NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1940)

M. Wilmotte, P2ngineering Advisor to NAB, was Chair¬ man of these discussions. The engineers present were pretty well in agreement that our radio system was of quite high quality from the input of the studio ampli¬ fier to the output of the radio receiver chassis and that a great deal of our poor quality could be traced to the acoustic systems associated therewith, namely, the studios, their microphones, the loud speakers and the room in which the program was reproduced. It was pointed out that the transformation from acoustic, to electric energy in the studio, and the retransformation of the electric energy back into acoustic energy introduced much of the distortion we now experience. It was pointed out that distortions of one kind or another usually accom¬ pany the expansion into the high audio frequencies and that these distortions were quite annoying and there¬ fore the average listener finds it more pleasing to do away with the high frequency and the high distortion by turning down the tone control on his receiver. It was also pointed out that for background music it was more pleasing to reduce the high frequencies but that where the program was actually to be listened to the effect was more pleasing if the high frequencies were also present. In this discussion it was pointed out that the listeners did not differentiate as fully as they should between the use of a primary high fidelity receiver in the living room of the home and the use of small sec¬ ondary receivers for places other than the living room. It was the opinion of one member of the conference that for one reason or another the public has never really heard high fidelity and therefore has not been able to readily determine whether it likes a wide audio¬ band or not. It was pointed out in this discussion that even though high quality transmission was avail¬ able and high quality receivers are available that economi¬ cally a big per cent of the population could not afford real highgrade receivers, and therefore for economic reasons a great many listeners are forced to content themselves with reproduction of a degraded nature. On Sunday, February 18, the members of the con¬ ference were taken by special train, to Louisville in order to inspect WHAS and Mr. Orrin Towner, Chief Engineer of WHAS, was given a vote of thanks at the banquet closing the convention, for the splendid way in which he organized and carried out this inspection trip. The Ohio State Conference on Broadcast Engineering is a striking example of how a university can coordinate its academic work with industry and the broadcasting industry owes a big vote of thanks to the administration of Ohio State University and to Professor W. L. Everitt, director of the conference, for carrying out this splendid work. Professor W. L. Everitt's book entitled “Communica¬ tion Engineering” is now used as a textbook in some 60 odd schools and his selection of subjects for the third annual conference has shown that he is attuned to the present day radio engineering trend. The third conference was the first one in which N.4B officially cooperated. The NAB Engineering Committee held a meeting in conjunction with the conference on Friday afternoon, February 16. ENGINEERING QUESTIONS The “General Discussion and Question Box” conducted by Mr. Andrew D. Ring, Assistant Chief Engineer of the ECC, at the Broadcast Engineering Conference at Ohio State University last week, pointed out an apparent need for an engineering question box throughout the year on questions concerning ECC rules and regulations. It was apparent that there are many questions coming up from time to time concerning the interpretation and application of certain FCC rules and regulations. IMr. Ring has kindly offered to cooperate with the Director of Engineer¬ ing of NAB in conducting an engineering question box and therefore if there are any questions concerning the ECC rules and regulations, it is requested that you send your questions to the Director of Engineering of NAB. The questions will be answered individually except where the question might seem to have a broader interest, in which case an explanation will be given in the NAB Reports. During the conference many questions were asked con¬ cerning the application of certain of the rules on operators’ licenses. This will be the subject of an article in the NAB Reports in the immediate future, and the Director of Engineering would like to have those who have questions concerning these rules send them in as soon as possible. BUREAU OF RADIO ADVERTISING Owing to a change in plans, the tramscript of the radio panel discussion held last month in connection with the National Retail Dry Goods convention will not be avail¬ able to NAB members until some time in the spring, when the NRDGA plans to publish a complete Radio Manual for Retailers. Alan Wells, manager of the Sales Promotion Division of NRDGA, has resigned effective March 1 to join Kaufman’s, Pittsburgh. His successor will be named shortly. The NAB Research Department is preparing a com¬ prehensive survey to gain up-to-date information on de¬ partment store use of radio. The cooperation of all sta¬ tions is earnestly requested in filling out and returning the questionnaire forms, which will be issued soon. Along with its bulletin of February 28, the Bureau has sent to all members a reprint of an article by Kenneth Taylor, vice president of John Taylor Dry Goods Com¬ pany, Kansas City, Mo., on the subject of radio for retailers. The article appeared in a recent issue of The 4069 March 1, 1940