Australia's Dilemma

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 1, 20 July 1928, Page 2

Australia's Dilemma

TOO MANY STATIONS

MANY MORE APPLICANTS iE New Zealand Government very wisely, in the interests of Hsteners themselves, has. been extremely chary about granting licenses for new broadeast stations in the Dominion. The wisdom of this attitude will be made apparent by the difficulties already arisen in Australia owing to the congestion of the ether in some of the leading cities. A, Melbourne writer says :- | Overcrowded Now. | The reported statement of the Commonwealth Postmaster-General ‘that there are 49 applicants for Class B broadcasting licenses may mean something not to be welcomed by listeners, The prospect of even six extra stations will not be cheerful news to many listeners who now have difficulty in cutting out the stations they do not want. Owing to the fact that many receivers in use are not very selective, listeners frequently complain ithat while listening to 3LO they are unable to cut out a station or stations transmitting at the same time, and there are only four stations now transmitting simultaneously in Melbourne. ‘

Seleetivity Problems. In Sydney the conditions will be worse. There are now four stations in addiiton to the main stations. So bad were the, difficulties of satisfactory reception there about two years ago that thousands of listeners cancelled their licenses as ‘they were unable to get the. programmes for which they were paying. The solution of the selectivity problenis is a reasonable and scientitie allotment of the wavelengths to the stations. If the wavelengths are too close to one another the result will be the chaos now causing so much trouble in America. There are so many stations licensed in cities like New York and Chicago, that the wavelengths are literally on top of each other, and only the most selective receivers can tune in to a particular station. New Allotment of Wavelengths Wanted There are only a certain number of wayelengths available for distribution, and the claims of stations in all States must be considered. Therefore, when considering what is needed by Sydney or Melbourne we must not overlook the conditions in other capital cities. And in addition the difference between ware lengths in stations in the one State must be on a safe basis. In Melbourne at present the four stations are on wavelengths respectively 484 metres, 871 metres, 319 metres, and 255 meires, Tf additional stations are to be started the difficulties will be of a more serious nature. The only safe way in which to consider the distance between each siation in the ether is by theix respective frequencies. Thus the stations mentioned above have frequencies (in kilocycles) of 1833, 940, 809, and 610 respectively. In America and in Eur‘ope the difference for stations in the one city is only 50 kilocycles. Such a narrow band of "no man’s land" of the ether would be unsuitable for Australian stations. The receivers in use, or the receivers and their’ aerials, would not be able to selectively pick out one stations to the exclusion of the others, and that is what the listener wants. Crystal sets of the average type in use now would be of very little use, and many valve sets neay one of the more powerful stations would be of yery little use. It is apparent, therefore, that the Postmaster-General will need to be eareful before authorising many more stations, and that a very thorough re- distribution of the wavelengths will be necessary if even a few of the applicants receive licenses in Melbourne and Sydney.