News from the Radio World

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 34, 7 March 1930, Unnumbered Page

News from the Radio World

JN the Yosemite Valley in América is an eminence known as Glacier Point, which rises 3480 feet above the floor of the valley. This point dominates the whole valley, and is the scene of an awe-inspiring spectacle known as the fire-fall. It consists of building a huge bonfire on top of the peak and pushing the blazing embers and red-hot ashes over the cliff. The fire falling that enormous distance is said to be a sight never to be forgotten. Appropriate music was supplied for the first time recently, and proved such a suecess that efforts are being made to establish it as a permanent feature @f the entertainment. On this two moving coil speakers with 41 paper horns were mounted on the rocks. They were pointed downward at such an angle that there would be no echo from the cliffs on the opposite side of the valley. Despite the fact that the full volume of the equipment was neyer used, the music, provided by a gramophone, was distinctly heard at points five miles distant. It was not possible to check up speech reception at that distance but speech was clearly distinguishable at a distance of one mile. This was proved by the announcer talking to people bathing in a pool one mile away. The bathers did as the announcer requested them to and so indicated that they could fully understand everything that was being said to them.

GO far as adult study is concerned, > the B.B.C. does not claim that the broadcast lecturer can cover all the ground of the subject concerned, but they hold the opinion that he can stimulate interest in a subject which the listener can follow up by private reading. This is claimed to have been proved by the reports made by various librarians throughout the United Kingdom. They state that there is an enormous demand for books that have been recommended by adult education lecturers when broadcasting. WORKMEN’S Radio League has recently. been formed in Austria, and it is to have a representative on the Radio Council controlling Austrian broadcasting. Thee "planks" in the "platform" of the league at present are (1) Jess classical music; (2) light music much eurlier in the evenings (for relays of jazz orchestras after. 11 p.m. are not much good to workers * fho must be on duty at 6 a.m.); and Wp) no more gramophone records in the studio, as all listeners, as license-hold-ers, expect first-hand music, unless far some exceptional reason or in an emergency. The same complaint about the general lateness of the brightest feutures of programmes is made by the peasantry in all provinces of Austria. Of course, opera and theatre relays cannot be much earlier than they are, nor can orehestral concerts. but studio performances can be timed at will Farmers and their families and staffs ure generally "early to bed,’ and in the winter months, want the loud speaker to cheer them up before they sleep. The Radio Coyncil is doing its ' utmost to meet these criticisms and brighten programmes all round.