Radio Round The World

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 33, 27 January 1939, Page 39

Radio Round The World

‘MPIRE listeners are more farflung than numerous, according to the data recently collected by the BBC concerning the number of licensed Hsteners in the Dominions and Colonies. Actually they number fewer than a third of the lic-ence-holders’ at Home, the approximate figure being a little over two and a half million. Canada leads the way with approximately 1,050,000 licences, and Australia is the runner-up with about 1,030,000. Next comes New Zealand, with 280,000. Other licence figures are as follow: South Afric&® ...oec.eee0e6 190,000 India weeccecccccccsesce 90,000 Palestine .ccccesssencce 29,000 Newfoundland ...ccocccce 11,500 Southern Rhodesia ...ccce 6,500 CeyloD .coccceeevccosrce 5,000 Trinidad @ec@eooooceaeecoe #00 2,500 Burma secscsvcsscoesecs 1,500 A relatively small proportion of these, of course, pick up the Daventry programmes. HE total number of patents filed by the Marconi Company during 1937 was 1,351.. Two hundred and fifty-two were filed in Great Britain, and of these 44 related to sound and_ vision reception. There are now approximately 6,000 of the Company’s patents in force in various parts of the world. WIRELESS pirates in Italy must be brave and resourceful, for the new regulations give them as much scope as a cat in a kennel of hounds. Each radio dealer keeps a register in which all transactions are registered, with the name and address of set purchasers. Every owner of a2 broadcast receiver is given a "broadcast listener’s book," in which licence payments are recorded, and this must be produced on demand. If a licence is to be eancelied, notice must be given not later than November in the current year, otherwise the licence

must be renewed, If the listener eannot continue to use his set, but does not wish to dispose of it, the Post Office places it in a sealed ease. Certain authorised radio dealers may install receiving sets on trial for a period not exceeding ten days. For this a special licence is obtainable. HE board of the Swiss Broadcasting Company has decided to ask the telegraph administration to increase the Swiss radio licence from 15 to 18 francs per annum to meet the added cost of "the spiritual defence of the nation," namely, to provide programmes for the Swiss overseas and to extend the hours of transmission to counteract the effect of broadcasting from neighbouring countries. OR thirty-six hours recently wireless messages passed between two ships in the Indian Ocean. On one, the Greek cargo poat Shelatros, a member of the erew was in agony with an abscess in the back. On the other, the Port Wellington, the doctor (a' brother of Clyde Fenton, Australia’s well-known fiying doctor) was answering the SOS for medical help. Messages were sent telling the officers of the Shelatros fiow to go about the required operation. "I

don’t quite know even now what happened," Dr. Fenton said. "Possibly the only equipment was what. the chef could supply, but the last message was that the patient was recovering from the operation and was doing well. I left them with instructions as to his diet." THE transmitter of Florence If (238.5 metres) is shortly to be moved from Via Bolognese to Trespiano, and its power increased from 1 to 5 k.w. Trespiano, where the 20 k.w. Florence [f station is situated, is found to be a more favourable site for the propagation of wireless waves. The station will be equipped with: a new aerial system.