3LO'S FADING PROBLEM

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 47, 8 June 1928, Page 14

3LO'S FADING PROBLEM

A SERIOUS DIFFICULTY. New Zealanders are apt to blame the fading of our broadcast stations to faults in transmission. The Melbourne station, 310, which is probably one of the most efficient stations in the world, suffers from severe fading in many areas in Victoria, not to mention those in the neighbouring States. The Melbourne "Argus" reports: From all parts of Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales, and from many listeners in Tasmania and Queensland, 3LO has received back the forms which were used in the fading and static observations which were held a few weeks ago. It is expected that it will take some weeks to examine all the papers and to draw conclusions from them, but even a brief examination of the papers has demonstrated in a striking manner the need for effective relaying stations in country districts, A 70-Mile Limit. . . The papers have proved that thousands of listeners in the country at times suffer almost the complete loss of programmes through interference from static, while at other times fading and distortions arising from special forms of fading destroy large portions of programmes. Some of the papers show such interference from static that of the test passages, hardly a word has escaped at least one burst of static. Others show large portions of the text lost through fading, It has been made clear by these, and previous tests, that the only way in which the country districts of Victoria distant more than 70 miles from Melbourne can be provided with an effective service is by the use of relaying stations. Nearly 18 months ago 3LO made an application to the Fede-

— ral Ministry for permission to erect four relaying stations which would cover most of Victoria,*but so far this" application has been refused, and in the meantime country listeners are failing to receive an efficient service. Revenue For Relay Stations. The revenue in Victoria from 140,000 licensed broadeast listeners affords the proprietors of 31.0, Melbourne, the financial means for providing and maintaining relay stations, In New Zeatand, where there are only 40,000 licensed listeners, the financial obstacle is at present too apparent to consider the question of relay stations,