Editorial Notes

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 4, 5 August 1932, Page 4

Editorial Notes

Wellington, Friday, August 5, 1932.

J UST a week before the release of . the Coverage Commission’s re- _ port, a somewhat similar report on Australian conditions was preserited _ to the Institute of Radio Engineers (Australia) by Captain Eckersley. In European broadcast circles there are few engineers so well known as "€aptain Eckersley, who was at one ‘time chief engineer of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Since relinquishing that position he has acted in an advisory capacity to various interests. It is not surprising then that he is now in Australia -at. the invitation of Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., to prepare a report on local conditions, His report and recommendations fill a pamphlet of ‘some 40 pages, and is complete with -maps, tables and graphs. But, unlike the report of the New Zealand commission, it is not written for the man in the street, although it is quite definite and concise in its recommendations. s . ¥ xt ‘(AUSTRALIAN broadcasting, according to the Captain. caters for 3 per cent. of the population only. The stations are haphazardly placed, the wavelengths are not arranged to give maximum coverage, and the power generally inadequate. The country listener is not at all well served, but the urban listener is fairly well served. It is his contention that the listener can be properly served only when his programme is clear, uninterrupted and steady, and when he can pick up the programme independent of the day or year. So far Australian authorities have concentrated upon the use of medium waves, but the report recommends the use of long waves (from 1000 to 2000 metres), by ieee

which 90 per cent. of the rural population can be served. His proposal is for eight new long-wave stations, . ranging in power from 5 to 50 kilowatts, these to be strictly supplementary to the existing service which is to remain intact except for a slight reshuffling of locations. Bg » 3 [N recommending new long-wave stations, the Captain and the New Zealand commisioners are not in agreement, as the latter definitely rule out the suggestion. Their chief objection is that very high power and elaborate systems would need to be installed for two national stations where listeners could be better served by smaller regional stations and relay stations. To give reasonably good coverage, stations would have to be situated in Taumarunui and Banks Peninsula: The proposition is a different one. in Australia, where the eight stations are situated near the centres. % % * THE second objection to the proposal is that the long waves are adversely affected by static. The Australian report points out that the difference is small. "In any case the A service of a station on long waves would be nearly twice the C (much poorer) service atea of a medium-wave station. The atmospheric level would have to be five or six times greater with long waves to make this objection count seriously." The New Zealand Com mission’s third. objection is cost, particularly in view of the fact that a service from a regional station, would be of greater local interest than from a national.station. The Captain justifies this by increased revenue. e- So aS THE final objection of our com‘missioners was undoubtedly that all the sets would have to be altered. Captain Eckersley contends that it would not make the sets dearer, and that it would effectively block the entry of foreign sets, thus building up the Australian industry. Jn any case there would be: the medium-wave stations to which those with the older type sets could listen. mo :, nots e -"'. & + LEAVING ‘cost and receiver out of the question, it seems that the variance in the recommendations

emphasises the difference in New Zealand -and Australian conditions. The. peculiar topography of our country would absorb a great deal of the energy radiated by the longwave station, whereas the absorbtion in Australia would not be nearly so great. It is to be expected that were a national long-wave station erected in Taumarunui, Auckland and Wellington would have fairly poor service, they being in the outer rings of the field. In Australia the major portion of the population is concentrated in the oe

inner rings. ~Were the New Zea- , land stations to be placed to give ur- ‘ ban service, the country districts would be poorly served and a great deal of the power wasted. Where population groups are well separated, as in this country, it seems that the recommendations of our Commission for regional and relay sta~ tions to serve specific areas a sound , one . indeed. Should Australia adopt long-wave stations, those New Zealand receivers equipped for their reception should be able to receive at least the more powerful East Coast stations very well indeed.