BETTER RECEPTION

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 780, 2 July 1954, Page 5

BETTER RECEPTION

Sir,-One must admire your attempts to help the New Zealand listener get improved reception during the winter é@vénings, when short-wave reteption Over any distance is not possible, No matter what ends your listeners go to to try and improve reception, they will find it of little use due to the severe Australian interference. Though you state that the NZBS stations in their primary area provide "impeccable" signals, interference on local stations is often severe enough to cause distortion. The main trouble is the interference from Australia. You state that Australia has many stations and is forced to eccupy the whole medium wave band. Yes, Australia has 151 stations in operation and New Zealand 29. Australia has 24% million listener licences and New Zealand one-half million. Therefore, Australia has five times the stations, and five times the receivers that are in New Zealand. When we consult the frequencies assigned to the stations, we find that Australia has 59 stations on clear frequencies (on which no other Australian or New Zealand station operates), and New Zealand on the other hand has only one-2YA. This co-called "agreement" is the cause of the severe interference in New Zealand. In North America, the United States has 2508 stations, yet its neighbours are not forgotten; Canada has eight clear channels, Mexico 11, and Cuba and the Bahamas have also inter-ference-free frequencies. The remedy is: for the Australian stations which use frequencies on which New Zealand stations operate to be forced to provide directional antenna systems, so that the signal is "shielded" away from New Zealand; for the YA stations at least to be given clear channels; for Australian stations which are remote contfolled relays and rebroadcast a key station from sign on to sign off, to be made booster relays on the same frequency. In Adelaide, ABC stations in Woomera, Alice Springs, Port Lincoln and Crystal Brook all relay the same programme, yet use four frequencies. The Australian Broadcasting Control Board has recently granted Adelaide stations an increase in power to 2000w., which has resulted in more extensive interference on 1XH, 2XA and 1XN. Mel- | bourne stations have been granted an increase to 5000 watts, which will cause further interference. Australia has taken over every broadcast band frequency except three, one of them being used by 2YA, so that chances of interference-ftee reception of New Zealand stations is now not possible, the only remedy being a further reshuffle of frequencies, with New Zealand stations getting their rightful share of clear channels.

ARTHUR T.

CUSHEN

(Invercargill).

(Australia has operated broadcasting stations on every channel of the broadcasting band for many years, and requests for a reasonable number of ‘‘clear channels’’ for New Zealand stations have not been met. Adjustments to frequency allocations have, however, been made on both sides to reduce mutual interference. While most coutitries co-operate at international radio conferences they still have the sovereign right to operate their radio stations as they wish, and they cannot be compelled A leave channels free for other countries.- +)