Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

RCA OUTLINES FM POLICIES Postioor Plans for Mainifuctiirimj. Sellimj Full Line of Equipniem, Broadcasting by Neiu Method Are Announced by JoUiffe. Jrammeli EMPHASIZING the interest that the Radio Corporation of America and the National Broad- casting Company have had for years in the technical development of frequency modulation, or "FM" as it is popularly known, Dr. C. B. Jolliffe, Chief Engineer of the RCA Victor Division, and Niles Tram- mell. President of NBC, have an- nounced policies that will govern post-war manufacturing and selling of FM equipment, and broadcasting by means of this new method. "Prior to the war, RCA had de- veloped and was ready to put into application some novel FM cir- cuits," Dr. Jolliffe told a New York meeting of FM Broadcasters, Inc. "We e.xpect to incorporate these circuits in apparatus produced in the post-war period. We manufac- tured and supplied FM broadcast transmitters prior to the war. Equipment was installed then and is now operating in such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, and San Francisco. "As soon as civilian production is resumed, we plan to offer for sale a complete line of FM ti'ansmitters. These transmitters will have the power ratings required by the in- dustry and will follow the general trend of our previous models ex- cept for the inclusion of new cir- cuit features and mechanical sim- plifications. The.'^e transmitters will meet all the technical requirements of the FCC for frequency stability, freedom from distortion, and other characteristics that insure good and reliable service. In the post- war period, all RCA standard broadcast audio equipment will meet the present standards of fidel- ity for FM and consequently all standard equipment will be satis- factory for use with FM transmit- ters." Dr. Jolliffe said in summarizing: "Our policy is simple and clear. We intend to design, manufactui'e, and sell types of apparatus for which a need exists and which the public wants. We intend to use our background of experience in the broadcast, transmitter, and receiv- er field plus our engineering facili- ties to provide the type of equip- ment the broadcasters need to satisfy the requirements of their listeners and the licensing author- ity." Mr. Trammell, outlining network policy in a statement to all NBC- affiliated stations, said: "The objective sought by NBC is to make its programs available to every radio listener in America, regardless of whether a standard band or FM receiver is being used. The availability of these NBC Net- work programs throughout the United States on both standard and FM transmitters will assure pres- ent and future owners of FM re- ceiving sets that they can continue to hear their favorite programs on an improved radio service." Research Results Shown It was pointed out by Dr. Jolliffe that for many years RCA research has been carried forward in RCA Laboratories on specific FM cir- cuits, on the amazing characteris- tics of very high frequencies, and on the needs of FM broadcasting. RCA engineers have made impor- tant contributions, among them the Seely discriminator and the Crosby FM transmitter, now in use not only by RCA but by other organiza- tions. Regarding the portion of the FM system in which the public particu- larly is interested—the home re- ceiver—Dr. Jolliffe said: "As one of the larger producers of home radio sets, we expect to offer for sale to the public FM re- ceivers of high quality design at reasonable prices. We expect that these sets will do full justice to the FM programs of FM stations." The policy of NBC, according to Mr. Trammell's statement on FM, has always been and will continue to be to foster and encourage new developments in the broadcasting field. NBC's FM station W2XYZ was the first FM station to be es- tablished in New York by any net- work broadcaster. An application already has been filed for a fre- quency modulation station in Chi- cago, and NBC has applied for five additional construction permits for FM stations in cities where this network maintains studios. When these stations are erected, NBC will have a total of seven FM stations. Advantages of FM, the NBC points out, include: Virtual elimination of dis- turbances in reception from natural and man-made static. Higher fidelity of sound, since wider channels are made available. Constant service areas, in- stead of variation from day to night, as in standard broad- casting. Many stations can operate on the same frequency by judi- cious geographical spacing without creating interference in the normal service areas of FM stations operating on the same channel, such as occurs on the regional and local stand- ard band channels which shrink the nighttime service areas of those stations. It is the belief of NBC, however, that FM stations cannot depend solely on these technical advantages in attracting large audiences, Mr. Trammell explained. First and foremost, they must offer programs which are attractive to listeners. The Company holds to the opinion that if FM is required to create or maintain a separate program serv- ice, designed solely for FM listen- ers, who for the first few years will not be numerous, its development [RADIO AGE 23]