Broadcasting to the Empire

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 27, 15 January 1932, Page 7

Broadcasting to the Empire

An. Announcement was recently made that the B.B.C. had intentions immediately to proceed with a Short Wave Station for Empire B’casting

LITTLE over a year ago -writes "World Radio," which is the official journal of the British. Broadcasting Cor-poration-we gave an account of the position of the Empire broadcasting scheme as’ it existed at that time. A further stage has now been reached. The public announcement, a fortnight ago, of the intention of the B.B.C. immediately to proceed with plans for establishing a short-wave station to be used for broadcasting to the various parts of the Empire has aroused a considerable degree of interest in this country. It may be expected that an equal measure of notice of the announcement will be taken by the Dominions and colonies. Indeed, the messages sent to this journal by their representatives in this country indi-

cated clearly the satisfaction with which the Empire in general has received the news. It is a matter of history that the B.B.C. arranged with the Marconi Company to establish an experimental short-wave transmitter at ‘Chelmsford. This transmitter, GOSW, was capable of putting about 12 k.w. into the aerial, and was made up largely of existing apparatus. It transmitted on one wave only, viz., 24 metres, approximately, which » was chosen as a compromise to give the best chance to most of the ., Empire to carry out reception experiments. The programme material Fused consisted generally of excerpts taken from the Daventry, 5XX, programme. Transmissions from this station started in November, 1927, under license from the Postmaster-General, which made clear. the experimental nature of the station. (The transmission of news was forbidden, for instance.) Y 1929 a considerable" number of reports and data had been received by the B.B.C., from which several important conclusions resulted. Firstly, there was no doubt that a real listener, as apart from an amateur, interest existed and that there was a widespread hope that a service would be undertaken. Secondly, the interest was greatest in the colonies, while the Dominions were interested mainly in the occasional transmission of special events-for instance, the Armistice Day ceremony at the Cenotaph. On the basis-of these reports and a detailed examination of the data, the B.B.C. was able to submit a fairly precise scheme to the Colonial Office, via the Post Office, in November, 1929. This proposed scheme, together with two variants of it, were further considered

by the Imperial Conference, 1930, but, as we expected, this Conference gave them little support, passing the following resolution: "The Conference recognises the technical and financial difficulties of the scheme and feels that further information is required to determine whether they can be overcome. It recommends as a first step that his. Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom should suggest to the British Broadcasting Corporation that that body should communicate particulars of the scheme to the broadcasting organisations or other appropriate authorities throughout the Empire, and should invite them to furnish their views (after any necessary consultation with their respective Governments) as to the value of such a ser

vice, and as to their readiness to make a contribution toward its cost in return for the right to relay any part of the service which, they may require. A’ the request of the Post Office, the B.B.C. acted on this resolution, by communicating particulars of the three schemes to broadcasters in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa; to the High Commissioners of Newfoundland and Southern Rhodesia; to the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries, Montreal (for communication to Canadian broadcasters other than the Canadian National Railways); to the Indian State Broadcasting Service; and to the Broadcasting Department of the Department of Post and Telegraphs, Irish Free State. The position was becoming unsatisfactory. The existing station is not entirely representative of modern technique-it can use but one wavelength, whereas several are essential-and restrictions on its use in any case deny the provision of a comprehensive short-wave "service" to the Empire. At the same time, its maintenance costs a considerable amount annually. It appeared that the time had come when a decision had to be made as to whether this experimental station should be definitely closed down or a new and adequate station ‘provided. Now, the need of an adequate Empire broadcasting service was not decreasing-quite otherwise, in fact. The B.B.C. decided, therefore, that in view of the urgeticy of the problem it must assume the necessary financial responsibility involved in going ahead with the scheme. Once it is in operation, it is hoped that the interest which it will undoubtedly. arouse will result in some (Concluded on page 8)

Broadcasting to the Empire (Continued from page 7.) return on expenditure in the form of a contribution from the colonial listener, possibly a proportion of the license fee paid by such listener to his local administration. Among the suggestions for financing Hmpire broadcasting recommended by .the Colonial Conference last year was @ special fee of 5/- per listener be eharged. And so after four years an Bmpire service is to be inaugurated. Technical Details. Technically, the following details will be of interest. Tio separate transmitters will be used, arranged for simultaneous operation. They will be erected at Daventry, where a site is already available on the land owned there by the B.B.C. It will be possible to radiate separate programmes from the two transmitters at the same time, although normally it will not be necessary to do so. A ‘number of aerials will be used to permit transmission on the various wavelengths necessary to reach any part of the world at the desired time of day. Although no wavelengths have vet been chosen, it ‘is probable that one wave will be available in each of the bands of short waves allotted to broadcasting by the Washington (Confer- ence, viz. :-

It is probable, therefore, that each transmitter will be able to transmit on three short waves, arrangements being made for a fairly quick change from one wave to another. The transmitter will conform to modern standards of frequency, stability, modulation, depth and audio frequency characteristic, while their power will be of the order of 15 to 20 kilowatts supplied to the aerial in carrier-wave condition. The construction of the station will begin shortly, and it should be completed in’ about one year’s time, Transmission Hours. In order to reach the ideal of each Dominion and colony being given a programme during the whole of the hours from 6 p.m, to midnight local time, it would be necessary to run the transmitters for a very considerable part of the 24 hours. At the outset, however, the hours of working will depend on the initial success of the service and the demand it stimulates. In general, it will be composed of material available in the Home programmes, but the production of specially-timed programmes would ‘also be involved in any complete service to an Empire.which covers some 800 degrees of longitude. In concluding this brief survey of a wide subject, it is perhaps well to state, for the benefit of British listeners in this country, that, except in certain conditions, the Wmpire transmitters will not be generally receiyable in the British Isles.: The direct rays of the short waves in use will become attenuated very rapidly. while the ‘indirect rays which will give the

service’ to the Empire will not reach the earth again, after returning from the Heaviside Layer, within a distance of several hundreds of . miles, the exact distance depending on the season of the year, the time of day, and the wavelength in use, News Service from G5SW. THE Chelmsford shortwave station. G5SW, have started the New

i Year well by broadcasting a regular news service for "shortwave listeners in the British Commonwealth," commencing on January 4. ‘This service, according to the announcer of 58W, is available by special arrangement with Reuters. This service, no doubt, will be very welcome to Britishers overseas who are well away from daily newspapers which get: the cables from Home in quick time, but for the majority of us in’ New Zealand the news given out by 5SW -has-already appeared in the local Press; at least, that has been my experience during the past few days. These news sessions are thrice daily ( except Saturday and Sunday, when 58W is silent) from 12.30 a.m. to 12.45 am., 6.30 am. to 6.45 am., and 12 a.m. (noon) to 12.15 p.m., all New Zealand summer time.. Listening on Shortwave. OW that a new Empire station has been decided upon, there is bound to he a much, greater interest taken in the most interesting of all broadcast listening-on short waves. Of course, the British programmes will be rebroadcast. hy the YA stations, but who wants a rebroadcast programme when. it is possible with a very little expense to acquire 2 shortwave receiver? One can be obtained either ready to use or-the most interesting way-can be built by onesself, and it is not very difficult when you are told just what is required. Next, and most important, is how to fune in the dozens of shortwave stations that are broadedsting interesting programmes from nearly every civilised country in the world. This tuning is just a little tricky at first, but with a. little assistance from the right quarter and experience the newcomer to short waves will be surprised at the number of stations it is possible to log, not always strong enough for the loudspeaker, but loud enough to be readable on the phones. ‘There is more credit in logging a very lowpower station in a-distant country than in putting one ‘of-the mighty stations of many kilowatts on- the speaker. oy

Kilocycles. 6,000 to 6,150 9,500 to 9,600 11,700 te 11,900 15,100 to 15,350 17,750 to 17,800 21,450 to 21,550 Metres. (50 to 48.8) (31.6 to 81.2) (25.6 to 25.2) (19.85 to 19.55) (16.9 to 16.85) (14 to 13.9)