TELEVISION “CONTROL”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 136, 25 May 1935, Page 12

TELEVISION “CONTROL”

A 8.8. C. Pcin-Picture CHECKING TRANSMISSIONS The “captain’s bridge” of a television station is the control-room, which somehow is a far mole exciting place than the equivalent room at a bound broadcasting station, writes a London corresponoent Perhaps the added tension is due to tne experimental element, or the fact that it is possible to see as well as hour mistakes. In the present television controlroom at the British Bioadi asting Compay, there are two receivers reproducing vision. One is connected straight to the transmitter nnd the othet picks up the pictures by wireless. Sound is carried by head-’phones to the control engineers, who thus have a triple cheek ou the transmissions. SPLIT SECOND WORKING. This is what an onlooker might see. The senior control engineer first consults by telephone the main control room at Broadcasting House, and sets his watch to agree with that of the engineer who is controlling the sound progrumine which immediately precedes tho television transmission. There are five artists in the television programme: the 45 minutes has been apportioned among them to split seconds. The telephone bell tinkles. A warning from the main control room that the present programme has only two minutes to run. Tension is noticeably heightened in the darkened television control-room. One ot the check receivers is already showing the preliminary 8.8. C. caption and the “television eye." The main control-room pow reports that London National is “on the air” with television. Perhaps the second receiver, which should now be working, records nothing. General anxiety; not communicated to senior control engineer, who, it appears, would only be mildiv interested in an earthquake. CUTTING TO FIT Tho producer fidgets nervously and mutters, “Must start or the programme will fall to pieces. An engineer, hurriedly examines the defaulting receiver. Meanwhile, the senior control engineer, telephones ringing all round him, remains unmoved, his brain ou ice, and will not give the “0.K.” Suddenly the preliminary picture leaps on to the screen of the second receiver. General relief and the programme goes ahead, only slightly alter schedule Later comes a fresh problem, that of cutting the transmission so that it ends exactly on time. A hurried decision must be taken to omit certain items and yet leave tho programme running smoothly.