Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 21, 4 December 1936, Page 47

Radio Round the World

IG BEN, probably the world’s most ' popular broadcaster, now has a rival. Since July 1, London telephone subscribers have, by dialing TIM at any time of the day or night, been able to obtain the exact time. The subscribers are immediately connected to what is virtually a talking electric clock. Some months ago a competition was held, open to 15,000 telephone operators, and from these Miss Bthel Cain, known as "the girl with the golden voice." was selected to make gramo. phone records from which time signals would be reproduced, Her voice has been recorded on special glass discs and will be reproduced by means of: a photoelectric cell. The. discs will be synchronised with an electric clock. QEEING the announcement that John Compton was to build a new, organ for St, George’s Hall an angry correspondent wrote to the B.B.C, and said (in effect) that the Compton organ in . the Concert Hall at Broadcasting House aften heard by Dmpire lis. teners, was a white elephant, and why _.wasn’t somebody else given the job of

‘building the new-one? "As he assumes that everybody else feels the. same ‘way about it ag he does, it may be worth saying. that expert opinion does not bear him out. Under very difficult conditions, such as limitations of space, the Compton people are generally conSidered to have built an’ extraordi_narily fine instrument, and it is very doubtful whethe. any organ could produce better results in this particular hall. ‘ K\LAINE STERNE CARRINGTON, author of the Pepper Young’s Family, brought up a new problem for NBS sound effects engineers the other day and was presented with a solution quicker than she could sound middle A on the studio concert grand. Her script called for ‘the effect of a gasoline pump-a sound NBC’s noise makers had never before made. But they didn’t let a little thing like that confound them. After a brief huddle, they announced they had a solution: a sewing. machine motor and an ordinary desk bell. The effects man spun the motor and counted five slowly between each spinning. At the conclusion of the count he tapped the muffled. bell. Not even your filling station man with his eyes closed could tell it was a manufactured sound! " 7 .