London Successfully Re-Broadcast by 3YA

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 18, 18 November 1927, Unnumbered Page

London Successfully Re-Broadcast by 3YA

Epoch-Making Event in World Radio

Broadcasting history was established in New Zealand on the night of Friday-Saturday, November 11-12, by the successful rebroadcast by 3YA Christchurch of the short-wave transmission on 24 metres by 5SW, Chelmsford, of the celebrations in connection with Armistice Day. The celebrations were broadcast in three sessions, the first being that of the service in Canterbury Cathedral, which was receivable in New Zealand as from 11.15 p.m. to 11.45 p.m. Friday evening. This was followed by the organ recital at St. Mary Le Bow at 1 a.m. to 1.30, and then by a tenminute address from the Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation. These two sessions were successfully re-broadcast by 3YA.

The third feature in the day’s celebrations in London-that of the "Daily Express’ Remembrance Festiyal in the Queen’s Hall on the evening of Armistice Day, due in New Zealand at 8.30 to 10.30 Saturday morning, was wholly unsuccessful, so far as adequate reception was concerned, by any of the Broadcasting Company’s stations, and so far as we know at the moment of writing, also by any other receivers in New Zealand. The result was not unexpected by the engineers of the British Broadcasting Corporation, who announced beforehand, in line with the _ results secured by the careful tests carried out for the preceding week, that they anticipated that the first two events would be received satisfactorily, but that they had doubts as to the successful reception in New Zealand and Australia of the Queen’s Hall celebrations, on account of the greater period of daylight through which these waves would have to pass at the reception end. These expectations were justified by the outcome. Gratification, however, can only be expressed at the very successful outcome of the efforts of the Broadcast ing Company of New Zealand to pick up the earlier sessions. The rebroadeast of the service at Canterbury Cathedral was wholly successful, and it was no doubt with a great deal of satisfaction that the announcer at SYA was able to say: "You have just been listening to a rebroadcast of 5SW, Chelmsford, which has been broadcasting the Armistice Day Remembrance Service at Canterbury Cathedral. Station 8YA is now closing down till 1 am., when the organ recital at St, Mary’s Le Bow will be rebroadeast." WELLINGTON RECEPTION. Reception in Wellington of the Canterbury Cathedral service was noc so good as that experienced in Christchurch. At Mr. Sellens’s residence, where the writer listened, the earlier patt of the service was received at *phone strength, but from the period of "The Last Post," sounded after the two minutes’ silence, reception improved sufficiently to lift it on to the loudspeaker, where it was possible to maintain it at weak strength till the end of the service. The service was of a most impressive character, and _ the intoning by the cougregation of tlre Lord’s Prayer could be heard with effect,

‘THE ORGAN RECITAL, Reception of tue organ recital at 1 o’clock in Wellington was eyen better again. At the conclusion of the musical programme 6SW announced; "Calling Australasia, 5SW, Chelmsford, calling Australasia, This is Director-General of the B.B.c. I hope you can hear me, at any rate as well as we have heard you on some recent occasions. It is unfortunate that the experiments provide little hope . ." (a few sentences were then lost, but the words "short-wave transmission’? were heard, after which these words: "We shall naturally endeavour to improve on to-night’s transmission." The speaker’s further remarks were recorded as follows in shorthand, so far as they could be heard:"I am taking this opportunity of speaking to listeners, not only in Bri. tain, but in every part of the world We have celebrated Armistice Day here, have . . British Commonwealth of Nations have ... It is inevitable that in such a war... . -and so a new conception of world peace . . . .That movement will necessarily grow from one generation, Real progress has been made, which is a matter for pride, and exemplifies that effective co-operation of the British Commonwealth of Nations of the world may yet be realised . and in this country. World’s broadcasting . . . broadcasting services of the world are correspondingly great, I am sure our listeners here in the British Isles . -and I send greetings to all those thousands of listeners overseas, and patticularly to those in Australia and New Zealand . ... and the Malay States . . . hearing this transmission will be particularly interested. It is thrilling to hear you speak, and we hope you can hear us speak too." The station announcer then said: "This is 5SW, Chelmsford. 5SW, Chelmsford, is closing down now until 8 o’clock this evening." THE EVENING PROGRAMME FAILS. On the occasion of the British eyening transmission the conditions for reception in New Zealand were not good. On tuning in at 8.30, New Zealand summer time, the carrier wave of 6SW could be detected, but the interference of howling valves was very marked, and no clear-cut vestige of sound of either speech or music conld

be detected, nor coull any rebroadcast, if any such were attempted, by either New York, Schenectady or Australian stations, be secured. Some experienced operators think that, if the howling valves had been absent, some part of the transmission’ might have been secured. On the occasion of the 24-hour test from 5SW a week ago, it was found that reception in New Zealand deteriorated very rapidly with the approach of daylight and its extension over this side of the world, One listener recorded reception of SSW on that test upto 10 a.m., although at much weaker strength than had been secured earlier. On the whole, however, the first Empire broadcast undertaken by the British Broadcasting Corporation can be regarded as having secured a very encouraging measure of success. Reception of the day sessions in London Was quite good in New Zealand, but reception of the night session, which had to contend with the daylight enemy, was unsuccessful. From the point of view of New Zealand reception, the latter is most important to us, because most of the big functions and better-class programmes which would be most welcome in New Zealand naturally take place in London’s evening hours.