AMERICAN BROADCASTS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1930, Page 3

AMERICAN BROADCASTS

ENGLISH PROGRAMMES HEARD.

MR. A. R. HARRIS IMPRESSED. The two things which chiefly struck Air. A. R. Harris, general manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company, during his recent trip through the United States and Canada, were the enormous advance made in broadcasting as a social factor in the people’s lives, and the wealth of talent at the disposal of the big broadcasting companies. The people in the United States, he said, expected every event, from the big ones, such as the reception to RearAdmiral Byrd or the arrival of WingCommander Kingsford Smith after his trans-Atlantic flight," down to the smallest happening, to bo broadcast, and this was done.

Relays through station after station, perhaps 40 in number, and in some cases 3000 miles apart, enabled people in the remote areas of the States and Canada to keep in touch with events. Mr. Harris was chiefly concerned with the technical side of broadcasting. He remarked that he swas amazed at the advance made in all departments of the science. Improvements had been made in all directions, and after repeated transmissions programmes came over as well as the original broadcast. The. sp.eciai reception station at Riverhead, to pick up English programmes, was a marvel. A spaced system of aerials ensured the elimination of fading and reduction, and the English programmes came ov:r as clearly as possible. These programmes w-ere in great demand. ’ ; “With respect to television, there does not appear to have been.very much pro-, gfess made,” said ’ Mr. . Harris, “and from what I saw in the laboratory there is yet little of any practical value to sell. As a novelty, the development' to date is certainly very interesting, but many difficulties • have still to be overcome before television becomes a . commercial factor, and then it is more than likely that it will be marketed as an adjunct only to the sound transmission and receiving equipment already on the market.

“As far as the system of broadcasting adopted for New Zealand is concerned, there is no gainsaying its many advantages, in .comparison with the systerii, or rather lack of system, in the initial development of broadcasting, ill some other countries, and the more one realises the problems that will have to be met sooner or later, as an outcome of that omission, the more one appreciates the wonderful foresight and sound judgment of the Government. arid its officials responsible for its inauguration here. ' '. . ' , . “Had. matters been otherwise, it is very evident that instead of . being/in a position to advance the service, much time would have been lost and expense involved in overcoming the trouble and complications that would have followed.

“Let •us hope, therefore,” said Mr. Harris, “that those seeking a modification of the general principles upon which tho New. Zealand broadcasting service has been built will -first of all see for themselves and study some of the conditions' existing in other coun-. tries.”