Radio annual (1938)

proper are located in the principal cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kumamotok Sendai, and Sapporo. To supplement these main stations 25 others have been established with aerial power ranging from 300 to 3,000 watts, at important points throughout the country. All these stations have been linked by a permanent relay line, so that events of national interest can be broadcast to every corner of the country. Regulations — The revenue of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation is obtained from the license fees paid by owners of radio sets. Each owner pays a monthly fee of 50 sen to the corporation, while an initial fee of 1 yen is paid to the Ministry of Communications. Broadcasting time is not sold and no advertising of any kind is permitted over the radio in Japan. The corporation pays the Government an annual monopoly fee amounting to 20 sen per subscriber. Broadcasting in Chosen (Korea) — Broadcasting in Chosen is carried on by the Chosen Hoso Kyokai (The Broadcasting Corporation of Chosen), which operates on a monopoly basis. It cooperates closely with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation in relaying programs to and from Japan. The license fee amounts to 1 yen a month. Broadcasting in Taiwan (Formosa) — Broadcasting in Taiwan is in the hands of the Government of Taiwan as far as the technical details are concerned. The actual broadcasting entity is the Taiwan Hoso Kyokai (Taiwan Broadcasting Corporation). Overseas Broadcasts — The Broadcasting Corporation of Japan has for some time been transmitting programs by short-wave to Chosen, Taiwan, and "Manchukuo" (including Kwantung) for periods ranging from 5 to 9 hours daily. Encouraged by the response to these programs, not only in the 3 areas mentioned, but also in foreign countries, the corporation decided to inaugurate another special short wave broadcast called the Overseas Broadcast. The new broadcast was designed especially for reception by Japanese subjects abroad, as well as for others interested in the Far East and Japan in particular. Programs — The present policy aims at controlling the programs in all parts of the country by means of a national hook-up. Number of Receiving Sets — There was a total of 2,423,925 radio sets licensed for use in Japan proper at the last checkup, according to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Further, according to the corporation, a considerable number of unlicensed sets are in operation and the foregoing totals should be increased by about 25 per cent to arrive at an approximate total of licensed and unlicensed sets. Domestic Production — According to an investigation made by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, there are at present more than 8,000 con* cerns and individuals in Japan making and selling receiving sets or parts. American participation in the radio market in Japan is not expected to show any marked increase in the immediate future. On the contrary, owing to the highly developed stage of the local industry, which is already on an export basis, and because of the distinct preference for very cheap sets, it is possible that total imports of radio apparatus will gradually decline, save for special types and latest developments. Patents — Imitation is a strong feature of Japanese manufacturing, and any imported article should be fully covered by Japanese patents before being placed on sale. Sets in Use — 3,029,905 (estimated). Stations — 35. © LUXEMBURG General — There is only one broadcasting station in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, and that is one of the most powerful and modern in the world, broadcasting with a power of 200,000 watts on a frequency of 232 kilocycles, or a wave-length of about 1,293 meters, in place of the 1,304 meter wave-length which was employed until a few months ago. Radio Luxemburg is the title of the broadcasting station, but it has no official call-letters. The station is owned and operated by the Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Radio-diffusion. There are no short-wave broadcasting stations in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. American short-wave programs are received here but with one exception by no means as well as are short-wave European programs received in the United States. The reason for this poor reception in most cases of American shortwave programs is that most American stations do .not as yet use "directional sending." With one exception, which comes in like a "local," all American short-wave sending stations use the old fashioned non-directional sending aerials, and are in themselves generally of low power anyway. An American program broadcast directed to Western Europe by a directional aerial if sent at 10 to 18 kilowatts, is received here as clearly as a "local," when a non-directional broadcast at 40 kilowatts will sometimes only give a flutter or the faint hum of the carrierwave. American listeners hearing the superb short-wave programs of the English and German world-wide stations are apt to think that American programs are, conversely, heard as well in Europe. This is far from being the case. Directional short-wave programs from Tokyo, Japan, for instance, at around 9,500 kilocycles, come in at much greater strength and program value than those from the American short-wave stations not equipped with directional aerial. This is a point which cannot be too much stressed if American advertisers want to reach European markets on the short waves. Regulations — No receiver licenses are necessary, and there are no regulations regarding operation. The one broadcasting station is under a Government monopoly for broadcasting which still has some 15 years to run. Receiving Sets — Probably 30,000 receiving sets are now in use in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. This is a very high average, working out to one set to every 10 population. Sources of Supply — Germany, Belgium and France, in the order named, are the chief countries of supply. Sets in Use — 30,000. Stations — 1. 950