CO-OPERATION IN GERMANY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20274, 27 June 1931, Page 10

CO-OPERATION IN GERMANY.

big companies unite. PERMANENT BUREAU ESTABLISHED. 1

During the first days of broadcasting there was very little co-operation between the various Gorman broadcasting companies. There were various groups of transmitters, but no consolidated German broadcasting corporation. It was, however, realised that better co-operation was essentia], but there was the possibility that the listeners in tho various parts of the country would not care for ,the programmes which were not specially compiled for them. On February Ist, 1926, the same programme was broadcast via all German transmitters. This was the programme of the West German Broadcasting Company on the occasion of the evacuation of occupied territory. In June, 1926, the managers of all the German broadcasting companies met to discuss whether co-opera-tion would be possible. At first the results were rather poor, but gradually the conditions became more favourable, until in Berlin a permanent bureau was established, which dealt with all matters concerning co-operation in broadcasting. This office also kept in close touch with the "Reichsrundfunkgesellschaft." Tho secretary of this bureau is Dr. F. K. Duske, who was formerly conductor of an orchestra at Leipzig. Gradually the bureau has secured a fairly independent and responsible position. Occasionally there are meetings of the programme committee, which consists of the managers of the broadcasting companies. The resolutions taken at these meetings are further worked out by the permanent bureau at Berlin. . The principal task of tho programme committee is to see that important programmes are brpadcast as much as possible by German transmitters. The Danzig transmitter and the Austrian transmitters are also included; the managing board the Danzig transmitter and the Eavag is also represented in tho programme committee. Variety of Programmes. Care is taken that several important programmes are never broadcast simul- j taneously by the various German) stations, as the listeners would then miss one or more of these transmissions. Care is also taken that the various broadcasting companies do not have the same items on their programme during the ' same week. If this is not tho case, the | programme is changed when possible. All matters concerning the international ; exchange of programmes are dealt with by the programme committee. Important results are already being obtained in this direction, for instance the broadcasting of the Peace Conference at tho Hague, the London Disarmament Conference, and bo on. The programme committee also attends to tho compilation of the programmes of tho Deutschlandsender at KonigswusterhauSon. This la done in co-operation with the two Benin broadcasting companies: Deutche Welle and Berliner Funkstunde. The gramo'phone records of all the : German transmitters are supplied by the permanent bureau of the programme committee. For this purposo there are large record-archives in Berlin. i There are also archives of radio-plays, : which lend manuscripts to all the broadcasting companies. ' VALUE OF SHORTWAVE. EUROPEAN PROGRAMMES. Short-wave reception is without doubt an absorbing interest of tno confirmed radio enthusiast. Effective tuning in to distant short-wave stations is in itself an art, demanding no ! -le degree of practised skill and a thorough j understanding of the technique and ] capabilities of wireless apparatus. Increasing interest in short-wave is widespread. It is due abroad to the rebroadcastmg of European programmes and the increase in the numbers of short-wave stations in America The activities of the New Zealand Short-Wave Club bear ample testimony to the number of enthusiasts in New Zealand This growing interest has induced radio manufacturers to ■ incorporate additional features in their sets to,cater for the sliort-wavo. field Some of the pioneer efforts in wis connexion have been undertaken in the. laboratories of manufacturers. There is, for instance, the device for making a 'powerful short-wave superheterodyne of any broadcast receiver with , the least possible trouble. This device—the short-wave oonverter—will probably be one of the outstanding improvements ot the year For connexion it is necessary merely to remove the antenna lead from the broadcast receiver and connect to the antenna part of tho converter •, then ] run two leads from the converter to - the antenna and ground post of. the < broadcast set. Every bit of sensitivity ] and selectivity, possessed in thef broad- < cast receiver contributes to the short 1 • wave performance giving results never , before achieved. Tuning is operated ; by a single dial, which tunes the oscil- ( latins; circuit and an auxiliarv midget , condenser. Generation is greatlv sim- ■ plified by tho absence of any critical regenerative control. This is an ingenious service indeed, and one which will, be welcomed by every, radio en- ! thusiast. ; RADIO MUSICUSE AS A BACKGROUND. Probably for tlie same reason that conversation in a restaurant or hotel is stimulated, and not hampered, by the music of a judiciously placed orchestra, some people use their radio sets for that purpose It is amazing, but nevertheless true, that they will turn on their sets and almost shout to. carry on a conversation simultaneously and then, at the end of the evening, they wonder why it has not been altogether a success *' It may be noted that radio music is being used as a background, also, for all sorts of household activities, even to reading, but in these instances the sets are not adjusted to give maximum -loud-speaker strength, but merely strong enough to obtain the background effect.