RADIO CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1931, Page 19

RADIO CONTROL

THE 8.8.C. SYSTEM

SUGGESTED AS A MODEL

When considering tho possiblo arrangements for tho control' of broadcasting in New Zealand, the Government has to look for an organisation the primary concern of which will bo the provision of the best possible broadcasting service. There is a wrdospread feeling that a Government department cannot undertake the work successfully. It is very doubtful whether any department wishes to try, but it is certain that no department would succeed in.satisfying the public. The company which has been running the service in New Zealand is in a position of being in reality answerable to nobody. In theory it is subject to ,the personal supervision of the Post-master-Geaeral; bui with overy respect to the man who happens to hold the portfolio, it must be recognised that the Minister, as such, is neither a radio engineer, a programme organiser, nor a musician. He may be hard to satisfy, or he may not. The company has only an indirect interest in increasing its clientele,'. and it cannot be expected to expand its activities casting .its bread freely, upon the waters and seeing it return to the great benefit of the radio industry. Wo may not admire American broadcasting (especially those of us who have never heard it), but we have,.to recognise that the organisation ia stupendous in scale, and that the entertainment, if bad in patches, is also .superb in patches. The bettor stations produce magnificent programmes, and pay magnificently for them. They ido this because it pays. The American stations are run by business men for the sake of the indirect return which they see coming to them, either from the system as a whole, or from their own ..activity in the matter. The British.system was developed on precisely the same principle, except that it began on a co-operative instead of a competitive basis. An organisation like that of the original 8.8.C. is commended for the,attention of all concerned, and the following sketch of its history, as given in the 8.8.C. Year Book, 1930, is of direct interest: <<On 4th May, 1922, the PostmasterGeneral, the Sight. Hon. F. W. Kellaway,iM.P., announced in the House of Commons that he had decided to permit the establishment of a limited number of broadcasting stations, and that to this end he was calling together a conference of those interested. The first ■ meeting took place .on 18th May, was attended by representatives of twentyfour firms engaged in the manufacture of wireless apparatus, and was important in that it recognised the desirability of co-operation between the various , firms who wished. to. have transmitting licences. These firms accordingly went into committee and endeavoured to produce a scheme for the joint conduct of broadcasting in Great Britain; but after many meetings there still remained two schools of thought, which appeared to be irreconcilable, with the result that tho, committee reported that, whereas one organisation appeared to be impossible, it might be that broadcasting could bo conducted through : two separate concerns. "The Postmaster-General agreed, if necessary; to grant not more than two separate licences, but exhorted the conflicting groups to find a solution in complete agreement. Accordingly a subcommittee' was formed of two men, each representing his group as in,single combat, and after considerable negotiation they achieved a satisfactory result and reported to their colleagues a basis on which could be formed a single broadcasting company. The PostmasterGeneral, on receiving from the committee their report, agreed to grant such a company an exclusive right to operate broadcasting stations within the United Kingdom, provided that an adequate service could be guaranteed for a reasonable period of time. This guarantee was provided by six firms, namely, the British Thomson Houston Company, tho General Electric Com-, pany, the Marconi Company, the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company,, the Radio Communication Conipany, and the Western Electric Company, who undertook to finance a service for a period of two years,-and thus may He said to be the father of British broadcasting. The. authorised capital of the new company was £100,000, £60,000 being, subscribed by these six companies in-equal proportions, the • ■ remaining £40,000 being made available, at first to other British manufacturers, of wireless apparatus, and subsequently to wireless dealers. Of this sum £11,536 was actually issued and subscribed, tho number of - shareholders eventually rising to'l7oo. Membership of the 8.8.C. could be obtained by the purchase of one £1 share, which entitled the shareholder to the.use of the standard (8.8.C.) mark. Each of.the six large firms was represented on the board of directors, two further directors were elected by the remaining shareholders, and a ninth, independent, director, Lord Gainsford, was elected chairman. Lord Gainsford, who had formerly been president of the Board of Trade and PostmasterGeneral, was chairman of the company until 31st December, 1926, when its cons'tittition was. altered to that of a corporation by '.Royal- Charter. . . The British .Broadcasting Company was actually formed on 18th October, 1922, was registered on 15th December, and received its licence on 18th January, 1923. It will thus be seen that the negotiations were protracted • and strenuous, but not unduly so in view of the initial difficulties encountered, and the many fine points which had subsequently to bo considered." Now that the Australian stations arc clamouring to be heard and reception conditions are good generally, the dangerously small frequency separation between 2YB (New Plymouth) and 2NC (Newcastle) becomes a nuisance. 2NC, which relays either 2BL or 2FC, is a very popular station hero, partly on account of its strength and clarity, and partly because it gives 2FC's programme without the blanketing effect of 2YA experienced by most Wellington listeners. Latterly, however, 2NC and 2YB have been overlapping to such aTi extent as to create a loud high whistle, and neither transmission is understandable. One of them at least is off its wave-length, and the matter should bo investigated and corrected without delay.

A man sat in an armchair in front of a radio loudspeaker. Ho looked at a yellow ticket lie held in his hand. In'ton minutes' timo he would know whether he would be worth £.2500 or not. He mused awhilo on what ho would do with the money if he won it. lie would like to buy a sailing yacht. jsr o —perhaps he would invest it. He pulled out his tobacco pouch and filled his pipe. Yes, he could do with a now pipe, too. One thing, however, he would not change, and that was his choice of tobaccos— Luxury. Luxury i positively will not burn the tongue. Ask your dealer for a 2oz packet.—Advt;