The Case for Radio in Rural Outposts

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 48, 14 June 1929, Page 2

The Case for Radio in Rural Outposts

Editor-Announcer visits Gisborne

O make contact with listeners in important rural centres, Mr. J, Ball, BHditor-Announcer of the Radio Broadcasting Company, visited Gisborne. where he was given the opportunity of . addressing a gathering of 100 radio enthusiasts, "T came here this evening to tell you something concerning the inauguration, operation, and ideals of the New Zealand Broadcasting Co.," said Mr. J. Ball, reports the "Poverty Buy Herald." ‘The proceedings were broadcast by Station 2ZM. ~ Mr. Ball stated that the company at the outset did not seek a national service. .All that Mr. Goodfellow had in mind at first was the provision of a broadcasting service for the benefit of farmers in the Waikato district. When he approached the Government with this suggestion he was asked to consider the matter from a national point

of view. ‘There had been many montis of negotiation towards this end, but no one had been found willing to undertuke the enterprise on the Government’s terms. After some hesitation, Mr. Goodfellow agreed to.do so on con(lition that Mr. A. R. Harris, an expert in whom he had the fullest confidence, would act as co-director and general manager, and that a license was issued on terms equally satisfactory to themselves and to the Government, Mr. Harris signified his. willingness to cooperate, with the result that operations were commenced. An Arduous Responsibility. " TUST here let ‘me express my persohal opinion that the agreement under which the company faced this arduous responsibility embodied terms to which very few business men would willingly subseribe," added Mr. Ball. "Only men possessed of a strong sense of connnunity service, and inspired with the ambition to create, to achieve, to accomplish something worth while more for the satisfaction of having accomplished it than for any material gain which riint acetue from accomplishment, would have aecepted under such conditions the burden involved. They undertook to establish, maintain, and conduct a national broadeasting service for a specifically limited dividend (when .earned) of 74 per cent., it being stipulated that any and all profit. in excess thereof must be devotr ed to the improvement nnd extension of the service, which service they were hound to operate under strict Government regulations." Splendid Services. ‘T HAVE no hesitation: in publicly declaring that the company has more than faithfully fulfilled its trust," continuc 1 the speaker, "It is giving listeners to its four big stations three times the length of service called for under the agreement, and [ need seracely tell you that in broadcasting as in any other enterprise time means money. I want you to reittlise. wliat this means, The directors are giving three times the hours of service which they undertook to give; they have built and equipped four modern transmission stations, one of them & superpower station, infinitely more costly than tle agreement specified; established an -efficient staff organisation ; consistently improved the standard of broadcast programmes; and formulated a definite policy designed in time to give New Zealand one of the mast complete and éfficient broadcast services in the world." Some idea of the "straw" required for the making of broadcast proer ~ " oan nde a ---= + --~- ye — — 1» ---- .-- -, Se > cane &

grnimmes was given by Mr. Dall, who suid that the minimum: cost of running a half kilowatt station on a proper basis, without-‘any charge for talent, whs estimated at £8000 a year. "Add to this for talent a minimum of £10 u day for six days a week-over £3000 a year-plus a further £1000 for copyright charges, relays, and other .expenses, atid you haye an estimated minimum of £12,000 a year. For a five-kilowatt station, as is 2¥A, Wellington, the éstimated minimum total cost may be figured at about £14,000, plus say £4000 for talent and £1500 for copyright, relays, and incidettal expenses. This estimate, while allowing for depreciation and _ interest, makes no provision for a sinking fund. The significance of these figures is that. a revenue of at least £55,000 is required to do justice to the four stations." Programmes Criticised. REFERRING to psychology in relation to programmes, Mr. Ball said that all broadcusting programmes were subject to a good deal of adverse criticism. "So, by the same token, are the programmes of the B.B.C., which has ut its command the world's best urtists," continued the speaker. "Here we have a most convincing demonstration of the utter impossibility of pleasing the entire broadcast audience. The psychological explanation is as simple as it is obyious-the infinite variety of hitman tustes,, Allan Wilkie comes with a Shakespearenn repertoite, and all good lovers of Shapespeare’s plays flock to his performances and sre dé lighted. An outstanding exponent of classical musie stages a recital and finds an appreciative audience in people who find enjoyment in that class of music. Williamson’s put on musical comedy knowing full well that musical comedy appeals to a large section of the community. Fuller’s specinlise in ¥audeville and draw the appreciative patronage of those who favour that kind of entertainment. And so on., Each sphere of entertainment claims its own votaries. Hut the hroadeast progrnainme goes on the air to all and sundry, and it isa moral certainty that from overtnre to anthem it is jarring eitlicr one or other of these variegated tastes. The very best the organiser of °° broadcast programme can hope to do is to please some of the listenérs some of the time," Réception in Poverty Bay. RRAviIo réveption in Poverty Bay was then dealt with by Mr. Ball. "Unfortunately J am unable to speak to you as an expert ob the technical side," he said, "but I gather from the company’s electrical experts that fad-

ing, particularly the type where the music becomes fuzzy and distorted, is very varely due to any fault at the trinsmitting station, This irregularity niways appears after dark, and is more prevalent in winter than in summer. Moreover, it has been noticed that the greater the power of the station the more it is subject to ‘night distortion’ Our ¢rigineers have deduced @ rule which seems to work out very well in practice, and it is this: ‘If a listener is situated more than 150 miles from a station and he gets good daytime reception from the station, the signals will practically be certain to be subject to distortion fading at night. "The exact cause of fading .is "tt definitely known, but there is a generally aecepted theory which in practice accounts for most of the peculiarities we observe," he explained. "When a station transmits a signal-the wave, travels outwards in two directions.One portion hangs on to the surface of the earth and is known as the ground wave, while the other portion travels upwards and outwards and away from thé earth. Surrounding the earth is the atmosphere, which gets more rarefied as the height increases. until a point is reached at. which its density becomes negligible. This extremely thin atmosphere forms a layer round the earth known as the ‘heaviside layer’ and is the cause of all the trouble: "When the sun’s rays are shining Ofty this layer an electrical action is set} up Which causes the layer to be more or less electrically conducting. In the daytime, therefore, the ~- waves which teach this ‘heaviside layer’ from the transmitting station, are absorbed, At night-time, however, no absorption takes place, and the signal is reflected back again to the earth. The ground wave is, of vourse, unaffectéd by day or night conditions and is quité constant, but if we add to this another wave from the same station such as one reflected from above --and oné which has probably travel(Concluded on page 5.)

Rural Radio

(Concludéd from page 2.) led & greater distance from the ground wave-a certain interference will be set up between the two received waves, and distortion will result. The upper atmosphere is constantly moving, due to meteorological conditions, and that is why the signals from a station may be clear for a while and then become distorted, due to the ground and reflected waves getting into and out of phase as the angle of the reflected wave varies." In concluding, the speaker pointed out that the system in operation in New Zealand was at present as up-to-date as any in the world, and the organisation was keyéd to a high pitch of enthusiasm.

Relay Stations. N response to a request from the chairman, the secretary of the Gisborne Listeners-in League, Mr. S. J. Pearson, outlined a local grievance. For some time Gisborne people had been agitating for a better service, he said. They had placed the matter before the Premier and had been assured that Sir Joseph Ward had done his best to further their interests, but for some unknown reason there had been much delay. However, Mr. Ball had promised that, in the event of relay stations being established throughout the Dominion, he would do his best to have the first one constructed at Hastings, where it would be of direct benefit to Gisborne. ‘This, said Mr. Pearson, would amalgamate the Hast Coast and Hawke’s Bay radio listeners. At the request of the chairman, Mr. Ball then entertained the company for a time with a variety of anecdotes connected with broadcasting, ranging from sparkling humour to pathos. . A hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Ball.