NEW PROGRAMME SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 22881, 12 February 1938, Page 4

NEW PROGRAMME SERVICE

PROBLEMS OF SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING

" I wonder how many of you ever visualised the job of selecting or devising radio programmes for everybody in the world,” said Mr Boyd W. Bullock in a broadcast talk on the new programme service, since inaugurated at W2XAD and W2XAF, Schenectady. “It is difficult enough to produce a programme that will be pleasing to any group of people, say those in one schoolroom or in any one audience that might gather because they are interested in one particular subject. “ Of course, in these cases everyone in the room would understand and speak one language, and, by and large, would be living about the same kind of life, in the same city and in the same country. If the programme were liked by a large majority of people in either of, these two rooms you would say that the programme was a success, but even then there would be some who would like it much less than others, and some who would probably dislike it. “ Contrast this with attempting to devise programmes for peoples in several different countries, whose environment and points of view are widely different, and whose customs as well as the languages which they speak are different from each other. Some might say that the solution is simple—that music is an international language. On the other hand, what kind of music is international—symphonic, grand _ opera, folk songs, jazz, or dance music? The answer, 1 believe, is obvious. There is no one type of music that everyone, every place, wants to hear—at least wants to hear all the time. Someone else says the radio should educate people, and the natural question then is, “ What is education?” Education

to some who do not have the infojmation, of -course,,, would )be boring to others who do. Another suggestion is that programmes should be cultural. What that means to, one who actually tries to devise a programme is almost anyone’s guess. “ Those are just some of the problems confronting the short wave broadcaster. What is the solution? Since there is no one type of programme that meets all the requirements, the solution, we think, is a variety of programmes planned for and directed to specific countries at times when they can.be best received and enjoyed. “ Over a period of years we have had a consistent check on transmissions in places for which they were intended and have directed broadcasts to specific locations at times when they would be most satisfactorily received. The results have been well worth while, because they show us the effect of our efforts and indicate how we can continue to better our service.

“ The thousands of letters received from you litseners play an important part in determining the type of programmes which should be broadcast. We appreciate your co-operation and interest, and have found your comments valuable in determining the kinds of programmes that appeal. “ The information we have received from all sources, we feel, gives us a fair conception of the type of programme desired by the majority of listeners in foreign countries, and we try to make our programme conform with their wishes. As a result, our broadcasts include not only so-called cultural and educational programmes, but also programmes intended solely for entertainment. “In considering our programme plans the first thing we did was to determine at what times in the -24 hours various countries in the world can hear our stations, and the natural listening hours’ in these countries. When it is nooil and until late in Schenectady, it is evening and night in the British Isles and in Continental Europe. Therefore, during these periods’ we direct our transmissions eastward and have planned programmes which we think will be interesting to the countries in that direction. Announcements of these programmes will be primarily in English, hut some will be in French and German. The natural listening hours for Central and South America and the islands in the Caribbean are about the same as those in the eastern part of the United States. Therefore, our evening transmissions are directed southward.

“ Late this year we shall have our Pacific Coast station in operation, and from midnight until 6 o’clock in the morning, Pacific Coast time, we shall broadcast to the Orient. These programmes, many of which will be announced in Japanese and Chinese, we hope will be interesting not only to the people in the countries for which they are primarily intended, but will include many features that will be interesting to DX-ers in many parts of the world. Concluding his talk, Mr Bullock said;—■ “ Even though we have been working to develop short wave, programmes for many years the subject still offers' many difficult problems. Most of these problems are gradually being worked out. Our listeners tell us that the quality of the programmes has constantly improved. We shall continue to seek, with your co-operation, the programmes which appeal to yon. We hope to broadcast more and more programmes in the languages of the conntries to which the programmes are directed, and at the same time we shall continue to further develop the techni-

cal aspects of short wave broadcasting. Wo shall also continue to give you only programmes which give a true picture of us Americans. Our hope is that you will bear with us in our shortcomings, and that you will continue to give us your helpful comments, so that during 1938 and the years to follow we may be able to give you even better service in the future than we have in the past.”