Round-The-World Reports On Christmas Day Broadcasts

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 32, 15 February 1935, Page 11

Round-The-World Reports On Christmas Day Broadcasts

Extension and Development of Empire Service a: During Past. Year :

HORT-WAVE conditions were apparently satisfactory throughout the world on Christmas Day and good reception of "Empire Exchange’ was obtained almost everywhere, writes the B.B.C. correspondent from. London. Up to December 31, the B.B.C, had received the following reports: Australia.-The whole of the programme was relayed, via the radiotelephone link, by the national network of stations operated by the Aus-. tralian Broadcasting Commission. A report from the Commission in Melbcurne stated that great interest was shown in.the. programme and that it was 95 per cent. intelligible, Reports . from Sydney show that reception was not so good there. and it must be supposed that this refers to medium-wave reception of the local ‘station, which seems to have been interfered with by atmospherics; since it is known that the programme was satisfactorily received at the end of the radio-telephone link. New Zealand.-A report from a New Zealand broadcaster, stated that the programme: was. 50 per cent. intelligible, the King’s speech being best. It must be remembered ‘that the local time of reception was between 2 a.m. and -3 a.m., and that it is not to be expected that many were listening. India.-The whole of the programme was relayed by Bombay and Calcutta, the King’s speech by radio-telephone and the remainder from the Empire station at Daventry. The comments were: "King’s speech excellent," "Gen-° erally satisfactory," and "Interesting Christmas programme greatly appre ciated." South Africa.-tIn South Africa reception was good. The stations of the African Broadcasting Company relayed the whole programme via _ radio-tele-phone. Johannesburg and Cape Town have both sent reports, the former stating "Local rebroadeasts excellent." Southern Rhodesia (Salisbury).Had good reception both over the ra-

dio-telephone and from the Nmpire station. A report also states that the recorded version transmitted from the Empire station from 6.10 to 7.25 p.m. on Christmas evening was well received. Kast Africa.-The Nairobi broadcast: ing station relayed the whole programme from the Empire station. The programme was "‘rreatly appreciated," speech from the homme country being 100 per cent. intelligible, while that from relayed programmes was 90 per . cent. intelligible. West -Accra reported perfect reception from the Empire station, in fact, "‘best reception on record to date." Sierra Leone reported good reception throughout from the Empire station. Lagos also reported perfect reception from Daventry through the Government rediffusion service. Canada.-The . Canadian.... Radio Broadcasting Commission relayed the whole programme over their coast-to-coast network via the radio-telephone service, "All satisfactory" is one report. U.S.A.-Both the Columbia Broadcasting System and the National Broadcasting Company relayed the whole programme over their. coast-to-coast networks via the Empire. ‘station at Daventry. Argentina and Uruquay.-The whoie programme was relayed: by stations in Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Monteyideo, the relay being made via the Empire station and Buenos Aires. Reception was fair. Brazil.-A rebroadcast of the whole programme via the Hmpire station was made by Radio Cruzeiro do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, and by San Paulo. The report states that the rebroadcast was completely successful. Bermuda.-The programme was heard in Bermuda via the Dmpire siation, reception at first being fair, later improving to good. WITH the advent of the new year it is possible to look with satisfaction on 1934 as a year in which the Empire

Broadeastinug Service ltas made steady progress and become more firmly established in the affeciions of an eyvergrowing body of listeners throughout the world. As a result of continwous experiments of the: engineering branenh of the B.B.C., based largely on the cot: lation of data and reports from listeners in all parts of the world, very con- . siderable developments have been made towards the perfection of transmission from the Empire station, During the past year, with the transfer of the high power long-wave national ‘transmitter from Daventry to Droitwich, further space has become available for the development of the Empire transmitters. A new system of high’ horizontal aerials has already been erected on the masts which were previously used for transmissions by tne national transmitter, with the result that during the latter quarter of thé year the reception of the Impire station was greatly inproved in South Africa. As a result of this experiment, similar developments tre already in train for the improve: ment of transmission directed to other parts of the world. .. During the year the B.B.G.’s | kesearch Department has been .re-housed in more suitable premises in South London. Research has continued on new types of microphones, the correct acoustical design of studios, high power transmitter’ and aerial design, and many other problems. Progress has been made in the available methods of recording programmes for subsequent rebroadcasting.’ This work is of particular value to the Empire service where an important programme may be repeated up to five times in one day. Cunsiderable attention has also been given to the problem of preventing interference with broadcast reception caused by electrical machinery of all kinds. The Corporation’s engineers have cuntinued to act on various committees, several of which are international in character, Dspecially progress has been made in the development of the Empire pro-\ grammes. Three Empire news editors; a music director, and a producer have been allocated to the staff of the Empire Programme Department. In addition, an orchestra has now been formed which broadcasts exclusively in the Empire programmes The introduction of this orchestra has led to considerable reduction in the number of recorded programmes broadcast both in ‘Transmissions 1 and.5.- During the ten months, January to October, 1934, inlusive, the Empire station broadcast programmes for a ‘total of 4403 hours.