TELEVISION STILL EXPERIMENTAL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22355, 19 March 1938, Page 7

TELEVISION STILL EXPERIMENTAL

OBSTACLE OF DISTANCE TRANSMISSION

VIEWS OF AMERICAN RADIO AUTHORITY

[THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, March 18,

Television in the home will not be general for some years to come, according to Major-General James J. Harbord, chairman of the board ot directors of the Radio Corporation of America, who was a through passenger for Sydney by the Monterey. Major-General Harbord said that television was in a purely experimental stage, and not ready for presentation to the masses., because of inability to overcome distance restrictions.

“Programmes can be received within arrange of only about 40- miles from the station of origin, and it is as yet impossible to syndicate broadcasts.” said Major-General Harbord. “Radio interests aim to make it possible to broadcast items over networks of stations as is now done with straight-forward radio programmes, so that millions of people will see and hear features at the same time. “Television is not being developed commercially to avoid putting subscribers to great expense to buy sets that may he completely obsolete within six months,” he continued. “For this reason, the sale of sets is not being pushed. Regular test broadcasts for experimental purposes are carried out from the top of the Empire State Building in New York, and many receiving sets are distributed among experts and capable amateurs to supply reports on transmissions.” Major-General Harbord said there seemed ho prospect that the State would ever take control of radio ownership in America. There were some Government experimental stations, but none that he knew of in any State that was officially controlled. Full use of the radio was made for political addresses and party speakers were privileged with equal time in which to issue their statements. “Congress is not broadcast because members do not want it so,” said Major-General Harbord, who was interested in the New Zealand Government’s scheme of broadcasting Parliament. “I think such broadcasts would serve a good purpose. They would temper the outbursts of speakers' and have a sobering effect on them. Knowing that he was publishing his remarks to the world, a man would not get up and make a fool of himself with half-baked statements,” he .'concluded. * *

Accompanied by his secretary, Mr E. S. Colling, Major-General; Harbo d will remain in Australia uhtih April 21, when he will leave on- a /trip to Java before returning to America.