Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 12, 2 October 1931, Unnumbered Page

Radio Round the World

PUBLIC listening saloons are to he erected in the Moscow area by the Soviet broadcasting authorities. GERMAN medical authorities recent‘ly installed a wireless coast station for the broadcasting of medical advice to ships. A ship transmitting a call of this kind is connected through this .medium direct to the National Hospital at Cuxhaven. On August 10 last HolJand instituted a similar service to enable ships at sea to ask for wireless advice from the doctors in the Red Cross Hospital af The Hague for the benefit of sick persons on board. Radiograms and consultations are supplied "Without charge. * : % S a result of successful experiments recently conducted with a new signal apparatus invented by Professor Benz, of Vienna, it is proposed to in~gtall portable shortwave stations in every refuge hut on the Austrian Alps. They are so constructed that they can be readily used in emergency by tonexpert and can even be made automatic, giving SOS signals with an unmistakable identifying sign for the particular hut from Which the er" is sent. it ms " ME. H. A. L. FISHER, chairman of the B.B.C.’s Central Couneil for School Broadcasting. said that during the year ended in June last, over 600 new schools had installed radio receivers and adopted the use of broadcast Jessons. School broadcasting had now passed the experimental stage. Teachers should not judge the value of broadeast lessons by the average reaction of their classes; a fresh voice, coming from outside, informed and illumined by @ type of experience other than that which was common to the

teachers in the school, might always. have the chance of lighting a flame of intellectual ambition in the mind of some promising boy or girl. Hven if reception were bad, and the average response of the class indifferent, yet the experiment was worth while for this reason. ar ok = N arrangement has been made in France recently between the Society of Authors, Composers and Kditors of Musie and the Professional Syndicaté of Wireless Industries with regard to the royalties to be paid by establishments giving public radio concerts. Such establishments have been divided into three categories, as follow :- 1. Important establishments az j large stores where the concert is purely of a public character. Tn these cases a fixed fee will be made for the concert or a series of concerts. 2. Shops which give loudspeaker demonstrations which aré not reserved exclusively for its customers, but which may be listened to by passers-by or by visitors who may be allowed to enter the shop freely. The royalty in this case yaries from 11 to 23 franes per

month, according to the size of town and shop. 3 Shops giving demonstrations exclusively for the benefit of their customers are not reyuired to pay any royalty. Bo % oo [2 has been suggested that the extra £35,000 which the British Post Office has added to the B.B.CV’s share of license fees should be used fo build an umpire shortwave trausmitter at Daventry, Apropos this, the "Wireless World? remarks that the B.B.C. is "Uy in arms against the suggestion." "A year or two ago," continues that anthority, "there was a general feeling in this country that an Empire broadcast: ing service should be pushed forward with all possible speed, but after negotintions had been established between the Home Government, the colonies, and the B.B.C. to discuss the matter, the response from overseas has prover somewhat disappointing, and the eager ness of the colonies to participate in an Empire broadcasting service does not seem sufficiently keen to inspire an overwhelming desire on their part to contribute towards the necessary ¢xpeuses."

"THE question of whether listening broadcasting is conducive to cart ful and prudent driving is now being considered by the Montreal City Cotncil, as the result of-a motion before the aldettnen asking for the abolition of receiving equipment in motoi-cars. As the issue presents a great divergence of views, the Royal Automobile Club — of Canada has invited motorists to stpmit their opinions in writing. So far the majority of Ietters received favour the installation of receivers in cars, it being held that they provide good entertainment on long trips. "It is at least better than the backseat drivet," — argues one writer. Others claim that _ they never "tune it’ until they begin to travel on the country roads. Sets are never used while driving on the city streets, it is held; hence there is ho reason for Montreal to legislate against them. That opinion is divided on the question is shown by the tenor of,.gther nissives, the writers of which aregfinalterably opposed to the installatifgpot sets in cars on the ground that" Tey bother and hinder the driver, It lean be quite imagined that in some circhmstances an exhortation from the lotdspeaker to "Keep right on to the end of the road" might inspire even & tintid (river with temporary courage to ignore the admonitory arm of the Jaw x and "Sing Holly, Go Whistle, Hey, «. Hey!" as a greeting would not be likely ; | fo assuage authority when; the constable looked if at the window, to demand "name and address, please! 1