BRITAIN’S BROADCASTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 January 1938, Page 12

BRITAIN’S BROADCASTS

“JAMMING” PRECAUTIONS

[BY CABLE PRESS ASSN. COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, January 2.

The “News-Chronicle” says that every possible precaution is being taken at Broadcasting House and Daventry to* prevent any interruption of Great Britain’s first Arabic broadcast on January 3, but it is still feared that it may be jammed abroad. Receiving centres in the Near East will listen with powerful direction finders, and take bearings of any station wandering on Daventry’s wave length. Italian short-wave stations recently on several occasions jammed the British news broadcasts. The official explanation that the transmitter was off its wave length is regarded with some doubt. Precautions are being taken to prevent unauthorised interruption in the studio. An Arabic-speaking official will sit. at the master control ready to switch off in the event of the interpolation of unrehearsed comment.

THE FIRST MESSAGES

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, January 3

For the first time, the Arabic-speak-ing peoples of the Near East, this evening, heard a programme broadcast in Arabic from London.

Greetings were read by representatives of the Arabic-speaking peoples, Prince Saif U 1 Islam Al Hussian of Yemen, stating that the broadcast was a step in the propagation of the Arabic language, and marked a new era in a development which they hoped would be a continuous success, and would promote friendly understanding between Britain and the Arabic-speaking world.

The Charge D'Affaires of the Egyptian Embassy expressed the opinion that Arabic broadcasts would bear good fruits. The Ministers for Saudi, Arabia, and Iraq also spoke.

Sir John Reith said that the Arabic news bulletins would summarise world events, and would be accurate and impartial.

WAR OF THE ETHER”

ROME, January 3

Arabic-speaking stenographers of the Italian Government will listen to Great Britain’s first, Arabic broadcast to-day. They will transcribe a report for Signor Dino Altieri, the Minister for Popular Culture, who controls the vast output of Fascist propaganda.

Italian writers describe the British move as the opening of “a war of the ether against Italy.”

U.S.A. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, January 3

A broadcast of President Roosevelt’s message to the United States Congress, on the state of the Union to-day, was relayed this evening on the National and Empire programmes.