EMPIRE SHORT WAVE STATION.

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 11, 26 September 1930, Page 4

EMPIRE SHORT WAVE STATION.

A MATTER which has been under discussion in influential circles for some time is the provision of a central Empire Short Wave Broadcasting Station, with the object of providing all parts of the Empire with a news service from British headquarters and maintaining continuity of service and interest. .The problem has been to decide which body should undertake this service. On representations being made to the British Broadcasting Corporation its reply was it derived its funds from listeners in the British Isles for the provision of a service. for them, and that if the British Dominions overseas desired the establishment of a short wave broadcasting station for the duplication of programmes for their benefit and the transmission of news, it was up to the Governments of the Dominions concerned, or the Colonial Office, or some authority with Empire backing other than themselves, to contribute to the cost of the station. This point of view was sound enough, and it plainly became a case for compromise and adjustment of views as to the provision of the necessary financial backing. ACCORDING to an announcement made on the authority of the "Wireless World," a conference has been proceeding in Britain under the auspices of the Colonial Office between representatives of the overseas Dominions concerned and the British Broadcasting Corporation. As a result of that conference it is understood that a formal report will be submitted to the forthcoming Imperial Conference advising that a sum of £23,000 will be found by the Colonial Office for the erection of a short wave station, presumably at Daventry. Further, the cost of maintenance will be met by the Colonial Office,

including a sum of £3000 for the provision of a special news service by Reuter’s News Agency. The British Broadcasting Corporation will staff the station and technically conduct all transmissions. 2 THE details of procedure are not yet complete, but in the course’ of the earlier negotiations it was announced that the hope was entertained of being able to provide a 24-hour service. This would be desirable in order to give all parts of the Empire the opportunity of securing the news. Owing to the time factor, the quality of reception varies in the different Dominions overseas, so that to give equal service to all, continuity of service and a certain amount of . repetition of the important news.is necessary. To achieve this it may be advisable to record the programmes as they are transmitted and repeat them at intervals. TECHNICAL difficulties of this nature will doubtless be satisfactorily overcome. The important thing is that unanimity has been achieved, permitting of the vigorous prosecution of this scheme. All the colonial interests involved appreciate its significance and the importance of their being provided with an Imperial news service from the heart of the Empire. To no country is this more vital than Great Britain because of the size and variety of her overseas possessions. . Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Spain, and Russia have high-powered short wave stations for the sake of providing prompt communication with their-overseas possessions. Some of these stations are heard regularly in New Zealand. Hitherto Britain has relied upon the inadequate power of 5SW. This station has been merely of an experimental nature, but has doubtless served its function in providing data which will be useful in the bigger scheme now to be undertaken. The value of this service cannot be over-estimated, and it is particularly appropriate that finality should have been reached prior to the Imperial Conference about to assemble in London. The great: political feature of the day in Empire circles is the desirability of promoting closer unity of trade and political thought between all parts of the Empire. In attaining that objective this short wave station will play a very important part. .