Notes and Hints

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 326, 11 April 1928, Page 12

Notes and Hints

BROADCASTING COPYRIGHT The question of copyright of musical works has been as difficult for broadcasting stations to adjust, perhaps, as that of patents in regard to transmitting gear. Contingencies unthought of when copyright laws were drafted have made the question as many sided as an issue could possibly be; and the controversy is by no means ended yet. Literary work, until recently, had escaped any dispice of this nature, but not long ago one of the first claims was made in Vienna, when the heirs of Rudolph Baumbach sued the Ravac studios —a big Hungarian station—for infringement of copyright. Selections from the author’s “Tales of the Sun” had been read from the studio for 50 minutes. In the first instance the court had granted the claim, on the ground that copyright law gave an author or his heirs full control of his works in any shape or form, but the appeal court considered that as copyright law is older than broadcasting it could not particularly specify this method of publication. The matter is one of considerable interest to both authors and stations everywhere. SYDNEY’S RADIO AND ELECTRICAL SHOW

On March 21 the largest radio and electrical show ever held in Sydney was opened at the Town Hall. The exhibits covered every phase of wireless, gramophone ensemble, . crystal sets, huge plug-in sets, and components of every type. American sets were very much in the majority, but the

English sets concentrating on the more expensive line-s of seven and. eightvalve sets were able to set a standard of performance hitherto believed impossible. Local built sets were fewer than last year, but the standard was as high as ever before, and in the component field the Australian manufacturer more than held ,his own. An amateur section was an unfailing source of interest, and the competition entries showed that “building it yourself" was by no means unpopular. A speaker with a range of three miles was installed in the tower of the hall, and was in Operation much of the time. Every afternoon and evening, from March 24 to 31, the stage of the town hall was converted into an up-to-date broadcasting studio, from which one or other of Sydney's two A class stations broadcast their usual programmes. Some of the year’s best programmes were given on these evenings, and regular listeners had the opportunity of seeing their favourite artists “in the flesh,” and some idea of studio procedure was gained. The galleries were available for visitors interested in the programmes.

‘‘The Commonwealth Government continues to take constant interest in the welfare of the radio industry. In keeping with its policy to extend and improve the services, the licence fees have been reduced, and at the instigation of the Government very important negotiations are proceeding between the broadcasting companies for the purpose of securing economies and coordination of activities generally. The Government will ensure that any such changes in this connection will only be made where the interests of listeners generally require them.” In these words Mr. Gibson, Postmaster-General, congratulates the organisers of the exhibition on their enterprise. ADVERTISING AUSTRALIA Seldom has Australia had such an overseas advertisement as broadcasting has given it. With every mail all the larger stations in every State receive congratulatory letters from every part of the world. The Prince of Siam ■ regularly cables his success in the reception of Australian stations, and has instructed the Siamese Naval Radio Department to report officially on the transmission of the Melbourne station 3LO. From the Azores Island come messages telling of the boon of stations in Australia to lonely listeners. There are regular listeners to 2BL in the West Indies, while not long ago 2FC received a letter from an enthusiast in the Island of Mauritius, who had heard a special transmission at Christmas and was wondering why he had never heard the station since. Stations here, of course, are taken quite as a matter of course in America, and in England and on the Continent Australian voices are not altogether a novelty. All this unintentional propaganda must be worth more to Australia than many High Commissioners.

PIRATES IN CANADA More than 200,000 owners of radio sets in Canada had taken out licei.ce> up to the end of November, according to a Federal report, which means there are between 300,000 and 400,000 receiving sets in operation. It is estimated that only half of those owning sets have paid up their one dollar tax to the Dominion Government, and a drive is to be made to round up those delinquents. The money thus secured is used toward improving broadcasting and reception conditions. Ontario radio fans almost equal those of all the other provinces put together. This number of pirates seems amazingly high. We know they are always with us, but from the occasional appearances in the Courts in New Zealand, either our pirates arc only a few or they are very wide aw.-ke and hard to catch. One occasionally hears stories of what the gas meter reader has seen, and with the almost universal use of electric light and the testing operations now being carried out by the Power Board, it Is ouite possible some excellent indoor aerial . systems will be noticed. TESTING THE LOUD SPEAKER if telephones or speakers suddenly | cease to work, the chances are that the winding is burnt out. an incident that happens to the best instruments, Uepairs then can be safely left in the J hands of a mechanic, for ’phone wind- '■ ing comes near- to being a classic art. But first of ;VI it may be determined whether or not things are as serious : as that. ' The cords are one of tile sources ol trouble, and these, by means of another pair of phones and a battery preferably a C battery, because of its handiness—should always be tested for an open circuit, causing crackles and noises in the reproduction, before dennitely blaming the unit. Then, if the owner cares to investigate further, he can unscrew the cap and see if the trouble is not caused li> the diaphragm sticking to the magnets. If this is the case, a thin paper washer, sufficient to raise the diaphragm a hair's breadth above the surface of the magnets, should remedy magnets. Using the battery and phones there should always be a distinct “click” when the coils are tested, showing that tlie circuit is continuous, and absence

of this is a clear indication that flare burnt out. Sometimes the map*, become weak, and although this *• dom causes the signals to vanish co» pletely, it can render the phones ac to useless, and rarely is it worth vE having them remagnetised. This *• feet is usually caused by connects the cords on to the set the wrong r. round, when the current, in flows: through the winding, acts in opposite to the magnetism instead of auani it.