NBC Transmitter (Mar-Oct 1941)

2 NBC TRANSMITTER INTERNATIONAL Once an obscure, hopeful offspring of domestic radio, it took a World War 1 1 to expand NBC’s International Division into a most vital branch of broadcasting today. From the 70 acres of the Bound Brook plant in New Jersey hum the 50,000-watt signals as they send six different languages from sixteen to twenty-four hours a day to over 80 foreign countries and possessions. Originating, for the most part, in Room 21 1 in Radio City, these programs carry with them the greatest responsibility yet known to broadcasting. Out of the “future possibility’’ dream that still cloaks television and frequency modulation, has emerged International Broadcasting into the very real present. In 1925, the trail-blazing began. Raymond Guy, radio facilities engineers for NBC, reports that in 1925, in a 20 ■ minute broadcast from Station 5XX in London, England, only one minute was intelligible. In 1940, International had grown up and received its commercial license. Today, 92 stations in over 20 Latin American countries have signed contracts with NBC to form the largest single Pan American network ever developed. A useful service to Latin America, South America and Europe requires daily transmissions in six different languages: Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, French and Italian. Transmissions in each of these languages require separate staffs. Radio City is merely the headquarters; foreign representatives and contacts are scattered throughout the entire world. Over a half -hundred people make up the International Division in New York. Under John W. Elwood, energetic and likeable, the company spirit that exists there today is the finest example of people working together. Young, vital, this division of NBC is making the world sit up and take notice. Throughout Europe, those caught listening, in oppressed countries, to the news broadcasts of NBC are heavily penalized. Nevertheless, an audience exists of such proportions as to redouble the efforts of those on the European staff. American news continues to be the best and often the only source of unbiased, complete news heard in European cellars, under Amsterdam beds and in Belgian closets. When International takes the air, all concerned subtly show that they feel their responsibility. For in Europe, at present, with the exceptions of Switzerland and Sweden, all news filters through the Dr. Goebbels’ propaganda machine before it reaches the populace of Germany and the occupied territories. Sticking strictly to objective, clear-cut news and commentary, NBC rightly surmised that the contrast to European colored information would have the desired effect. From travelers, officials and from smuggled letters have come the replies. A few such letters are published, for the first time, on these pages. Early this year, NBC inaugurated two new 50,000-watt transmitters so that both WRCA and WNBI beam abroad by means of new directional antennas just twice their former strength. NBC’s task in Latin America is of equal importance. Today, WNBI and WRCA are the most widely listened-to stations below the Rio Grande. Some four years ago, it was a different story. Germany, at that time, had the stronger signal. Propaganda, as we know the word today, is a powerful force. The best practicable weapon to use against it is facts, presented factually. Having conquered our Rockies and the Great Plains, this nation has just discovered the frontiers that still remain. Radio is both the musket and the plow. NTERNATIONAL FIRST . . . First American Network to engage in international broadcasting. . . . First Network to have full time foreign correspondents. . . . First Network to receive programs from foreign sources and use them in a commercial program. . . . First Network to send commercial programs to foreign country for rebroadcasting. . . . First Network to tie in a number of foreign stations to transmit the same program. . . . First Network to receive and to rebroadcast from : Europe. Central and South America. Hawaii and South Sea Islands. Australia and New Zealand, japan and China. Philippines. Dutch East Indies. Siam. Africa (North, East and South) . Near East (Palestine). Bathyosphere — 2500 ft. depth. Stratosphere — 13 miles. m. Ships at sea. n. Clipper flying Pacific. o. Graf Zepplin. p. Battlefield — Floyd Gibbons from Manchuria. a. b. c. d. e. f. g h. k. I. THIS ISSUE’S GOVER: WRCA and WNBI, International Broadcasting’s new 50,000 watt Transmitters at Bound Brook, New jersey. 70 acres of the most highly valued property in the world today.