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

Television Below the Border (Continued from page 15) for the entire Western Hemisphere. You are deserving of highest per- sonal compliments for leadership in putting station PRF3-TV on the air. All success to you and your country- men in making television history.' Mexico's first television station, operating on Channel 4 with the call letters XHTV, was officially in- augurated in Mexico City early last month. The inaugural program con- sisted of a remote pickup in which President Miguel Aleman delivered a message to the Mexican people at a joint session of the Mexican Congress in the historic Chamber of Deputies, a few blocks from the presidential palace. Since the open- ing, regularly scheduled programs are telecast on weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. On Sundays, the time is extended from 4 to 7 p.m., in order to cover the bull fights. The gov- ernment of Mexico plans to use television receivers in schools as part of its educational program. XHTV is located in the 20-story National Lottery Building, highest structure in the Mexican capital, and is equipped with a 5.000-watt transmitter, antenna, and associated studio and mobile pickup equipment supplied by RCA. It is owned by Television de Mexico, S. A., an en- terprise of Romulo O'Farrill, Sr., publisher of the newspaper Nove- dades. Facilities of XHTV are similar to those of television stations in the United States. Two floors of the modern building house the studios, control room, sponsor's booth, re- hearsal room, dressing rooms, prop- erty storage section, transmitter, service shop and offices of the new station. In addition, provisions have been made on the ground floor for a large auditorium which will be used for televising concerts and stage plays. RCA Victor Mexicana, S. A., RCA's associate company in Mexico, installed the equipment. BR.^ZIL'S PIONEER TELECASTER, PRF3-TV, IS LOCATED IN SAO PAULO'S HIGHEST BUILDING WITH ITS ANTENNA 520 FEET ABOVE STREET. Staff Studies U.S. Methods In preparation for the station's opening, Mr. O'Farrill arranged for members of the staff to visit the RCA Victor plant at Camden, N. J., for a study of manufacturing opera- tions, and the National Broad- casting Company studios in New York for observation of program production methods. Plans are in progress for the opening during October of two television stations in Havana, Cuba. One of the newcomers is CMQ in Havana's $2,000,000 Radio Centro. This station under the operation, ownership and management of Goar Mestre is speeding installa- tion of an RCA 5 KW television transmitter and studio apparatus —microwave relay equipment and cameras and studio facilities. A mobile TV unit for CMQ received a send-off at Rockefeller Plaza last July during New York City's cele- bration of Television Week. Installation of the second Cuban television station, owned by Union Radio, is practically complete. The station equipment, weighing more than 22,000 pounds, was flo\vn to Havana by two National Airlines C-46 Transports. The shipment in- cluded a 5 KW transmitter and com- plete mobile equipment, microwave relay equipment, television cameras, film projectors and other studio facilities. The Union Radio trans- mitter and studio will be housed in an old mansion which is being re- converted for television use. Special reinforcement is being provided for the 200-foot antennas of these Cuban stations because of their location in the "hurricane belt". Both stations have had teams of writers, announcers, commentators, directors and engineers studying television operations in the United States. The distributor for engi- neering products in Havana. Cuba is Humara y Lastra, who have been distributors on RCA and Victor products for more than 40 years. These three Latin American countries Brazil, Cuba and Mexi- co—are the only countries in the Western Hemisphere outside of the United States, where it is known that television broadcasting is available to the public. [18 RADIO AGE]