AN IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1931, Page 8

AN IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT

The British Broadcasting Corporation is experimenting with an apparatus by means of which a record can be taken of any particular broadcast so that it can be reproduced later at llie same station or by another station, either in Britain or Australia. Mr E. T. Fisk, managing director of Amalgamated Wirel.ss (Australia.sia), Limited, stated recently that the system is a development of the Poulsen telcgraphone, which was invented nearly years ago, knit was not. liitmeno developed to a practical stage. Tile use of this invention by the 8.8. C. is of special interest to Australian listeners, as it will now lie possible for an ordinary programme to be recorded in T ondon in t.h” evening; and then rebroadcast the following morning by the short-wave station for reception in Australia during the evening. Tlndifference in time between London and Sydney is the greatest difficulty the 8.8. C. lias to contend with in broadcasting Empire, programmes for reception in Australia and New Zealand. Another advantage of this system will be that the “record” of the special broadcast could be shipped from London to Sydney and put on th« air here in the ordinary way by the A- and B. stations—which ever secured the rights for the reproduction. A fine steel wire is used instead of the ordinary phonograph record. On this wire speech or music is recorded by magnifying variations which ar° stated to he permanent. The music or speech reproduces quite well. Hence there is a possibility that in the near future Australian listeners will have the privilege of hearing a reproduction of important broadcasts put on the aii bv the 8.8. C., which lias set an example to the rest of the world Tn showing how first-class programmes should he prepared and transmitted. When that time comes Australian listeners will have a reliable standard by which to nidge the quality of the broadeusts ordinarily transmitted from A stations.