RADIO LOG BOOK

Evening Star, Issue 23379, 23 September 1939, Page 4

RADIO LOG BOOK

“ RADIO TRIAL " ARTIST Still another “ Radio Trial ” artist has left Australia for New Zealand. First was Herbert Young, tho Chinese Bobbie Breen, and now Roystou, ventriloquist, who w T on tho recently concluded series of 2KY radio trials, has been offered a season in New Zealand. ft ft ft ft 1 MACBETH * SCHEDULED In response to requests from students m New South Wales the A.B.C. has arranged to produce Shakespeare’s ‘ Macbeth ’ in three parts on successive Thursday nights, beginning on September 21. ' Tho play will bo relayed from 2BL, Sydney, to 3LO, SCL, 4QR, and 7ZII. ft ft ft * GOOD FRENCH RECEPTION That the French hour of station W2XAD (19.56 m) is well liked is indicated by the letters received from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Haiti, and Algeria, in North Africa. Tho French hour, originating in Schenectady every Monday is composed of a thirty-minute English session, a fifteenminute travelogue, concerning the United States, and music. From Tourcoing, Nord, France, comes this letter, which is quoted in part: “ I remain a faithful listener to your station, which is admirably received in tho northern part of France, where many radio enthusiasts listen to it. As for me, I'have recommended W2XAD to my friends, who are increasing in number to try to get your programmes. ft ft ft ft MORE HEW STATIONS With the war atmosphere in Europe every European station has a definite value, and the already large number is being increased, and that by potential news purveyors. An interesting new station has been audible on 31.56 metr.ee in the mornings. This has been definitely identified as YUC, of Belgrade. It is one of the best and strongest audible now ; Up to 7.60 a.m. a foreign language is uscd,_ probably Yugoslav, followed by news in Italian and German. Call-signs are given in tho several languages. The station, which also gives an excellent musical programme, can bo followed to about 9.30 a.m. 2R03 (31.13) is now on the air daily between 5.30 and 6 p.ra., with a very fine, clear signal. The transmitter is being beamed towards Australia and New Zealand. ft ft ft • AMERICANS CHANGED Several changes have been made among American stations, and puzzled listeners may have for a time fancied they had discovered some more new and interesting Americans. The very popular San Francisco station, W6XBE. on 31.48 metres, has disappeared, and in its place comes tho call sign of KGEI, on the same wave length. This station, which showed signs of weakening a couple of weeks ago, is still putting out quite a good signal, and is still providing one of the finest news sessions heard from anywhere. This takes from midnight to about 12.20 a.fix. every day. Another change reported is WRIT, 19.72 metres, Pittsburgh, the newlyallotted call letters of WBXK, heard at 1.82 a.m. on a recent moi-ning. The signal was excellent, as were the . rest of the stations on 19 metres._ There lias been a change in the call sign of the popular W3XL. This station is now known as WNVL, and has been heard well lately on 16.87 metres.

It might be worth while watching other. Americans in case other changes are made in call signs. * * * * MEW TOKIO RADIO HOME The now Tokio Broadcasting House, which took three years and cost 4,000.000 yen, has been completed. The site covers an area of 3,934.45 square metres, of which 3,003.41 square metres are occupied by the building, which lias a total floor space of 10,714.88 square metres. Palatial architecture and scientific facilities are considered the most elaborate in the Orient. Radio broadcasts in Japan started in March, 1925, and since then have made great progress in covering every aspect of Japan’s culture, in news, lectures, and various forms of entertainment. Radio stations in the country number 35. and the radio audience over 4,000,000. The overseas radio broadcasts, which began four years ago in June, 1935, have as their mission to introduce Japanese culture to . the world. The scope has been gradually widened, and to-day broadcasts are carried on daily for" six different parts of the world six hours a day. Undoubtedly the completion of the new Broadcasting House marks a new epoch for the entire radio enterprise of Japan, and an extensive widening of scope is being planned for the overseas broadcasts. * * * * RADIO FOR KIMBERLEY Giving the diamond fields of Kimberley excellent radio reception from Johannesburg, a new wireless relay station was opened at Kimberley on August 1. Expressing his keen interest in the development of Kimberley, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer said at the opening ceremony: “One can realise that it was not until some time after the discovery of diamonds that people acknowledged that Kimberley had a greater future than a mere diggers’ camp, hut soon civic pride was born and those who had come to Kimberley as pioneers came to look on it as a permanent home. Our city has always been progressive, and the inauguration of a broadcasting transmitter marks another step in the development of Kimberley and the surrounding country. •' The enterprising action of the South African Broadcasting Corporation in establishing stations all over South Africa must . help, as wireless has done throughout the world, to bring town and country closer together and to encourage greater undertakings of each section's difficulties and problems to their mutual benefit.” * • * * GETTING THE NEWS The overseas conflict has thrown schedules to the winds, and at the moment it is impossible to give details of even Daventry with any certainty that they will be maintained. Owing to censorship in England and France, listeners will find the American stations, particularly the Columbia station, invaluable for news services. W2XE will operate on 19.64, 16.81. and 25.36 metres at various periods of the day, and are particularly strong in the early morning, afternoon, and portion of the evening. On 31.48 metres KGEI has operated over a great part of the 24 hours, but will probably settle down to a service between 4.30 and 7.30 p.m., and 11.30 p.m. to early morning. On a Monday

it changed to 48.46 metres between 4.30 and 7.30 p.m., where it is very strong. Paris is now improving in the evenings, and will he heard well from 10.30 on 19.6 metres and on 25.24 and 19.8 metres until after 8.30 p.m. Berlin can be heard strongly over the greater part of the day and evening on either 31, 19, 16. or 25 metros, and at times on 21 and other hands. English sessions are much more frequent than hitherto.