a broadcast concert, ibutv it is a mighty email quantity. The entries for the song-writing competition promoted by the Dramatic and Musical Committee at IYA close on Friday next. A prize of two guineas is offered for words only. The new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, now under construction in New York, will have over two thousand rooms, each equipped with receiving apparatus which will >: enable an occupant to receive, at will, any of six regular programme ser-

You would want ten million crystal seta operating fairly efficiently to provide sufficient electricity to illuminate a small living room. I am assuming, of course, that the sets wove the average distance of about eight miles from broadcasting stations (says G. V. Dowding, in " Popular Wireless ").

The greatest long-distance direct telegraph service in the world,. the Beam service, is operated entirely without,retransmission or It is by far the most , speedy method of communication yet devised, the speed of working being limited only by the mechanical limitations of the manipulating and recording instruments at each terminal.

This is the month during which the annual Radio Fair is held in New York. Full particulars of the latest types of sets.to.be exhibited are not yet- available, but the majority of manufacturers are apparently concentrating upon superheterodyne, nine valve receivers including three screen-grid valves. A standard radio-ixequency set, with seven valves, also three screen-grid, is the' general alternative.

Long distance re-broadcasting has not yet reached the stage of real dependability, as many hundreds of yachting enthusiasts in New Zealand • are now convinced. Disappointment at absence of satisfactory reception spread over both Australia and New Zealand. Experiences of this type indicate something of the problems that will have to be faced in the establishmen of an allEmpire short-wave service.

WIRELESS NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By "PHONOS.")

RELAY STATIONS. No official information is yet available as to the date of opening of the new relay station at Newcastle, or when the additional stations are to be erected at Rockhampton and in the Albury district. Before his departure for London the Prime Minister (Mr. Scullm) announced that he had directed an investigation to be made as to whether contracts for relay stations not then actually placed overseas could be reviewed and tenders invited for the manufacture of the apparatus in Australia. Members of the Federal Labour party are, iu is understood, pressing the Ministry to have the additional orders placcd in Australia so as to give employment to Australians. The Postmaster-General (Mr. Lyons) has informed the Radio and Telephone Manufacturers' Association, of Sydney, that the question of future contracts for relay stations, as well as the reconsideration of contracts already' placed for this work with overSea firms, has been referred to a subcommittee of the Federal Cabinet with a request for an early report to Cabinet on the matter. v "■

FROM SYDNEY NEXT WEEK,

Sunday.—2FC: 9.30, a concert pro-. I gramme arranged oy Ted Hcnkel. 2BL: 9.30/' the .Metropolitan Band; 10.10, Miss Etta, Field; 10.34, Mayne Linton in monologues. Monday. —2FC: 9.30, excerpts from "Rigoletto," arranged by Madame Grieg. 2BL: 10.0, wrestling i - elay from the Stadium. ; Tuesday.—2FC: Dance programme till 12.30. Alf. Lawrence and Nell Crane provide humorous interludes. 2BL: Chamber music recital by Alexander Sjervensky, Clinton Williams and Mona Deutscher. . Wednesday.—2 FC: 9 30, Concert by the Musical Association of N.S.W.; 11.IS, "The Village Green/' a song playlet. 2BL: A relay from 3LO, "The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly," mnaical comedy, in which the ex-Auckland artists Madolinij Knight and Lois Evans will appear. Thursday— 2FC: 0 30, "The Beloved Vagabond," arranged on W. J. Locke's novel. 2BL: 9.30, popular night from Ashfield, with Charles Lawrence in charge. . Friday.—2FC: 9.30, the A.B.C, orchestra and assisting artists in a studio programme. SBL: !).30. studio programme, with Jack Lumsdaine. Saturday.—2FC; Phci Mosmnn Musi . cal Society's concert. 2BL: 9.30, Alf. Lawrence and Nell Crane; 10.0, boxing relay. ■ .

BROADCAST REVENUE.

Considering the difference in population, Australia is not so very much behind Great Britain so far as revenue from broadcast listeners' licenses is concerned. Tlie gross revenue for Australia for the twelve months ended June 30 was approximately £300,000. Brititsh listeners turned in £1,550,000 during the same period. It must be borne in mind, however, that the British license fee is 10/, while in Australia 24/ has to be paid.

IMPROVING "B" STATIONS. At a conference of leading representatives of "B" stations held in Sydney within the week it was decided that efforts should be made to improve the efficiency and popularity of the different "B" class stations. The transmitting and studio equipment of most of these stations is to be improved. A system of co-ordination and interstate relays has been agreed upon so as to ensure better and more varied programmes. Arrangements have been made for the relay of programmes between Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane with a provision, where practicable, for the transmission of the programme to the Perth "B" station by short-wave radio, as land lines for this purpose are not available between Adelaide and Perth. Individual "B" stations have made commitments for programmes costing over £100 per night of three hours. Such expenditure has been made practicable by the system of inter-station 'co-ordination and co-operation. By these means the "B" stations will be keen competitors with the "A" stations for popularity with listeners.

FINALITY AT LAST.

One- by, one:, the obstacles. which have stood in- the;; way ,of v the; establishment of Empire -have 'beeniover-; come, until, now we learn .that the last excuse-forJ delay, 'namely;-the-problem of ■ funds,''.has . been solved \ by the Colonial ... Conference. We understand (says the "Wireless World") that the establishment and maintenance of an Empire short-wave station at an approximate cost of £23,000 has been agreed to, the cost to be borne by the Colonial Office, which: will-also be responsible for the maintenance of the station, while the 8.8.C. will staff the station and conduct the transmissions.

The British Broadcasting Corporation, it will be remembered, had recently expressed their willingness to run the station, provided that out-of-pocket expenses were met, and it is theiefore assumed that the sum now agreed upon: to be furnished by the - Colonial Office is intended to cover these out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the erection and maintenance of the station. Reutci s ,News Agency, we understand, has been approached, and has agreed to provide a special news service for the Empire station at an'annual cost off*£3ooo to be involved,, as ther 8.8.C. has undertaken to relay its programmes ■ day. by day.

' This is exceedingly welcome news, and, since the final decisions have.now been taken, there should- be no further -delay in - the establishment of the .station. - The transmitter will in • all probability be erected in the neighbourhood of Daventry, in.-proximity to the existing BB C. stations there. As soon as the station is erected it will no doubt take -tffcr the service at present being conducted through SSW at . Chelmsford. Just how long it will be before the station is ready for servico must largely depend upon the enthusiasm shown by the 8.8.C., but in view of the. generous attitude which they recently adopted toward the scheme as soon as they learnt that it:-had strong support from the 'representatives'; of the colonies meeting in London, we do' not think .that. v the period , for the erection and' inauguration of the station is likely to be prolonged.

Twenty-four Hour. Programme*? I We have previously • been informed that the aim of the 8.8.C.,' in the: event ! of;, funds, for the cost of the-station I vjjelig-provided,. Would-be-to'conduct a f twenty-four hour service. Just how thig is .: going to be arranged 'is not clear at * .present, but no- doubt \ the c 8.8.C. .will find'-' some moans of overcoming any difficulty in the way of'conducting such a continuous .transmission.' Wo -may per- , haps expect that the first efforts in thig direction may take; the; form of recording the day's programme- and re-broad-casting from, the record during the night hours. Such an arrangement'would provide the 24 hours' continuous programme * ' ' and enable listeners in all parts of the world to participate. How unanimous " must have been the support given to Empire broadcasting by the Colonial Conference is indicated by;the fact that it, is understood that the question will not be raised again at the Imperial Conference, as. it is considered-, that*the matter has been virtually settled. •- After so many years of hoping and urging for the establishment of an ': Empire service, it is intensely gratify, ing to learn -.that the accomplishment- of this ideal ■ now approaches fulfilment. : The value of an Empire .broadcasting service can scarcely be' overestimated, . ; ! and perhaps ho more.. opportune tiriie' - - ' could be found for inaugurating such a service , than the present, when so much attention is focussed upon Imperial issues and the need for close co-opera-tion in Empire trade.