Pictures May Be Broadcast From Local Radio Station.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18938, 7 December 1929, Page 9

Pictures May Be Broadcast From Local Radio Station.

PERMIT GRANTED TO 3ZC TO CARRY OUT TRANSMISSIONS IN DOMINION.

IT is not only possible, but distinctly probable that within the next few months, the broadcasting of pictures will take place from Station 3ZC, Christchurch. This statement was made this morning to a “ Star ” reporter by Mr F. R. Plominski, manager and engineer of the station. Permission has been granted by the Postmaster-General to 3ZC to carry out picture transmission, subject to certain conditions under which the type of apparatus will have to he approved by the Department, and a satisfactory test will have to be carried out.

For some time past Mr Plominski has been in touch with American and British firms who hold patent rights over the Various types of apparatus, and, although he has been made a certain offer by an American firm, he prefers British apparatus if it is possible to obtain it. As there is some confusion between television and the transmission of still photographs, it is necessary to point out that, at the outset, it is the transmission of ordinary photographs that will take place at 3ZC. The transmission of photographs is now an accomplished fact, although television—the transmission of pictures of moving objects without photographs—is still in the experimental stage. There are a number of picture-trans-mission systems on the market, the best known and most successful ones being the Fultograph, the Cooley, and the Jenkins plants. The first of these is a British product. Mr Plominski is a believer in television itself, although it was recently announced in New Zealand that a cablegram had been received saying that it was still in the laboratory stage. He pointed out this morning that radio

and the motor-car were still in the laboratory stage, but nevertheless, both were performing efficient and useful services. It was also stated that at present “television is unsatisfactory,” but Mr Plominski said that when radio was first introduced, it was not satisfactory, but it had been rapidly improved. The same applied to television. Referring to the picture transmissions, Mr Plominski said that the apparatus for receiving them was plugged into the loud speaker connection on an ordinary radio set and produced the photograph. He estimated that the attachment could be marketed here for between £25 and £3O. These transmissions now take place regularly in Europe, just as is ordinary broadcasting. A development that is likely to take place in the future will be the transmission of “talkies” by wireless, so that listeners can see and hear 'them in their own homes. This has already been carried out by Mr C. Francis Jenkins, the inventor of the Jenkins system of television. At the present time, weather maps are transmitted daily to shipping in American waters by this system.