THE KING’S SPEECH TO BE BROADCAST.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3383, 18 July 1927, Page 7

THE KING’S SPEECH TO BE BROADCAST.

The ether, which was popularly supposed until recent times merely to be occupying the empty spaces of the universe, will soon be calling for an eighthour day, for it is being made to work longer and longer hours. In spite of a certain non-success ip long-distance transmission of speech, an attempt is to be made in July to broadcast the King’s solo on the 33 bells of the new carillon in Ottawa Parliament Buildings. It is true that King George will manipulate the electric mechanism in London which will set the bells ringing in Canada, and it is only the sound of the bells which is to be broadcast to the world and for which arrangements have been made to listen-in effectively in all parts of the Empire. We are this week specially interested in the question of world-wide broadcasting because of the attempt made without success to relay to listeners-in here the Duke of York’s speech at the opening of Canberra. The experiment was, of coutse, a very difficult one and it was spoilt by the unfavourable atmospheric conditions, but it is alleged that the margin between failure and success was very small. At 1.45 p.m. (five minutes, according to British summer time, after the Duke and Duchess of York reached the Parliament Building), Mr J. A. Partridge, the engineer in charge of the 8.8.C. listening post at Keaton, picked up a faint carrier wave, on which, five minutes later, sounds of speech and music could just bo heard. Deception, however, was too weak to be developed, and it cannot be stated definitely that the transmission was that from Australia.

The short-wave experiments of Daventry leave little doubt that the problem of Empire broadcasting will speedily be solved and a fitting occasion for another test will be seized seven or eight weeks hence, when Canada celebrates her Diamond Jubilee. On short waves it should be possible to relay this transmission through 8.8.C. stations. But a still more striking experiment might be undertaken in the direction of a two-way broadcast. Thus a speech by the King might be broadcast from London to Canada, and the ringing of the Jubilee carillon broadcast from Canada to Great Britain, other parts of the Empire, if possible, picking up both transmissions. As an example of what has already been achieved we might add that there is a Londoner in the Himalayas who tries regularly to hear the midnight chimes of Big Ben travelling over the thousands of miles from Daventry. Ho says that if ho hears the chimes but once in every six attempts he feels well rewarded for his trouble.

In .South Africa there have been very few recorded instances of a reception of a 8.8.C. transmission, while in Australia, except for a short relay by an amateur under exceptional circumstances, there has never been any reception. In both these great Dominions the American 2 XAF is relied on regularly, for relay by local stations, while a Dutch 30 metre station is also being received at great strength. It is assorted by a wireless expert here that if we had a short wave station the outlay would be repaid to us a thousandfold by the pleasure we should give to the mirrisons of these outposts of Empire. It may be argued, he says, that the 8.8.C. have no powers under their charter cither to commence or operate such a service, but most of us, keen though we arc on economics in the public service, would not begrudge part of the Post Office share in the license fee, while the 8.8.C. would probably bo able to supply the programmes, and possibly even the accommoadtion for the station, say at Daventry, at a low cost.