WIRELESS WORLD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 1 February 1936, Page 3

WIRELESS WORLD

BETT.EE broadcasts

LEAD FOR NEW ZEALAND English listeners are going to have improved program me s during P.),“li. according to Mr Cecil Graves, the 8.8. C. programme controller. .More vaudeville land symphony concert broadcasts arc . two of tlie features. This iirst indication of liis plans since his appointment three months ago is evidence of the 8.8.C.’s desire to consult the wislies of the listening public. “Two more vaudeville features a week will lie broadcast, the extra, time amounting to an average of about an hour,’’ said -Mr Graves. “.Music-hall shows will be given fortnightly. In general we shall endeavour to give a two-hours’ broadcast of a. symphony concert. -We are endeavouring to secure strict adherence to time schedules. It programmes originating in the studio overrun, it is our fault and we must take the responsibility. In the cast of outside broadcasts ’it is more ditlicult to keep strictly to a hard and fast timetable.” Other matters which Mr Graves has under consideration are: Alternatives to the late dance music; General control of all dance music broadcast to eliminate “song-plugging”; ‘ introducing more varied morning and afternoon programmes. Introducing more dramatic broadcasts of a suitable type on Sundays. The authorities controlling broad-

casting in New Zealand would be well advised to give these matters thought also, for although the present tirogrammes arc good and varied there is still wide scope for their improvement.

“JAMMING” EXPLAINED

ENGINEERS COULD.DO NOTHING So much has been read and said about the jamming of station IZB, .Auckland, just prior to the election that is of interest to the layman to understand just what; exactly took place. In the “Radio Record'’ the technical editor gives a lucid and easily understandable account of the jamming incident. “The average listener,” he says, “might find it diflieult to understand how a piece of laboratory equipment bearing such an unfamiliar name as ‘experimental unmodulated oscillator' could possibly interfere with a broadcasting station’s program me. 'the explanation is simple; every broadcasting station is primarily an oscillator, which can be modulated, and every oscillator of the type that caused the interference with IZB is a. potential broadcasting station. “If two stations are operating on adjacent frequencies, less than, about II) kilocycles apart, the two transmissions ‘beat’ against each other to produce a heterodyne note that can be picked up by a. receiver. Anyone with a powerful set can soon satisfy himself that this is so by taking a run around the dial any evening about nine, when a number of these heterodyne whistles will be heard.

“It was an exactly similar whistle that was heard by IZR listeners during the preliminary part of the evening’s broadcast, just before Mr Serimgeour commenced to speak. Though annoying, it did not obliterate the programme altogether, and it seems evident. that at this stage, at least, the oscillator was unmodulated. Had IZB been off the air, a carrier would have been heard similar to that of an ordinary broadcasting station during a silent period. At such times the. carrier is unmodulated, or in other words, it has no speech or music superimposed on it. “The pandemonium that is reported to have begun soon after Mr Scrimgeour started to speak, however, could be produced, in the technical sense, bv ‘modulation’ apparently with a spark coil or something else that would produce an equally effective din. “Short of altering the station’s frequency, which would have been against the regulations,, there was nothing the station engineers could have done to clear the transmission.”

Wireless in Gliders During a recent glider-flying contest which took place in Germany, shortwave telephony was used. The carrying distance was’ about 45 kilometres (about 27 miles) and the 20 w. power was supplied by a foot-operated dynamo. Tlfis little transmitting post acted as. a liasion between the committee on the field and the contestants during their flights. Special very light receivers of about 7Mb were built for this purpose. The headphones were concealed in the flier’s helmet. The experiment gave very satisfactory icsults. Not a Crooner When Lawrence Tibbett was trying out for “The Rogue Song” lie was placed in front of the mike, and, on unleashing bis tremendous. voice, caught tlie operators by surprise, and ncarlv blew the microphone to bits. The liead sound technician dashed up frantically:, and said to Tibbett, “Please, Mr Tibbett, just whisper your song into the mike —we will do the rest.” “I would like, you to know, sonny,” replied Tibbett, “I am a singer, not a crooner.”

Television Progress Television activities in Germany and England have received a great amount of attention in the .States and the Americans are beginning to feel that they are being left behind in the television race. The problem of providing a service for almost the entire country seemed hopeless on account of cost., and no doubt this had a retarding effect. Now it appears to be appreciated that the first step should be to establish an experimental station in a suitable centre of population and manufacture a limited number of receivers. Technically, America claims to be ahead of both England and Germany. Certainly a great deal of research work has been carried out there and it was in America that two of the most important recent developments first saw the light, referring, of course, to the Iconoscope and the Farnswort electron multiplier. If your radio is in a noisy location an indoor aerial is the worst type to install. The aerial system in such ease may he located right in the interference zone. A properly erected outside aerial is always better.

The “personality” announcing from some Australian B stations is apt to become very tiresome. “We hope you enjoyed that number. Composition by (pause) —Kahn recording Columbia. It is now time, I think, that you had a number by Carol Gibbons and his Bov Friends. They are now going to play for you —(pause) —‘Judy.’ ’’ Repetition of that type of introduction has inspired the term “ppisomility,” and tlie ultra-formal New Zealand styles has its merits after all. When a particularly fatuous piece of advertising “hooey” is interpolated it goes over the limit. »

It is understood that arrangements have recently been made whereby the Australian ’ Radio Manufacturers' Undents Association lias been granted exclusive rights for the construction and operation of television apparatus under Baird patents. The association, of -which the majority of manufacturers in the Commonwealth, are members, intends to start experimental transmissions in Sydney and Melbourne as soon as possible.

RADIO PROGRAMMES

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2

IYA, AUCKLAND (650 Kilocycles). —9.0 Selected recordings. 11.0 Morning service, relayed from St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church, preacher, the Rev. J. A. Thomson. 1.0 Dinner music. 2.0 Selected recordings. 3.30 New York Symphony Orchestra. 4.15 Selected recordings. 6.0 Children’s song service. 7.0 Evening service, relayed from St. Alary s Anglican Cathedral, preacher, (anon William Fanconrt. 8.30 Concert by the Auckland Municipal Band, relayed from Albert Park. 2YA, WELLINGTON (570 Kilocycles).—9.o Selected recordings. 11-0 Relax' of morning service from the I entity Methodist Cliurch, Wellington South, preacher, the Rev. G. C. Cook. 1.0 Dinner music. 2.0 Beatrice Harrison, cello, and Ilarohl Craxlon, piano. 2.16 Selected recordings. 6.0 Children’s song service. 7.0 Relay of the evening service from the Vivinii Street Baptist Church, preacher, the Rev. L. J. Boulton Smith.

8.15 Selected recordings. 8.30 A symphonic programme. 3YA. CHRISTCHURCH: (720 Kilocycles).—9.o Selected recordings. _ 11.0 Relay of morning service from Church of Ciirisl. Moorhoiise Avenue, -preacher, Pastor Stuart Stevens. 1.0 Dinner music. 2.0 Selected recordings. 3/0 Jacques Thibaud, violin, and Pablo Cassals, ’cello, and the Pablo Cassals Orchestra. 3.33 Selected recordings. 5.30 Children's song service. 6.15 Selected recordings. 7.0 Relay of evening service from Trinity Congregational Church, preacher. Mr J. J. F'ipwellan. 8.15 Selected recordings. 8.30 Presentation of complete recorded opera, "Don Pasquale.” 4YA, DUNEDIN (790 Kilocycles).— 9.0 Selected 'recordings. 11.0 Relay of matins from SI. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral. Preacher, tin' Very Rev. C. C. Cruiekshnnk. 1.0 Lunch music. 2.0 Selected recordings. 2.15 Recorded talk. 2.30 Artur Schnabel, piano. 2.46 Selected recordings. 5.30 Children’s song service. 6.15 Selected recordings. 6.4 a Relay of evening service from the Salvation Army C itadel. Dowling Street, preacher. Adjutant Maliaffic. 8.15 Selected recordings. 8.30 Concert programme.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5

IYA, AUCKLAND (650 Kilocycles)

■--7.0 to 9.0 breakfast session. 10.0 Devotional service. 10.15 Selected recordings. 12.0 Lunch music. 2.0 Selected recordings. 2.30 Classical hour. 3.15 Sports results. 3.45 Light musical programme. 4.0 Weather forecast. 4.30 Sports results. 5.0 Children's session. 6.0 Dinner music. 7.0 News and reports. 8.0 A thriller, "Tim Case of the Death-Laden Fog." 8.42 George Kulcnkampff (violin). 8.45 "Dust of the Ages,” a dramatic play. 9.0 Weather report and station notices. 9.5 Talk, Jane Marnier. "Women Through the Ages: The Ancient World—Our Earliest Knowledge.” 9.20 I lie Orchestra. 9.25 Stella Power (soprano). 9.35

“The Easy Chair,” a memory programme of songs and melodies of days gone by. 9.50 The Orchestra. 10.0 .Music, mirth and melody. 2YA, WELLINGTON (570 Kilocyoies). 7.0 to 9.0 Breakfast session. 10.0 Selected recordings. 10.30 Devotional service. 12.0 Lunch music. 2.0 Classical hour. 3.0 Sports results. 3.30 Special weather forecast. 4.0 Sports results. 5.0 Children's hour. 6.0 Dinner music. 7.0 News and reports. 7.40 Talk. 8.0 The Boyd Neel String Orchestra. 8.18 A recit.it by Hinemoa Rosieur, the New Zealand soprano. 8.32 Arthur de Grief, piano. 8.40 Talk, the Rev. W. S. Rollings, ‘‘How the Mediterranean Became a Roman Sea. ’ 9.0 Weather report and station notices. 9.5 (’element Q. Williams, the Australian baritone. 9.15 Continuity programme, “My Own Composition.” 10.0-11.0 Dance session.

3Y A, CHRISTCHURCH (720 Kilo--10.0 Devotional service. 10.15 Selected recordings. 11.2 Selected recordings. 12 0 Lunch music. 2.0 Selected recordings. 3.0 Classical music 4.2 Weather forecast. Light musical programme. 4.30 Sports results. 5.0 Children's hour. 6.0 Dinner music. 7.0 News and reports. 7.35 Talk. 8.0 The Woolston Brass Band. 8.14 Raymond Newell, baritone. 8.20 R. Simpson and V. Aldridge, cornet duet with Woolston Band. 8.25 “Eb and Zcb,” the country storekeepers. 8.34 The Band. 8.41 Richard Tauber ilcuor). 8.47 The Band. 8.53 Maurice Mwin, baritone. 8.56 The Band. 9.0 Weather report and station notices. 9.5 Talk, .Miss N. AY. Anderson. ‘‘The Trial of ’9B: The Klondike.” 9.20 Budapest String Quartet 9.54 Gerhard Husch, baritone. 10.0 Music, mirth and melody. 4YA, DUNEDIN (790 Kilocycles).— 7.0 to 9.0 Breakfast session. _ 10.0 Selected recordings. 10.15 Devotional service. 10.30 Selected recordings. 12.0 Lunch music. 2.0 Selected recordings. 2.30 Sports results. Classical music. 4.0 Weather forecast. 4,30 Light musical jrogrammo. 4.45 Sports results. 5.0 hildrcnV hour. 6.0 Dinner music. 7.0 News and reports. 8.0 Terence Casey, organ. 8.5 Novelty variations. 8.16 John T.' Leech, tenor. 8.28 B. R. Nees, oboe. 8.40 Talk, J. T Paul, “World Affairs” 9.0 Weather report and .station notices. 9.5 The Academy Players present a radio revue sketch. 9.13 Andre Charlott. Gwen Farrar, Norah Blaney and Edward Cooper (sketcheij. 9.21 "Superstition.” .a dramatic presentation dealing with the fallacious superstition that if two people, while walking together, permit another person or obecl to separate them it is an omen of Lad luck. 9.36 Humorous sketch by the Roosters Concert Party. 9.44 The Academy Players. "10.0-11.0 Dance music.

DAVENTRY, ENGLAND SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Two of the following wave-lengths will be used simultaneously, but the wave-lengths may be changed during each day’s transmissions, frequent announcements being made:. —GSF, 19.82 metres; GSE. 25.28 metres; or GSD 25.52 metres- GSC, 31.30 metres; or GSB 31.55 metres; GSA, 49.59 metres; GSH, 13.97 metres; GSG, 16.86 metres. (Greenwich Mean Timet. 0.0 a.m. Big Ben. Light music. 8.45 Prose reading. 9.0 Beethoven Symphony. 9.10 Weekly newsletter and sports summary. 9.30 A religious service, relayed from Croydon Parish Church (Church of England). 10.15 a.m. Close down. MONDAY,FEBRUARY 3 8.0 a.m. Big Ben. The 8.8.0. Empire Orchestra. 9.0 ‘'High Spots,” No. 15: The Eddystone Lighthouse. 9.15 Dance music. '9.45 The news. 10.5 a.m. Close clown.