Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1939)

December 16, 1939 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 3/ BATTLE LINES FORM IN RADIO OVER LOOMING ARMSTRONG REVOLUTION PART II Large Broadcasting Systems Set in Opinion; Change, If Any, Must Come Slowly; Method Would Affect Rebroadcasts by MARTIN QUIGLEY, JR. The battle lines on the question of Major Edward H. Armstrong's "static-less" frequency modulation radio system are being formed. Lined up on one side are Major Armstrong and his followers who believe that all existing radios and stations must be junked — the sooner the better. Facing this group are the broadcasting men who hold that the radio industry is already established on amplitude modulation and for economic reasons alone any change, if it comes, will take time. Some of the most important radio engineers are in the middle, facing the fire of both sides. High Fidelity Claimed The Armstrong frequency modulation system was described in detail in the first part of the article on this subject, in Motion Picture Herald, December 9th, page, 29. According to radio authorities, the system eliminates manmade static and gives excellent high-fidelity reception. Many engineers believe that the FM method of broadcasting will eventually make the replacement of the 40,000,000 radio sets and $75,000,000 worth of regular transmitting stations necessary. The economic and technical difficulties facing the Armstrong system and the views of the major networks on the new method are indicated in this second section of the article. Also the connection and possible effect of FM on television and facsimile and the Telephone Company are shown. Forty Stations in East Public reaction to FM this Spring will help to decide the future of Armstrong's system. Ramifications of the FM system in television, facsimile and in relaying broadcasts and in reducing power costs may be of great value to the radio industry even if the public is not interested in buying FM receivers for regular programs. CBS, NBC, WOR of the Mutual Broadcasting System, the Yankee Network in New England, WQXR, the General Electric Company in upper New York State are among the networks and stations either using or planning FM transmitting stations. Within a few months about 40 stations in the East will be using the Armstrong system. WOR's chief engineer, J. R. Popple, is one of the enthusiastic supporters of Major Armstrong's system. WOR expects to begin FM operations by the first of the year. Mr. Popple believes that the new scientific advance will receive public acceptance because it gives better quality reception. He holds that frequency modulation will affect the radio industry in much the same way that the advent of sound changed motion pictures. As much as 99 or 99l/2 per cent, of the radio sets, Mr. Popple said, that are now in use are less than ten years old and the public likes modern radio sets and keeps buying the latest models so the period of transition from AM sets to FM will not be long or difficult. BRITISH MAY TAX AD ACCESSORIES Foreign departments of the New York home offices heard reports this week that the British Parliament may approve a new revenue tax on advertising accessories imported into the country. Details were unavailable but several companies began preparations for advance shipments of accessories to Britain in anticipation of the expected new duty. CBS has applied for permits to erect two FM stations. Edwin King Cohan, director of engineering, praised the contribution that Major Armstrong has made to the art. However he cautioned against expecting too much from the system. AM transmission in the very short waves, which are free of natural static, has made considerable progress, said Mr. Cohan. However, he added, the difficulty remains that AM cannot entirely eliminate, in any wave length, so far is now known, man-made static. High fidelity reception, Mr. Cohan pointed out, requires a good receiving set, a good loud speaker and a good cabinet. NBC to Build Station The NBC plans to begin operation of an FM transmitter on top of the Empire State Building within the next few weeks. O. B. Hanson, vice-president and chief engineer, held that Major Armstrong's FM system was a great development and improvement over the present AM (amplitude modulation) method. But Mr. Hanson pointed out that a number of reasons stand in the way of an immediate acceptance of Armstrong's system by the radio industry. In the first place he referred to the economic difficulty : people now listen over AM receivers and a growing FM audience will not be composed of new listeners but will consist of the present broadcast audience. Therefore, Mr. Hanson said, advertisers cannot be expected to pay more for the same total number of listeners. Mr. Hanson pointed out that the average price of radio receivers sold during the past 12 months was about $20 and high fidelity FM or AM receivers cannot be produced to meet such a market price. The great mass of listeners to date have not shown any appreciation of the fidelity now available to them as attempts to market high fidelity receivers have not met with response, according to Mr. Hanson. But if the public buys FM receivers in quantity and prefers them, the NBC will serve them through FM transmitters even though it means duplicating the transmitting facilities and maintaining the existing equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Hanson pictured as the good radio of the feature one that would operate on all waves and pick up AM, FM and television. In time, he said, the AM control might be eliminated if the frequency modulation systems prove themselves and become widespread. Less Power Needed The Armstrong system is of particular interest to broadcasters, Mr. Hanson pointed out, because it reduces substantially the amount of power necessary for transmission to render noise free reception and also permits the development of cross country radio relays as an alternative to telephone lines for interconnecting stations. This will make possible what had been considered too expensive — a national network of television stations sometime in the future. Related Fields Affected The effect of Major Armstrong's FM system has not been felt by broadcasting stations and networks alone but it is also influencing the related fields of television and facsimile transmission. Even the American Telephone and Telegraph Company is experimenting with FM. In the early days of radio the Telephone Company was cool to the new medium of communication which was regarded as possible competition. A legal battle was averted when the Telephone Company reversed its decision and agreed to lease telephone wires to make broadcasting networks possible. Armstrong's FM operates over a wide band, five times the width of the regular broadcasting band and there is not room for a larger number of stations on different wave lengths, although stations can operate on the same wave length about every 300 miles. This partly explains why the Telephone Company has an FM station under construction in New Jersey. FM might have some applications to telephone work and the Company wants a wave length if that is found to be the case. But FM is a more serious threat to the Telephone Company. The radio industry is also "interested in narrow-band FM, as distinct from the wide-band FM system developed by Major Armstrong. Narrow-band FM is expected to have the same effects as the wide-band system and also would make room for many more stations operating on different wave bands, a fact that would please the FCC. The narrow-band FM systems are still in the experimental stage and their effectiveness is yet to be proved. Television to Benefit Television is also influenced by FM developments. The two are rather closely related in some ways: both operate in about the same wave-lengths and growth in one may temporarily retard the other. However, in time, both will probably benefit because, according to Major Armstrong, both the sound and sight part of television will be much more satisfactory if transmitted by FM and FM makes television relays much simpler and more economical. Hence FM helps television materially and will make it greater competition for motion picture theatres, it was pointed out. Both FM and television operate on waves that travel in approximately straight lines. This explains why the transmitters are mounted on the highest points possible. The NBC television station is on the Empire State building and the CBS on the Chrysler building. Both will probably have the same points for their FM stations. Major Armstrong's station at Alpine is 1,000 feet above sea level. Television has been called a threat to the motion picture and facsimile to the newspaper. The Armstrong FM system not only is expected to make radio much better and hence stronger competition, but will also improve television and facsimile and perhaps hasten the day when they will become competition, according to the opinion of men familiar with FM and competent to gauge its future. Leading radio engineers feel that the decision rests with the public and the Federal Communications Commission : if FM radio sets are bought and people like the new and better transmission, AM will yield in the march of progress.