RADIO

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1931, Page 2

RADIO

NEW YEAR IN RADIO.

Programme improvements

With the advent of 1931 one is led to wonder what the new year holds in etore for the radio listener. New Zealand with 60,000 licensed listeners is in a condition fairly stable compared with that a few years ago, but is in the unfortunate position of any insular community and that is a dearth of new talent. Despite a number of statements to the contrary the R.B.C, has had before the microphone every artist in the four centres of any note, and in addition has carried out a number of relays from provincial centres of concerts of local artists and combinations of artists. Doubtless many more relays of this description would have been carried out had the Post and Telegraph Department made relay lines available, but with the introduction of carrier-current telephony on all the principal trunk lines this has become a matter of some difficulty as the apparatus in use will not handle the range of frequencies necessary tor the transmission of music. During the past year the programmes have been subjected to a certain amount of adverse criticism, but an analysis of the majority of these shows that in the main they emanate from a band of malcontents who expect to be pleased all ihe time. Before long there is bound to be considerable controversy over the Minister’s proposed intention to take over the broadcast service of. New Zealand. Opinion is divided in some quarters but the consensus of opinion seems to lean towards a continuance of the present regime. One. is led to wonder at this juncture if tlie Minister’s statement was made with the' consent and approval of his colleagues of the Cabinet. Certainly the coming year will throw some interesting lights on this question. > .. With regard to receivers the coming year does not promise anything radical in the way of improvements of a substantial nature. The newer models coming to hand are nearly all screen grid sets, but with the exception of the introduction of automatic volume control and the elaboration of automatic tuning, there is little of note to record. The reproduction of the average better cla>ss receiver has reached such a stage that the difference in reproduction is principally in the mind of the salesman. The introduction of tone control, or rather re-introduction, is the subject of considerable controversy. This form of control was used some four years ago by several manufacturers and consists of the introduction of distortion in the shape of the attenuation of the bass notes. While it serves at times to reduce certain forms of static its advantages are questionable as far as faithful reproduction is concerned, but while the demand exists manufacturers have to meet it. Midget sets have become very popular and will be more popular during the year. Unfortunately some of these sets are not such good performers as could be wished, principally due in the writer’s opinion to overcrowding of the components. The gramophone-radio combination will be more popular than ever during the coming year. It will come as welcome news to listeners that the Radio Broadcasting Co. has decided to cancel the Wednesday silent day at 2YA Wellington., From the first Wednesday in February this station will be “on the air.” The programmes, however, on these occasions will be an entirely new departure from 'anything yet attempted outside America. The programmes will be made up of recordings of overseas programmes. These must not be confused with thb regular type of gramophone records. They are special records about 20 inches in diameter, which run at a speed of •33f revolutions per minute, exactly the same as the Vitaphorie .“talkie” records. On these records will be cut “potted” programmes of well-known American radio stations, each record occupying about 15 minutes in the playing. Listeners will have an opportunity of hearing some of these special recordings on Monday next from 2YA, when an hour will be devoted to their initial presentation to listeners.

Mr. A. R. Harris, who recently visited the United States, informed the writer that a great amount of research had been undertaken in America with a view to developing a process for this class of recording so that they would be available for other broadcasting concerns. The result is that it is now possible to make recordings with flat musical characteristics varying from 30 to 8000 cycles per second so that the finest talent and musical work heard in radio ■performances can be reproduced and heard faithfully. It is regrettable that the new Australian relay station 2NC at Newcastle is blotting out 2YB in many localities. This station is operating on 241 metres with a power of 2000 watts in the aerial. Many listeners have, reported hearing this station at Excellent strength. It is understood that 2YB is to be on the air with a special programme tomorrow (Saturday) night, and listeners ar'e advised to tune in to something good.

NEW TRANSMITTER AT WGY.

INTERESTING TECHNICAL DETAILS

The tendency for high-power stations in America and the Continent has been a feature of modern overseas broadcasting for some time. The New York station WGY, however, recently carried out tests with a power of 200 kilowatts. The transmitter was operated under a special license and used the call-sign W2XAG. The new transmitter was so powerful that it could not be used immediately for the regular broadcasts. It is contended that such high power will spread in the ether and overlap other channels, thus causing interference.

However, the engineers at WGY are confident, that with the latest devices they can control the huge station so that it will render a great public service over a vast area, serving all listeners within its wide range with excellent signal strength. The engineers pointed out that tests on 200 kilowatts have been reached by easy stages on progressively high power. , In July, 1925, WGY was the first station to work on 50 kilowatts, and since that date many stations in the United States have been licensed to use w'hat was once regarded as super-power on their regular .programmes at all hours. In August, 1927, WGY advanced to the next stage, 100 kilowatts. Early in January this year, without any prior announcements and without informing listeners what power was being .used, WGY, on its license W2XAG broadcast a series of record programmes on 150 kilowatts. Letters were received from hundreds of listeners in the Far West, partier' rly on the Pacific Coast, reporting an unusual strength and clarity. A listener of Hilo, Hawaii, stated that the signal strength was equal to the output of a Pacific Coast station. The production of apparatus capable

of handling 200 kilowatts of power was preceded by years of exhaustive investigation and a slow progress from low to high power. Probably the greatest single impetus to the art of high-pow-ered broadcasting was the development of the 100-kilowatt water-cooled, valve. Instead of complicating the design by endeavouring to produce tbe high power through the medium of many 20-kilo-watt water-cooled valves, the design, was ■Simplified by the use of a few 100-kilo-watt valves. In t'he 200-kilowatt transmitter there are six 100-kilowatt valves. Each tube is sft long, or when its water jacket is included. The 200-kilowatt power amplifier is driven by a 5-kilowatt -intermediate amplifier, very similar to the commerciaj 5-kilo-watt broadcast transmitter, and uses two 20-kilowatt water-cooled valves in a push-pull circuit. The aerial current is 92 amperes. The frequency of the transmitter is controlled by a <9O-kilocycle piezo-electric quartz crystal maintained at constant temperature. The deviation from 790 kilocycles is never-more than a few cycles. A recent measurement of the overall frequency characteristic shows a departure from ideal transmission of only 2 per cent, at frequencies corresponding to the lowest notes produced by any .musical instrument, and but slightly greater reduction at 10,000 cycles.

TO DAY’S PROGRAMMES

NEW ZEALAND STATIONS,

IYA Auckland. <

Afternoon session.—3, gramophone recital; 3.30, literary selection by the announcer and gramophone recordings; a, children’s session; 6, dinner music session; Edison Bell Symphony Orchestra; Marcu's . Roumanian Orchestra; The Scala Trio; Band of H.M. Scots Guards; ■Scala Salon Orchestra; 7, news and market reports. Evening session.—B, chimes, selection, Hermann Finck’s Orchestra; contralto, Miss Martha Williamson;. instrumental, Barry Ingall’s Hawaiian Quartet; baritone, Mr. Peter Black; popular song? at 'the piano, Miss Edna Langmuir; selection, Hermann Finck’s Orchestra; 8.30, Barry Ingall’s Hawaiian Quartet; banjo, Mr. Norman Ingall;, contralto, Miss Martha Williamson; talk, Mr. A. B. Chappell, M.A. “Topical Talk ; 8.50, evening -forecast and announcements; 9.1, selections, Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards; 9.9, baritone, Mr. Peter Black; novelty, The Asquiths; organ, Pattman; popular songs at the piano, Miss Edna Langmuir; Barry Ingall’s Hawaiian Quartet; selection, New Concert Orchestra; 10, God Save the King. 2YA Wellington.

Afternoon session.—3,- chimes, selected gramophone recordings; 3.30 and 4.30, sporting results to hand; 5, childrens session; 6, dinner music session; Marek Weber and Hie Orchestra; violin, Fritz Kreisler; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; 6.15, Berlin philharmonic Orchestra; piano, Mischa Levitzki; De Groot and His Orchestra; Berlin State Orchestra; Royal Opera Orchestra; -7, news session, market reports and sports results. •

Evening session.—B, chimes. Note: This programme is subject to interruption to permit of a relay of a sound film feature; overture, 2YA Orchestrina;; soprano, Miss Flora MacKenzie; popular songs with ukelele, Mrs. R. M. Cummins; selection, Orchestrina; elocution, Mr. J. F.' Montague; baritone, Mr. Harry Mitchell; selection, _ Orchestrina; weather report and station notices; popular songs with ukelele, Mrs. IR. M. Cummins; selections, Orchestrina; monologue, Mr- J- F: Montague; humour, selected dramatic recital; march, Orchestrina; dance programme; 11, God Save the King. 3YA Christchurch.

Afternoon, session.—3, gramophone recital; 4.25, sports results; 5, children’s hour; 6, dinner music session; London Symphony Orchestra; International Concert Orchestra; New Light Symphony Orchestra; Philadelphia Symphony orchestra; 7, news session. Evening session.—-8, chimes, selection, Marek Weber’s Orchestra; tenor, Mr. Douglas Suckling; banjolin, Mr. Stan. Birch; 8.29, mezzo-soprano,’ Mrs. Sen Jewett; Stqdio Octet (driputy-conductor, H. G. Glaysher); chorus and orchestra of Theatre National de L’Opera; 8.59, weather forecast and station notices; selection, Marek Weber’s Orchestra; violin, Mischa Elman; humour, Mr. George Titchener; selection, Studio Octet; 9.37, mezzo-soprano, Mrs. Grace Empson; choral, medley, ‘‘Sea Songs’’; instrumental, Studio Octet; 10, God Save the King. 4YA DUNEDIN.

Afternoon session.—3, chimes, selected gramophone items; 4.25, sporting results; 5, children’s hour; 6, dinner music session; the Classic Symphony Orchestra; Band of the Garde Republicaine; Herman Finck's Orchestra; piano with orchestra, Gil Dech; the Rhythmic Troubadours; London Theatre Orchestra; Rio Novelty Orchestra; 7, news session.

Evening session.—>B, chimes, overture, Band of the Garde Republicaine; soprano, Miss Olga Wynne; selections, Miss Rita Holmes’ Instrumental Quintet; 8.31, recitals, Miss Ngata Buswell; bass, Mr. R. B. Macdonald; selections, Instrumental Quintet; 9.1, weather report and station announcements; contralto, Miss Irene Horni'blow; banjo selections, Oily Oakley; selection, Instrumental Quintet; 9.27, Scotch humour, Mr. James A. Paterson; organ, Jesse Crawford; valse, Instrumental Quintet; tenor, Mr. J. B. Hamilton; march, Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards; 10.2, God Save the King.