UNITY THROUGH RADIO.

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 9, 12 September 1930, Page 4

UNITY THROUGH RADIO.

‘VISIONS of increasing world unity through radio, in the artistic and literary field at any rate, are raised by a British Official Wireless message just published. This announced that, in the course of the next few months, listeners in the British Isles will be enabled to enjoy direct contact through improved land line conimunications with the three outstanding music centres on the Continent of Vienna, Budapest and Warsaw. . This has been made possible by the co-operation of the International Broadcasting Union, which has its headquarters at Geneva. Recently the experiment was carried out of broadcasting the Salzburg Mozart festival. The results were brilliantly successful. Improved technical efficiency in land line communication now makes it possible for perfect clarity to be achieved over long distances. From the technical point of view, therefore, distance has been conquered, and it is now feasible for practically the whole of Europe to be built into one link. BUT the advance of radio does not stop even there. Experiment has ever been proceeding, and the result of the efficiency achieved through these continued experiments is seen in the announcement that closer communication in the radio world is about to be established between the United States and Great. Britain. In the interview with Mr. A. R. Harris, which we published on his return from his recent visit to the United States, he indicated that through the use of diversity antennae increased efficiency in the reception of short-wave broadcasts was possible, and that it had been found ‘he United States was able to receive British programmes with a remarkable degree of efficiency. Through that efficiency it has now been arranged that a regular series of talks will be directed to American audiences by famous Englishmen, the names to be featured in the first series being Sir Oliver Lodge, Mr. H. G. Wells and Mr. John Masefield. This constitutes a remarkable advance. Not only will the thought of these

famous Englishmen be of interest to the United States, but their diction and their use of the English language. It has long been recognised that radio would inevitably tend to the elimination of loc diversities of speech and the establishment of the language on (a broad basis of standard purity. Such broadcasts as these will accentuate that process. Incidentally the development of the talkie film is working in the same direction, although from a reverse angle, viz., the exhibition of the puerilities of what is known as the ordinary American dialect. That is simply being pushed out of existence by "talkie" diffusion, and is being replaced by actors whose language is understandable and appreciated by British ears. ANOTHER amazing development in radio is that foreshadowed by | Mr. Harris, when he indicated that recordings of overseas programmes will shortly be secured, and in the comparatively near future be made available to New Zealand audiences. Certain difficulties, both from the technical and business point of view, may hhave to be overcome before clarity and perfection are attained; buty this is a consummation of the future which certainly will be impatiently awaited by New Zealand audiences which desire to participate in the world’s best. Great as have been the advances of the past quarter century, it is plain from this indication of events that, at any rate in the harvesting of the gains of the past, much yet awaits us.