20,000,000 LISTEN!

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 4, 12 August 1927, Page 2

20,000,000 LISTEN!

WORLD’S BIGGEST | AUDIENCE —

RECORD-MAKING PROGRESS

How distant is the day when ali New Zealand will tisten to one speaker-uttering direct to the people important views on policy or performance? The fullest present-day development of radio broadcasting obtains in the United States, which contains not only the greatest number of listeners but’ the greatest number of operating stations Developments there make it possible to fcresee something of the

developments of the future in relation to linking the whole community into vne and placing it in direct touch with an important pronouncemént By wireless, President Coolidge, a few months back, spoke directly to an audience estimated to total twenty millions. The organisation necessary to the accomplishment of this feat is outlined in the July "Scientific American." The occasion was the payment on February 22, 1927, of a tribute to George Washington. Through a network of 42 broadcasting stations, scattered throughout the territory from Portland, Maine, to San Francisco, President Coolidge spoke directly to not less than twenty million people. In addition to the regular broadcast, special short-wave length transmission enabled the voice to be heard in London, Paris, and South Africa. The British Broadcasting Corporation rebroadcast the American waves from station 2L0, ‘so that listeners throughout the British Islands heard the President and the playing of "I'he Star-spaneled Banner" by the United States Army Band, despite occasional interference and fading. ; The special wire circuits used to link the stations for this occasion covered approximately 10,000 miles, and required the, attention of 200 telephone engineers, In addition, more than 200

radio engineers were on duty, since five or niore men were occupied with the transmission of the, programme at each of the 42 stations, The circuits utilised for the broadcast action consisted of telephone lines specially adapted for the purpose; as, while ordinary long-distance telephone wires may carrv at the same time four or five telephone messages and numerous telegraphic comninnications, a special cirenit for tadio broadcasting must he cleared of all other traffic Also, the broadcast cirenit must be eauinned with snecial vacuum tube repeaters or amplifiers since the ordinary repeaters have not a sufficiently wide ranse to cover the frequencies that are involved in the broadcasting of music and speech. Important Predecessors. While this is the most notable feat. so far attained bv broadcasting in placine an imnortant speaker in direct touch with a nation-wide audience, it has had several imnortant predecessors. The first occasion was when President Hard ing delivered an address at St. Lonis at a World Court. This was in June 93. A fittle later in the year ex-President Woodrow Wilson spoke over a trio of stations upon the course of events since Ar-

mistice Day and _ its significance. This was recognised as: a very important occasion, and every precaution was taken to avoid interference, the stations not broadcasting’ the speech agreeing to keep off the air during the time occupied. The broadeast was quite successful. At first the voice of the ex-President was a trifle husky, but grew better as he preceeded in what proved to be the first and last address by him,‘as he died a few months later. His reference to the American attitude since the war will be interesting to New Zealand listeners, He said that the attitude of America since the World War had been ‘deeply ignoble, cowardly, dishonourable’; that they "had withdrawn from the affairs of the world in sullen and selfish isolation," after {their soldiers had aided in winnine "the war for right," and that the happv memories of those "never-to-he-for-. gotten days of November of 1918" were for ever marred and embittered | for America by her refusal to bear any responsible part in the administration of peace and the establishment of the rights won by the war, Effect on the Peopte. | Many observers have tried to analyse. the effect upon the economic life of

the peoples of the world that various improvements in the art of communication and transfer of news and thought have had. The most important advance along that line yet made is unquestionably the art of radio broads casting, by which the leader of a nation, or any important, thoughtful, writer or lecturer, can ‘make immediate contact, unhampered by perverted or second-hand versions of __ihis statements, with the widest possible audience. New Zealand is just entering upon that era, and it remains to be seen exactly what modifying and monlding influences radio’ broadcasting will have upon our national life. The plans hoped to be develoned through 2YA, Wellington, provide for a due balance between education and entertainment, and, as we are a moderately serious people, will incorporate into the broadcasting service a due proportion of thoughi-pro-voking matters. Following on the example given by President Coolidge, it may be considered likely that, in the course of the coming years, important speeches of political and other leaders will be put upon the air for the benefit of listeners unable to be bodily present.