AERIALISMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 611, 13 March 1929, Page 14

AERIALISMS

There are four broadcasting stations now in operation in Africa and another in the process of erection; there are 16,000 licensed receiving sets.

The control board used for dramatic productions at the headquarters of the British Broadcasting Company is considered to have few if any equals. Seated in control, the producer at 2LO warns each studio by a flickering light when it must come in, brings in perhaps a band to accompany the actors in another studio, starts the “effects room,” and tunes in all three so that the listener hears each in due proportion. Then a sudden quick movement and all three are “faded out” to bring in other studios.

KSL, Salt Lake City, is operating its now 5,000-watt transmitter, which was opened with a special programme transmitted by telephone lines from WJZ, New York.

Of the 12,000,000 receiving sets now in operation in the United States, 7,500,000 are standard receivers with loud-speaker volume, the others being crystal and one-valve sets. New York leads all States with 853,000 standard receiving sets, Pennsylvania is second, Illinois third, California fourth and Ohio fifth.

Mr. T. Garland was in good form at IYA on Sa urday evening, and listeners throug? icut enjoyed his most entertaining ite ns. His singing of “Blow the Man Down,” with many local topical allusions, caused much amusement, and if there were more items of this nature sent out from the studio there would be fewer complaints regarding programmes. Though Mr. Garland’s items stood out, the whole programme on Saturday was exceptionally good.

The projected rebroadcast by the American station KBOO on Sunday evening was not undertaken. The station was not picked up by any of the New Zealand stations on the air. While waiting to see if reception of KBOO could be received later, IYA rebroadcast 3YA, Christchurch. The attempt was not a success. The Auckland announcer said 3YA was not coming in too well. He was right. It was awful and reminded one of the early days of broadcasting, when “howlers” were plentiful. Judging by the rebroadcast of 3YA there are still hundreds of people who do not know how to tune their sets, as the noise made by “howlers” was simply terrible. Of course, IYA could not be blamed, but those who try to reach out for Southern stations with inferior sets should remember that by forcing the set beyond its capabilities they not only do not get good receptions themselves, but are a nuisance to everybody else. They would have more enjoyment by confining their attentions to the local stations. SHORT-WAVE STATIONS 6XM ON THE AIR During the week end oversea shortwave stations were heard well by Mr. Cooper, of the Devonport Fire Station. 2XAD, New York, came in clearly on Saturday and KDKA, Pittsburgh, on Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., 6XM, KGO’s short-wave station, came in at about R 5. After a good programme of jazz music, light opera was broadcast. 6XM operates on 23 metres.