Between Nations

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 49, 22 June 1928, Page 3

Between Nations

BROADCASTS POSTPONED os PUZZLE OF WAVELENGTHS LI. hope for an international exchange of radio programmes between the United States and Turope has been abandoned until the American autumn, Dr, A. N. Goldsmith, chief broadcast engineer of the National Broadeasting Company of U.S.A, said recently. The experiments that have been conducted for the last five months, however, will be continued throughout the summer. "We do not contemplate international broadcasting now until autumn,": said Dr. Goldsmith. "We can listen to any amount of foreign broadcasting, ‘but the quality must be right before we put it on the air for the American public. We must conduct our observations throughout a year before we have a complete picture. of the obstacles that confront international broadcasts, We may be able to reproduce the foreign programmes in the fall. However, we cannot say _ today that we will. Much will depend upon the results of the summer tests. Many Channels Needed. " E have learned so far with no uncertainty that a single waveIength cannot be depended upon for trans-Atlantic broadcast service. At least four or five channels are needed. A wave satisfactory for talking with England at 4 p.m. to-day is not likely to be suited for the same work three months from now, or even seven hours later. At a given time we must us? a different wave for day and night and from season to season. As yet we have not decided exactly what waves are best for the international work, "TMURTHERMORE, the wave to be utilised depends upon the distance to be covered. A wave that travels across the sea in the afternoon may go only 500 miles at night. Therefore, it can be understood that international broadcasting is not merely the selection of a wavelength and thes talking across it. An elaborate tratfic planning arrangement is necessary, and until we are fully aware of conclitions that exist in the ether between here and Europe we cannot establish a reliable exchange of programmes across the sea." Dr. Goldsmith said that the warm weather would not stop the tests on the American site of ithe ocean nor would the British Broadcasting Coipany suspend its experimental work, much of which has been on the 2-+-meter waye. The objects of th2 observations are to explore channels which are likely. to lead to a regular and reliable exchange of programmes.