RADIO Round the World

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 7, 26 August 1932, Unnumbered Page

RADIO Round the World

THE total number of wireless licenses issued in Britain at the end of July numbered 4,800,000, which is more than 1,000,000 increase in twelve months. It is anticipated that the 5,000,000 mark will be reached during the Radio Exhibition scheduled io be held in August. * bd * : TRANSLATION of the Latin inscription in the entrance hall of the B.B.C.’s new home reads:-This. ‘Temple of the Arts and Muses is dedieated to Almighty God by the first Governors of Broadcasting in the year 1931, Sir John Reith being DirectorGeneral. It is their prayer that good seed may bring forth a good harvest, that all things hostile to peace or purity may be banished from this house and that the people, inclining their ear to whatsoever things are beautiful and honest and of good report, may tread the path of wisdom and uprightness. "x 2

Pre Vatican will be represented at the International Radio Conference to be held in Madrid next month. Father Gianfranceschi, Director of the Papal shortwave station, will be one of the delegates and will attend in a te¢hnical capacity. Being a Jesuit there may be some difficulty in obtaining admittance to Spain, but international interests being involved it is not thought Spain will withhold permission. Pd % % OR the first five months of 1932 new licenses accruing to the B.B.C. total nearly 400,000, representing a revenue increase of nearly £100,000, as the amount received by the broadcasters now is about five shillings per license. This increase offsets largely the £150,000 surrendered to the national exchequer. = 2 HIB annual report of the B.B.C. reyeals that the broadcasting of the promenade concert season at the Queen’s Hall has not had the effect of reducing attendances. During the last season 618 additional season tickets were sold and 96,994 people paid for admission at the door. *% Be PIE new transmitter now in course of erection at Milan will be the most powerful of the Italian group of stations-namely, 75 kilowatts. Tor the sake, however, of economy, there is a possibility that at the start its full power may not be used. The date of its official opening has been fixed for October 28, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Fascist organisation. ® "s ‘ " & , RRArIo VITUS (Paris) has organised a radio service for unemployed persons seeking situations or work. A charge of three francs per line is made for such advertisements broadest, and replies from employers may be-address-ed to the studio. Trade advertisements, however, are charged higher rates, at sce mnt ommreny Sertens e

"LLOYD's LIST," in discussing the reasons why the annual number of British ships posted as missing has declined from 29 in 1920 to 3 in 1931, attributes the improvement mainly to the increasing use of wireless. , : tot % be * T was recently stated that in America kisses by radio are made more real than the actual thing by the method of rubbing resined cork on glass. Synthetic kisses are barred in the B.B.C. studios, and all heard are 100 per cent. of the real thing, even if the sound approaches that of a champagne cork being ejected from a bottle. . ™* xm "% }yXPERIMENTS are being carried out on the coast with. a view to the equipment of the Ostend and GZeebrugge lifeboats with wireless apparatus to enable them-to keep in touch with their home ports when giving assistance to ships in distress. Recent tests demonstrated that transmissions made by these boats at sea were easily picked up by the Wandelaer lightship and the port of Ostend within a radius of twenty-five miles. s o s HE German broadcasting authorities are perhaps more resourceful in securing stunt programmes than any others in Burope. Stuttgart is planning a running commentary of an airship’s voyage by a passenger on a trip from Stuttgart via Geneva and Marseilles to Barcelona. The account will be transmitted through a shortwave transmitter, and will be rebroadcast by the high-powered station at Muhilacker. ES it # JDURING the recent general elections a number of Paris listeners were greatly puzzled by a-wireless mystery transmission picked up on about 308 metres. At various intervals it was announced as "Le Ondes Rouges" (The Red Waves). Investigations proved that the broadeasts emanated from a pirate station operated by members of the Communist Party. Ed : HE U.S.A. Federal Radio Commission has recently authorised the Crosley Radio Corporation to erect a half-million watt experimental broadcasting station near Ohio. This will be the most powerful transmitter ever used in America, and it is estimated that signals will be received in all parts of the country three and a half times stronger thun from a 50 kw. transmitter. In order not to interfere with regular programmes the experimental broadcasts will be made between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., and it is presumed that other similar stations may be built if the new experiment proves ‘a: success. . . ES . 8 : BROADCAST of some importance "~™ in the cultural world has recently taken. place in’ Italy-Goethe’s "Faust" in an Italian translation. The play has never been presented on the: Italian’ stage. The Italian authorities may -therefore claim no little credit for spou-

soring such a "premiere" as the performance of this work. * *" * LAst month most of the Italian stations brodacast a running commentary on what:is perhaps the oldest annual sporting event in the world. This is the "palio," or mediaeval horserace of Siena. The race dated back to the fourteenth century, and is run twice a year, in July and August. In times of war and plague it has been suspended, but the tradition runs back six centuries. The course is the old town’s market-place, and the event attracts spectators from many countries. The race was run at five o’clock, and the commentary was recorded on a blatterphone metal ribbon. This was rushed to the broadcasting stations, which transmitted it at eight o’clock that night. % = 2 PARABOLIC microphones placed on either side of the rostrum facing the delegites*"made it possible for the proceedings of the Republican Convention recently held in Chicago t@ be broadeast throughout the NBC, work of stations in the U.S.A. Fro the control room these "radio ears" were aimed or focussed at any delegate that was speaking, or at any disturbance that was happening on the floor. .A. public- address system was also attached, which permitted every delegate to hear clearly the whole of the proceedings. a com bes] N the City of Buenos Aires there are nineteen: broadcasting stations which derive .their income exclusively from advertising. Another station which is very popular with listeners throughout the Republic is the 5K W station, owned by the municipality. This station has no regular programme and is closed down during the whole of the summer, but it has the right to relay the national operas performed in the Municipal Theatre during the winter months. Radio Excelsior, which is increasing its power this year to 20/25 kw., is also a very popular station. It is Englishowned. a 2 g POLITICAL speeches of all kinds are regularly broadcast throughout Spain, and although Government permission is necessary it is rarely withheld. Several weeks ago a member of the last Monarchial Cabinet was permitted to broadcast through the Spanish network of Stations, and in this speech he violently criticised the work of the new political leaders, The Madrid station broadcasts the sessions of the Madrid Town Council, held enc Friday, and the item is a very one among local listeners, . Y nm Ped Fr ON Derby Day in England an autogiro hovered above the traffic wending its way to Epsom, and kept in‘ constant wireless touch with a ground station which had the duty of controlling the traffic. Policemen whose hehnets ‘were fitted with wireless receivers, also used the information from the aeroplane to assist in the control. et * * a HEN Sir Oliver Lodge recently re--.-ceived the Faraday Medal he was paid the greatest possible tribute by the president of the Institute of Blectrical Wngineers, In making the presentation the president said that it would be superfluous for him to refer to the achievements of Sir Oliver Lodge..