Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 31, 12 February 1932, Unnumbered Page

Radio Round the World

NSTEAD of broadcasting its news bulletins in the usual way, Radio Paris is now presenting them in the form of talks given by a prominent journalist. It has been found that the monotonous’ presentation of stock exchange reports, traffic accidents, press report items and weather forecasts cause many to switch off until something brighter is broadcast. CCORDING to Mr. O. B. Hanson, chief engineer of the National | Broadcasting Company of America, ;there are probably more than half a ‘gpillion television amateurs in — the : United States to-day. Mr. Hanson believes that the future of television lies in the cathode ray system, rather than in the scanning disc method now used ‘in the Baird system. Mr. Gerald Chatfield, supervisor of programmes and | art technical director of the N.B.C., \recently toured the Continent with Mr. Hanson, seeking new ideas for Radio City, the gigantic New York broadjcasting project. * * * | ESPITE the depression, it is reported that there is such a demand in England for wireless sets that in many cases dealers are unable to obtain supplies. According to an official ef the Radio Manufacturers’ Associa-

tion, nearly 73,000 sets were purchased in October, compared with about 36,S00 in the same month last year. The total number of receivers sold by British manufacturers last year Was 649,100, but it is expected that this year’s total will be well over a million, At the end of October more than 200,000 people were directly employed in making wireless sets and parts, an increase of 60,000 compared with the same period last year. * * a N interesting experiment was carried out recently in Germany. A pseudo criminal set out in a "stolen" aeroplane bound for an unknown dles--¢tination. Five minutes after he had left, a description of his plane was

broadcast and listeners were asked to report on its movements to the transmitting station. Meanwhile another aeroplane containing ‘police’ and equipped with wireless left the aerodrome and waited in mid-air for these reports to come via the station. These were received so regularly that the "criminal" was captured after only an hour’s freedom. * * x

To mark the thirtieth anniversary of Marchese (then Signor) Marconi’s first test in trans-Atlantic wireless telegraphy between Cornwall and Newfoundland with the now famous "S" signal, on December 12 last the American stations organised a commemorative programme in which a number of European stations participated. Signor Marconi had met with many disannointments. culminating in the com-

plete wrecking by a gale, first of the transmitting station in Cornwall and then of the receiving installation at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Rather than wait yet another year for the reconstruction of the two stations, Signor Marconi decided to make a preliminary trial between England and Newfoundland. On Thursday morning, December 12, 1900, on Signal Hill, Newfoundland, despite a gale, he managed to fly a kite to a height of about 400 feet. It had been agreed that a series of "S’s" at a given speed should be transmitted from Poldhu at pre--arranged intervals. At 12.30 p.m. his hopes and efforts were rewarded by the reception of a succession of three faint clicks. ae *® £

"THE development of radio evidently has tended to whet the public’s appetite for books rather than diminish the demand, according to the results of a library survey undertaken by the U.S. Office of Education. During the past six years, in which radio steadily has mounted in public favour, libraries throughout the U.S.A. have shown meteorie expansion, with an increase of 33,500,000 books recorded. e * x Rad! will assist in forest fire protection in Northern Saskatchewan, the provincial forestry department havying decided to establish a system of lookout towers equipped with shortwave transmitting and receiving sets to supplement the aerial patrol. * * * EVEN police radio cars patrol Paris, communicating with headquarters on one of four different wave-lengths. Tf it is suspected that criminals are | Jistening-in, a change-over is made at

a prearranged signal to another waveJength. The car installations work on 50 watts, with a wavelength of from 140 to 370 metres. * * "2 T Broadcasting House, the British Broadcasting Corporation’s new headquarters, a sitting-room, comforts ably furnished and equipped with writing facilities, has been provided for the use of critics. x & LJ

ONE of the saddest letters ever Te ceived by the B.B.C.: "IT ’ave a lisense since four years and ’ave not heard nothing." * oe *

prize for the best essay on proglcasting, incorporating answers to thse questions :- What is the range of broadcasting from a psychological point of view? Can it be compared to that of the Press or of the cinematograph? Is broadcasting already exercising an influence? In what circles? To what extent? Does it present any dangers? What are they? How can they be guarded against? Can it be of use to education and instruction? In the family? In the school? _ How should programmes be composed? By whom? A FRENCH organisation is on 2 * ¥

7 the annual banquet of the Radio Manufacturers’ Association, held recently in London, it was stated that Great Britain was morally entitled to use Empire broadcasting to expand her trade, and the suggestion was made that the British Broadcasting Corporation should consider the possibility of killing two birds with one stone by selling space "on the air’ to pay for Empire services, and at the same time advertise British goods. * * ® FROM time to time the Bucharest station now broadcasts a list of the names of those persons who are caught listening without a license. This should be a very effective way of stopping "pirating." * * 2 Two hundred and forty sea-sick passengers helped to enliven a novel running commentary recently broaicast from a boat in the English Chajnnel, through the radio station at Lilfe, France. According to a Huropean contemporary, listeners heard a graphic account given by the announcer, who, though he himself was partly overcome by mal de mer, continued courageously to describe the immense waves, the smashing of glass in the captain’s cabin, and the attitudes of his unhappy fellow-voyigers until he was mercifully faded out, An enjoyable programme!