Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

The Case for Long Waves (Continued from page 13) to advertisers. It is an unpleasant fact, I know, for those of you who occupy assignments in the high frequency end of the broadcast band, but it is true and those advertisers who do not already know it are going to find it out." Another important technical factor, he said, is the disclosure that transmission over sea-water on 1500 kc. is just about as good as on 500 kc, at least for distances up to about 300 miles. "To put it another way, the ground wave on 1500 kc. is not absorbed when it travels over seawater anywhere near to the same extent that it is over land," he declared. "This, of course, is of importance in determining what frequencies are to be given to ship use in case broadcasting crowds the ship service out of part of the low frequency band." Discounts Criticisms REGARDING disadvantages of the long waves, Mr. Caldwell said there is a noise level due to atmospherics which is worse on 150 kc. than on 1500 kc. This noise, usually called natural static, exists largely in the opinion of opponents to invasion of long waves for broadcasting and has not been measured precisely. Declaring he believed this fault exaggerated, he said European broadcasters scoff at the idea that static furnishes any argument against the use of the lower frequencies. Not even the most determined opponents would contend that the lowest of the frequencies under discussion, in the band from 160 to 224 kc, now used in Europe, would not be eminently suited for broadcasting in Canada and the northern part of the United States, he declared. A more serious obstacle to use of the long waves in the United States, however, Mr. Caldwell asserted, is that most of 12 or 13 million receiving sets in the United States are constructed so as to receive only in the band 550 to 1500 kc. Then there are the services with equipment adapted to operate only in given bands. Cost of New Receivers "THE RECEIVER problem in itself would be enough to make us pause seriously before urging an extension of the broadcast band," he said. "No matter how superior the lower frequencies may be from the point of view of coverage, the superiority is not very important to a broadcaster if there are no listeners with receiving sets for these frequencies. He will simply be wasting his sweet music on the desert air." Mr. Caldwell said, however, that sets capable of tuning in the long waves would not cost more than present sets, many of those being used in Europe having been made by American manufacturers. Events of the last three years, he declared, however, have provided the necessity for invading the long waves, even if a couple of "lean years" from the point of view of advertising are in store. Mexico and Cuba must be provided waves, and there is no additional room between 550 and 1500 kc. He criticized the act of last May whereby this government "calmly handed over to Canada two of our clear channels and, in addition the frequency of 540 kc." without consulting any of the broadcasters affected. Moreover, Mr. Caldwell declared, by increasing Canada's share of clear channels from six to nine, the United States increased the number which Mexico will be tempted to argue for by a corresponding amount. Mexico, after all, he pointed out, has nearly twice the population of Canada, and a slightly larger settled area. Then there is Cuba, Newfoundland, and perhaps other countries to be taken care of. Sees Mexican Dangers REGARDING the Mexican problem and interference, existing and threatened, resulting from operation of Mexican stations in between American channels, Mr. Caldwell predicted that Mexico some day will adopt a government owned or controlled broadcast system and will establish, as Canada proposes to do, a series of high power stations designed to cover its whole area. Mr. Caldwell analyzed the solution of the North American problem in this way: "Whether we like it or not, Mexico is going to have broadcasting stations and sooner or later is going to have enough stations of sufficient power to cover Mexico's area. Now we can take one of three courses. First, we can continue our Department of State's policy of doing nothing. In this case we are going to lose and lose heavily, from interference from stations placed haphazardly on any frequency that Mexicans choose. "Secondly, we can leave the broadcast band as it is, i. e.. 550 to 1500 kc. and provide exclusive frequencies for Mexico's high power stations in this band. This means either that a lot of our stations will go off the air entirely, will just be wiped out over night without compensation, or that some such expedient will be adopted as decreasing the separation between regional and local channels from 10 kc to 9, 8 or even 7 kc. • "The third alternative is to provide more frequencies for broadcasting; in other words, to widen the broadcast band. This seems greatlv preferable to death or mortal injury by one of the other alternatives. If this is done, it clearly should be in the direction of the lower frequencies, since these are admirably suited for broadcasting, and not in the direction of the frequencies above 1500 kc. which are notoriously unsuited for broadcasting. In either case, existing receiving sets would have to be replaced, or extra attachments would have to be added." United Stand Necessary SHOULD the band be widened. Mr. Caldwell said, it is hardly likely that other North American countries can be persuaded to take all new frequencies and leave the U. S. stations on their present assign Courtesy Marconi Co. of London Bending the Ultra-Shorts THIS is the apparatus with which Marchese Marconi (left) recently conducted his radiotelegraph and radiotelephone transmissions on a wave length of 57 centimeters between Rocca di Papa, near Rome, and Cape Figari, Sardinia, a distance of 168 miles. This remarkable test broke all previous records for distance achieved in waves below 1 meter, demonstrating that such ultra-short waves can be used over distances exceeding the optical "line of sight" range and can overcome the supposed obstacle represented by the curvature of the earth. Using the same equipment and a standard yacht telephone set, Marconi also maintained two-way telephone communication between his yacht Elettra and Rocca di Papa up to 80 miles, and received Morse messages up to 150 miles. When first reported, the Marconi experiments created intense interest in the radio world, indicating that the extremely high frequencies may some day be made available for broadcasting and television purposes as well as other fields of communication. ments. A few stations in this country might have to do the moving, he declared. Assuming that as a result of the Madrid conference sufficient frequencies are obtained to take care of other countries, Mr. Caldwell urged American broadcasters in advance not to view the occasion as offering any opportunity for bettering their own assignments. "It simply is not in the cards," he said. "We shall be lucky if we get off with what we now have, and we do not want to mix our international problems with our domestic difficulties. Let us at this North American Conference try to keep our relative positions with respect to each other and then settle our own difficulties before the Radio Commission at a later date. We must present a united front in this matter and throw the whole strength of the broadcasting industry on the side of a solution which will protect each and every American broadcaster, large or small, not a solution which will harm one for the benefit of the other." Mr. Caldwell advocated establishment of a closer relationship WSM Broadcasts Game Despite Conference Ban BARRED by the rules of the Southern Conference from broadcasting the Tennessee Vanderbilt and other important gridiron games, WSM, Nashville, assigned "Tiny" Stowe, ex-gridiron star, to "cover" the game via ticker tapti reports received in the studio from the press box. Knowing the style of play of the teams intimately, Stowe was able to give a playby-play account with full description so vividly that it was hard to persuade listeners he was not actually at the game. Since progressive southern stations have found ways of giving their audiences all the major southern games, it is regarded as a : foregone certainty that the ban on field broadcasts will be lifted t by next season. The Southern Conference, it is believed, is alone in barring the microphone, attempts in the other major collegiate groups to impose the ban all having come to naught. KYWBuilding Umbrella Type Aerial in Chicago PENDING action by the Radio Commission on the removal of the Westinghouse station, KYW, Chicago, to Philadelphia, engineers of the company are completing the construction of a new "umbrella" aerial designed to increase the j audible field of the Chicago transmitter. The station has experienced difficulty in reaching certain parts of the Chicago metropolitan area as effectively as desired, and it is believed the new equipment will overcome that drawback. Essentially the "umbrella" aerial consists of a series of heavy cop j per wires strung in the shape of ribs in a steel frame of an um \ brella. An even distribution of waves, an emphasis on the nearby area or emphasis on the far-off sectors may be effected by manipulations of the shape of the "ribs." The new KYW installation is <■ copied after those in use at KDKA, Pittsburgh, and WBZ, Boston. ' with the International Broadcasting Union, a semi-official organization of broadcasting administrations in Europe, which started the ' long wave battle. He also urged that broadcasting be given equal representation with other private interests at all international radio discussions where allocations are' involved. i In conclusion, Mr. Caldwell praised the work of the American J Delegation headed by Vice Chair j man Sykes of the Commission. The delegation, he said, "has at all times been with us" and has acted J "according to conscience and not according to any ulterior motives." I Judge Sykes "has done an admira J ble job as chairman of the delegation and has won the respect and ! esteem of the Americans who attended and of the delegates of other nations. Dr. Jolliffe (Commission J chief engineer) has done a very fine piece of work in the field in which he has been active at Mad . rid. So have the others." Page 28 BROADCASTING • December 1, 1932,