Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 21, 7 December 1928, Page 5

Radio Round the World

"RADIO ‘will make fools of us," says "Chant-parleur" (Paris). "We learn that measurements of longitude made by wireless signals, between Paris and London have shown a variance of .50 feet. In other words, Paris is 50 feet closer to London on some days than on others. At the same time, it is said that Greenland is moving towards the west at a rate of 30 ‘yrds a year." A. TF North Taranaki Radio Society’s * Trouble ‘Shooting Gang" raided the upper Carrington Road one ‘evening recently, and located the cause of the bad interference ‘being experienced by radio listeners in that district. A remedy was promptly effected. Reported interference is promptly investigated’ by the energetic "Gang." HE conductor of a large American Orchestra is planning to use a television apparatus to control two orchestras in the rendering of Maher’s Symphony No. 2 which requires a ‘small orchestra in addition to the main one, , The smaller one has ‘to be situated ‘some distance away in a ‘small closed room so that the strains will come to the listener but faintly. On ‘previous occdsions the second orchestra has been guided through a small aperture in the wall. The new arrangement will allow of perfect harmony as well as a more pleasing rendering owing to the conductor’s personality being in evidence in the room. . 1 a gathering of wirelec: operators ‘of the French Navy at Toulouse, Joan of Are has been proclaimed the Patron Saint of wireless operators. Wireless men decided they must have a patron saint and so their choice fell upon Joan. "The proclamation of the Saint of Wireless was marked by an elaborate: historical procession. A USTRIA now claims to be the most +" progressive country in the world so far as percentage of registered listeners is concerned; 300,000 out of the 64 millions population are‘ registered vadio listeners. Radio manufacturing is also developing rapidly, and exports in radio goods are four times greater than imports. Alt kinds of broadcast microphones can vow be obtained for experimental purposes from the Universal Microphone Co., Chamber of Commerce Building, Ingiewvud, California, These inelude the 2-button broadcast type at 15 dollars: this can be used with or without umplification, and operates on 5 to 15 mills per button. Full particulars may 1. obtained by writing to the firm mentioned at the above address. Experimenters should note that a special license must be obtained before any type of transmitting experiments are conducted.

INNIPEG has been linked up with the Eastern Broadcasting chain of the Canadian National Railway Radio Stations. From Thursday, October 4, CNRW will be included in the weekly chain broadcast, which ineludes CNRT, Toronto; CNRO, Ottawa; CNRM, Montreal; and CNRQ. Quebec. Studio programmes will originate from Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa, and will be broadeast simultancously from five sta: tions, being carried by wire between the cities. HE German authorities have decided to begin the experimental broadcasting of pictures on the Fulton system. Receiving sets are to be supplied by the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesell-schaft and the Fultograph-Gesellschaft to the German broadcasting companies, ‘as well as to other competent people, and results will be examined with a view to deciding what place, if any, picture broadcasting should occupy in the broadcasting programmes. RECENTLY Madrid Station, EAJT, has inaugurated a "radio-agricul-tural" service, to include in the afternoon or evening programme every Saturday the state of the most important Spanish centres of agriculture, together with the market prices of produce, state of the land, tendency of markets, ete. This informa@on is furnished by agricultural specialists. To supplement this new service ‘conferences -are being organised to study the most interesting problems of modern agriculture. "THE Graf -Zeppelin, which -crossed the Atlantic ocean at the time Kingsford Smith and his crew were crossing the Tasman, provided a somewhat similar treat for the listener in Germany and indeed for the Continent as the trans-Tasman flight provided for us of the antipodes. The start of the great venture was put on the air by all German stations. The airship carried two transmitters, me for short and the other for long wave transmis sion; similar to the plan of the New Zealand stations, hour'y reports were pbroadeast. The landing of the plane in America was rebroadcast with brilliant suecess The New York announcer described in enthusiastic terms the appearance and evolutions of the airship above the city and the harbour, and his words came through with w nderful clearn¢.s. It is: stated that this was the most complete, clear, aud successful intercontinental relay which has so far'taken place. TALY has recently undergone 2 change in the broadcasting administration with the result that -broadcasting in that country is more or less stabilised. The breadecasting rights have been ceded to a private company for 25 years. A license fee of approximately 16s.'is charged but this is supplemented by a tax on the municipalities and on the -hotels, kinemas, cafes and restaurants. In addition a special tax is payable on valves, The state retains 4 per cent. of the license money collected for administrative purposes. Several high-powered stations are in operation and others are planned. Italian broadcasting has certainly been set on its feet and Italy promises, to develop very rapidly into one of BHurope’s most important

broadcasting countries. The total number of licenses is not yet available but it is known that there are many who, not realising their obligations, act as petty thieves and "pirates." HE Manawatu district was treated to a very efficient service on election night. Going on the air as soon as the first results were available, station 2ZF (Palmerston North) kept local listeners ,posted with the results as they became available until the final result came to hand at 1.4 a.m., when the station closed down. ‘Three boys had been employed by the society to keep the announcer posted with the results as they came to hand at the Post Office. For seyeral hours they were kept very busy, rapidly plying between the station and the C.P.0., a distance of a few hundred yards. The announcing was capably performed by the president, Mr. Waters, and the secretary, Mr. Leet. During the evening the returned members for Palmerston and Manawatu, and the Opposition candidate, went on the air to address the electors. MAN in distress rang up 2FC, Sydney, the other day. "What am I to do?’ he asked. "There is a large swarm of bees in the garden; I don’t want them, and I cannot get rid of them. Can you help me?" ‘The station had no bee expert on the premises, so sent out a broadcast appeal. Almost instantly the telephone bell rang. "Tell that chap at Kogarah," said a voice, "to get a kerosene tin and beat it as hard as he can. He'll soon have the bees inside." The suggestion-old as it was-proved effective, for the station had a note of thanks next day from the unwilling owner of the bees, NE of the thrills in a drama called "Ringside," now running in New York, is a broadcast running commentary (says the "Wireless World"). The second scene of the third act is laid at the boxing ring in Madison Square Garden, where a championship battle is in progress. Ashley Cooper, the actor, who takes the part of the broadcast announcer, gives an impersonation of Graham McNamee, one of the most popular announcers in America. A real microphone is used, and the audience hears the "radio" account of the bout on loudspeakers while witnessing it on the stage. (THE Melbourne Cup aroused great interest among Australian listen- ers. The descriptions from Melbourne were very vivid, and the announcer kept up a constant flow of interesting speech. ‘Not once did he falter. Newspapers were at one time sadly smitten by radio, yet on this occasion the Sydney "Sun" had the results in their papers, which were being sold within five minutes of the finish of the race. A writer in Melbourne bemoaned the fact that radio would keep thousands away from the Flemington racecourse, yet there were many who blessed the invention that saved them no small sum. ECENTLY the New South Wales Broadcasting Company received a letter written in a child’s handwriting, ‘asking that Station 2BL, during the usual Sunday morning musical pro-

gramme should. play "Melancholy Baby," followed by an item described as "Sunshine." The small correspondent further requested that her sister -the baby of the family-‘Hmily Ann," aged 18 months, might have a few words addressed to her by the announcer at lunch time "as she. was having trouble with her first teeth!" The announcer on that occasion was not a deputy uncle for nothing, and he rose nobly to the occasion (says 2BL). OR the first time in history, a play, acted at Schenectady, was simultaneously broadcast and televised. The play, a one-act comedy, was acted by two artists in a small studio, while listeners far-removed. could see the actions on a screen and hear the voices of the actors. !