AMBITIOUS AMERICAN SCHEME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16475, 20 October 1927, Page 3

AMBITIOUS AMERICAN SCHEME

TO DOMINATE BROADCASTING

WORLD

Another ambitious proposal has been put forward to enable the United ’States to dominate the broadcasting world in the same manner as American films now dominate the cinema world. Mr. Hugo Gernsback, in the last issue of f lic Radio JNews explains how this would ho possible by the erection, in strategical parts of the United Stales,‘of live ultra-power transmitting stations. He suggests that the power of such stations should be from 25,000 to 50,000 kilowatts. The highest power used at present on broadcasting telephony is on the trans-Atlantic radio telephonic service. That varies Ironi 100 to 250 kilowatts, according to the hours of llio day, and atmospheric conditions. Air. Gernsback claims that a station using 25,000 kilowatts could be quite easily handled with the facilities that are at present available for radio engineers.

it is suggested that one of these ultrapower stations should he erected in the northern part of Maine, to cover Europe and Africa; the second situated in the Slate of Washington, would cover Asia; the third, ,situated m Florida, would cover South America; the fourth in Southern Calilornia, would cover Australia, and New Zealand; f lic fifth would ho situated centrally to cover the Edited Slates and Canada. The first four, it is recommended, should he directional beam stations, whilst the central should radiate in all directions. Four at least of tho stations could operate on the one wave length, as the use of the directional beam transmission would prevent inter-station interference. Under this plan, it is claimed, the United States could at any period of the 24 hours of every day in the year transmit a programme that would he receivable, on ordinary sets, in any part of the world.

It. is claimed that such stations would he a commercial success and would, in addition, ensure that the English language -would be learned throughout the world. In any event, music knows no language, and if programmes of merit were transmitted they would be listened to for the sake of. the entertainment provided. Hence, it would, Mr. Gernsback claims, he only a matter of years before such powerful American broadcasting stations would dominate the world.