RADIO Round the World

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 8, 2 September 1932, Unnumbered Page

RADIO Round the World

HE Reykjavik station in Iceland has ' ouly some 7000 listeners, and its ingame is therefore extremely small: névertheless, steps are being taken to lay a special cable between Iceland and Copenhagen in order that the islanders may be given at regular intervals a relay of wit reless entertainment. k charge has been made by the chairman of. the Publications Commit_tee of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, that broadcasting in America is undermining education. It was declared that ‘"Hollywoodism" threatens to erush local culture, that ~the standards are low and trashy, and only infrequently produce anything of -high standard. ate te

N exhibition of the sources of interference with radio reception was recently opened in the Berlin Broad-" casting House. In preparation for this all the authorities concerned in col- | laboration carefully examined a nuim-. ber of articles, as well as electrical apparatus, which were designed to elim- — inate interference. ‘This examination‘: took into account not only the degree of interference, elimination, and safety in operation, but also the extent to" which they could be adapted to apparatus in use. Only apparatus which, in addition to eliminating interference but maintains undiminished power is being exhibited. The exhibition and published catalogue is to be permanent andkept up to date. Bg ae nt "PHE possession of a wireless license in Germany insures the holder up to a large sum (a scheme sponsored by the broadcasting authorities) against personal and material damage caused by the set, even by lightning striking the aerial. * Bs * ees) EN Italy there are only 200,000 licensed listeners among «a population of forty millions. In Germany there are 56.23 licenses per thousand of the population, in England 17.5, but in little Denmark there are about 18+ per thousand. 2 % Rr HE tacit rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow on artistic matters has always found a focus point in broadeasting. Tong and loud were the cries in "Auld Reekie’ when Glasgow was honoured by a main: station in 1925, while the historic capital had to content itself with a relay. Many Edinburgh citizens refused to. listen to anything that came from Glasgow. With the erection of a new regional station at Falkirk, Edinburgh. now gains the ascendancy, and there is joy in the East of Scotland. — * x 4 PPOLLOWING 2 protest made by license holders to the effect that they were tired of hearing gramophone records, the Swedish authorities . deereed that records may be used_ by studios for entertainment purposes, but not for more than six-hours.per~week.

"THE Italian postal authorities fixed July 4 as the last date on which broadcast pirates would be tolerated. After that date a ruthless pirate hunt was to be conducted. A license fee in Italy costs about £1, and pirates may be mulcted in fines totalling £14. * * % Ty Germany a volunteer corps of 7000 electricians and technicallyminded amateurs have- been banded together to stop interference by electrical machines, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, ultra-violet ray machines and so on. Every license holder is entitled to this free service, and that is one reason why there is so little. interfer‘ence with radio reception in spite of the spreading of a.c. mains and general adoption of electrical equipment, -.. * * x

¥TER listening to the broadcasts of the’ Democratic Convention, which were transmitted through 158 stations, an American-writer has:come ace eh 2.’ to the conclusion that the microphone---, shy person has no hope of ever becoming President of the United States. Ile suggests that anyone so afflicted and ambitious of becoming a State leader has more hope of being elected . king somewhere else. ne 8 g in] NTIL recently the French have not endeavoured to popularise outside proadeasts, but the -insistent demand of listeners has ultimately changed the attitude of the broadcast authorities. The latest French stunt was a Tunning commentary from the Paris-Calais® express by 2 narrator on the footplate of the engine, which was rebroadcast by a powerful station. Ss a HERE are only five cities with a population of over 100,000 in the U.S.A. that have no broadcasting station of their own. These cities, however, are well served by powerful stations within short range. * bd be HE heavy damping that has been a-feature of broadcasting studios, in which many world-famous artists claim they cannot give their best, is liable to be modified by the decision of New York’s premier station WOR. The heavy sound absorbing material usually covering the whole of the studios is to be discarded, and one end is to remain resonant, and the end where the microphone is placed is to be made dead. The adoption of the electro-dynamic microphone makes this system still more practicable, and it is hoped that. reproduction will therefore be much nearer the actual performance. * % a THE latest information from the U.S.A. reveals the fact that 16,000,000 of the. 29,000,000 homes in that country have wireless receivers installed. ‘The radio audience is thus reckoned to be 60,000,000. The potential market in the still unequipped homes, together with renewal prospects, is spurring the trade to extra energy . this -year..- ee

BaArrp television programmes are to be given from Broadcasting House, — Tiondon, wtider the auspices of the B.B.C. The contract covers the period until March, 1934, and may, of course, be renewed. * * * "THE German Government has ¢commandeered the broadcasting service to the extent of decreeing that a daily half-hour between 6.30 p.m. and 7.380 pam, shall be available, if necessary, for official announcements, Broadcasters will not be responsible for Government transmissions, and although international arrangements for programmes may possibly ‘be interfered with, it is thought ‘every courtesy will be extended. The Communist Party has been debarred the use of the microphone. a * * [HE ban upon the broadcasting of gramophone’ recordings in Australia and New Zealand appears to be-held-.in abeyance. Some new recordings are being made with an injunction attached that they must not be broadcast, but the well-known firms of reeord ‘makers. may have ought better of- their acclaimed project. ere are numerous smaller firms that4lo ‘not agree with the terms suggested ‘ay the big corporations, and these are awaiting an"opportunity that a ban would permit their manufactures receiving the free publicity that broadeasting gives. . : Fe _ e s

REBROADCASTING of American programmes in Germany is immensely. popular, and the SchmelingSharkey fight aroused the greatest enthusiasm. ew listeners, however, understand the "inartistic’ method of running American schedules to split seconds, and the reason that announcers break off an interesting item as the second, has arrived for somebody else to sing or speak. The sport-loving listener-is particularly irritated when a reader of poems or a chanter of ballads cuts off the report of a match at the crucial moment. . es a % THE Advisory Committee on Spoken English to the B.B.C. has deferred recommendation upon the pronunciation of the word "Joule." ‘The origin of the term, meaning a practical unit of energy, was in the name of a British scientist, but all countries have adopted the name as spelt. There is no doubt as to the pronunciation that Joule himself applied, but diificulties arise in German and French in the pronunciation of the "J." With a view to having a common pronunciation for a universal word, the committee is communicating with foreign academies to elicit if co-operate. affort will be made for one an : a % ALTHOUGH a’ comparatively fnew development in aviation, #adio beacons are being established in all large centres where regular flying schedules are conducted. On leaving the. starting point the pilot tunes to the transmitter located at the town of his destination. In fair or foul weather, at night or during the day, the plane is guided by the radio beacon. The pilot through his helmet headphones hears an uninterrupted buzzing sound when on his course. This sound is converted into a series of interrupted dots and dashes if the plane veers.to the right or left, Usually two or three times:an hour weather conditions are substituted for the buzz, so that blind flying is now a thing of. the past.