THE RADIO WORLD

Southland Times, Issue 19461, 28 January 1925, Page 11

THE RADIO WORLD

THE BROADCAST SCHEME,

ONE HIGH-POWERED STATION SUGGESTED.

Referring to the Dominion broadcasting scheme, a northern writer repeats the query as to why the proposed scheme embraces a broadcasting station in each of the four centres, when, it is claimed, one central station of, say, skw would do?

It is also asked what provision is being made to re-broadcast items received from the United States and Australia.

It is hard to understand how one highpowered station in, say, Wellington, can be preferred (even by people resident in Wellington!) to a moderately-powered station in each of the four main cities.

In the first place, it has yet to be demonstrated that a broadcasting station of skw is as efficient for broadcasting as the modest 500-watt station. Radio SXX is an instance of this. It apparently is true that the distance over which a radio station is effective is by no means in direct proportion to the power of that station, and therefore the smaller radio station is far more efficient for its size than is the larger station.

Another argument against the proposal for one station is the inequality of the service as far as signal strength is concerned. Listeners within a reasonable radius of the station would, no doubt, be satisfied; but what about the man in North Auckland or near the Bluff who pays the same tax? A third point against the central highpowered station is that there would be one programme only for the whole of the Dominion, whereas with a station in each of the centres, as proposed, there would be four programmes each night from which to select a concert. It also goes without saying that a wider scope of talent would be embraced with a station in each of the principal cities, and this plan would also obviate possible accusations of parochialism on the part of a central station. If it should ever become necessary to further emphasise the disadvantages of the one-station plan, the “DX” experimenters who would be unfortunate enough to have the high-powered station at their back door would certainly do this. As things are, however, it is unlikely that a majority of the listeners in New Zealand will ever become in favour of a proposal for one high-powered broadcasting station for the whole of the Dominion, and thus provoke a serious controversy.

So far as re-broadcasting is concernedit is far too early to propose that the stations shall be bound over to carry this out, or even to enter into a discussion on the subject. It is probable that when the stations are in operation experiments will be carried out in this direction, but it should be borne in mind that the whole subject of re-broadcasting is but in an experimental stage even in the countries most adavneed in radio science. Even at firet sight there appear to be one or two big obstacles to surmount; as, for instance, the fact of the Australian stations transmitting on long waves, and the nearest of the American stations being twice the distance from New Zealand that the nearest American stations are from Britain. The most practical plan appears to be to await the time that the broadcasting stations are in operation, by which time it is possible that Australian statons may have reduced their wavelength and the American stations increased their power.