CONGESTED ETHER

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 140, 10 December 1931, Page 18

CONGESTED ETHER

THE EUROPEAN' POSITION

An' international conference of European broadcasting authorities was held at Home in October to try to clear up, to . some extent, the difficulties which have arisenj with increasing force, through the congestion of the ether by a multiplicity of high-power stations. The* conference wasr apparently far from successful. Under the existing allocations' of broadcast wavelengths, arranged at th 6. Washington Conference, certain wave lengths, are allowed to the European nations, 'but' the increase iv tho number of power, stations have-brought abdut a great deal of interference, and some of the national authorities have shown a re-, grettable unwillingness to co-operate in avoiding trouble, taking refuge in the simple but irritating tactics of "shouting down" their neighbours. .As the" "Daily Telegraph's" contributor puts it:—

"There is general reluctance to follow the British example and abolish disturbing stations, whilst redistributing others so as to cover the same territory with fewer units. Even those countries at present satisfied are hardly likely to remain so for long with now and powerful stations coming on to the air almost daily. "The frequency of nine kilocycles as

a minimum division between wavelengths has proved inadequate in view of the high-power stations, which are growing more and more tho fashion. Since a reversion to stations of lower power is unlikely, the only possiblo solution at the moment would be to increase the gap to 11 or 12 kilocycles. This however, would entail the elimination of a number of/stations. Hence the deadlock.' . . ; , "A feature of the situation, I am informed, is the obdurate attitude now adopted by Germany—a country which has hitherto been very willing to cooperate in meeting international broadcasting difficulties. As regards trance, the dispute between Governmental and private stations soems to be given greater importance than the gea^ needs of the European .. broadcasting community* • ■ - , "The only alternative is to widen the broadcasting wave-band itself, ana next year's wireless conierence at Madrid (which is a continuation ot the Washington .Conference) will consider the question. Any considerable increase seems, however, unlikely. On 28th October the."Daily Mail's wireless correspondent wrote that a f 9 Sat arrangements are ."being made £ sSiratTthe wave-lengths of those staS which interfere most seriously with Brilish stations. .Mr AsnbTidge said that London Begional, top.don.National, North Begional, and North National stations w.ere- those pnmimljr concerned; and in these cases the separation would be increased from 9 Wocycles to 11 kilocycles. As soon as the nlw- scheme is ratified, the arrangemeats will be put into operation. The situation prior to the Rome conference was so difficult that it was foretold in some quarters that Britain, the leading party in. tha Broadcasting Union, would P probably withdraw i l»o agreement was reached, and that that would mean virtually the end of the uniSn and the beginning of radio chaos in Europe j but that serious step was riot found necessary. " " ~