The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 1, 1932. PROGRESS OF WIRELESS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 1, 1932. PROGRESS OF WIRELESS.

The development of wireless has now reached that stage that thf British Broadcasting Coirpomt ion's new Empire broadcasting station at Davenport will begin operations on December 19th., eliminating the dependence for radio service outside of the British 'Commonwealth. Commenting on . the .proposal Mr Harris, who was general manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand, Limited, which controlled the YA stations before the Government took them over, sisid it was not likely that the results in New Zealand, the farthest away of all the British countries, would he without some disappointment, as the difficulties to be overcome over so long ia distance had not as yet' been el/’jrifkd 1 . A. start, however, had to be made if the Empire service was to be ultimately jTrferrted, find the action of the British authorities in promoting and provid eg an Empire service was undoubtedly < n.e of historical significance. The. .siiccv.s of the service did not end with the transmission, and it

was necessary to have’ 'suitable and efficient receiving apparatus. This receiving apparatus might be as inexpensive as a idiort-wave adaptor, costing ten pounds lor adding to a standard iiccjJving set; or it may be as expensive <as a. national receiving station of diversity antenna, type which might cost as much as £39,000. The former was a matter of individual investment, which would not compare in it 3 utility arid! efficiency with that cf a national receiving station picking up the transmissions and rebroadcasting through the ordinary broadcast channels. There was yet (another alternative. The service could be picked up' on the small short-wave re.~ '■•elver by the broaden".ting authorities, and re-broadcast through the YA net-work without the necessity,of any additional investment on the part of the New Zealand listener. This. was the praet'ce which had been followed in the past; but, having regard to the enterprise shown at the other end to provide the transmission, the time was now approaching when something of a more stabilised and advanced character should be (and no doubt would be) considered in New Zealand'., In so far as New Zealand is concerned, it must not be expected that the results, obtained here will be altogether satisfactory at all times, as the difficulties to he overcome in broadcasting over sxich a long distance are many. Unless considerable further, development takes place in the ' efficiency of long-distance transmission, it may be found necea«ary to improve the communications to New Zeeland' 'by receiving the transmissions on the Atlantic Coast of Canada, passing them over by means of laird line to the Pacific Coast, ar.d there rebroadcasting to a special receiving station, in New Zealand and Australia with possibly' sonic inteav mediiato relay station in the Pacific. This would overcome the difficulties of broadcasting over land, which offers the greatest trouble; over .the sea the transmissions! are more reliable and efficient. There is a difference in time between England l and New Zealand of exactly twelve hours (that' is taking into account the fact that at present we have daylight saving time in New Zealand, and if a programme transmitted from Haven try is to'be put over at such a time as to be Acceptable to the listeners in New Zealand, ■>t must of necessity be transmitted in the morning in England. The possibilities of an Empire net-work of stations were illustrate! at' the Imperial Conference at Ottawa in July and August of this year. The shortwave facilities between Canada and England weire such that, the opening ceremony was broadcast not onlv through Canada, /but also through Great Britain, as well as some of t’’e Dbrvinions. It was possible also for the authorities in England to listen to the at Ottawa, and in 'fact it was well-known that dailv conversations took place over the air between the British delegates at Ottawa and the British Prime Mini tor n,nd his colleagues in England. This was a forerunner to the development that would iK> doubt follow the opening of the ttew short-wave Empire ■station in December. ;--j