Radio annual (1939)

an extensive scale machinery and other articles which have been invented and patented in other countries, samples or descriptions of which it has obtained by purchase or otherwise. The Soviet government is not a party to the Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris, 1888) or to any of its revisions. Tariffs and Restrictions — The Collection of Customs Tariff of the U. S. S. R. 1935 provides, under item 92, minimum and maximum rates on radio apparatus of 25 and 30 per cent ad valorem. Central Receivers — There are reported to be over 10,000 central receiver systems, with approximately 3,000,000 outlets. Television — Considerable television experiment is in progress and there is a regular transmission system in Moscow. Short Wave — American short wave broadcasts are received by good sets, but this class of short wave receivers is rarely seen, most of those in use belonging to foreigners. American broadcasts have occasionally been rebroadcast in the Union. Programs — The All-Union Radio Committee and local committees in 70 areas of the Union have general charge of the programs. Each committee has divisions devoted to art, socio-political, juvenile, educational, and local programs. Advertising — There is no broadcast advertising, other than service broadcasts indicating where commodities may be purchased. This is without any competitive character. Transcriptions — About one-third of the total broadcast time devoted to music is of recorded material. No advertising transcriptions are used. Sets in use? — 350,000. Stations — 72. # UNITED KINGDOM England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Minor Islands General — The total number of licenses in force at the end of 193 7 was 8,479,600. This does not represent the total number of radio sets in use in the country, as one license may cover more than one set and there is doubtless a certain additional number of unlicensed sets being operated illegally. In one month there were 373 successful prosecutions against individuals operating radio sets without a license. There are about 11,500,000 homes in Great Britain. Demand for Sets — It is estimated that during the last 2 years the majority of the business has been in replacements. The sales of sets to new users will continue slowly, but in the future the replacement business will be the most important. Makers are doing everything they can to urge home owners to install more than one set, one company going so far even as to suggest a radio in the bathroom. The most popular sets in the United Kingdom are those costing between £9 9s, and £15 15s, table models with from 6 to 8 tubes, and operating on 3 wave bands, long medium and short. The demand for short wave sets, or rather all-wave sets, continues to increase. Radio costs have gone up in general with other raw materials, and radio sets in Great Britain cost more today than a year ago. Sources of Supply — The British Radio Manufacturers' Association has been active for several years in developing expedients by which foreign goods may be excluded from competition in the British market, especially through pressure upon wholesalers and retailers. Several plans have been tried, employing both punitive measures against dealers in foreign goods through restricting their supplies of British products, -and- -by r-ewarding dealers handling British goods exclusively through added discounts. The "Mutual Trading Agreement" or the convention between British radio manufacturers and wholesalers formed in 1931, was terminated at the end of May. By this agreement or convention which had been originally sponsored by the British Radio Manufacturers' Association, manufacturers had agreed to limit the value of foreign components incorporated in a radio set or phonograph combination to 5 per cent of the retail value of the set. Patents — -The sale of American sets on the British market until late August was severely handicapped by the activities of the Patent Pool, whose policy it was to exclude if possible American sets. This the pool had been successful in doing to a great degree and the imported American sets on sale were as a rule bootlegged into the market. Some American manufacturers have overcome this difficulty in part by manufacturing in England. On August 28, 1938, there was a collapse of the patent pool and the license A-4 expired. On that date all patents vested in the pool reverted to the individual companies which were members of the pool. Tariffs — It must be understood that information regarding any foreign tariff rate is especially unstable and should be verified as nearly to the date of importation as possible. By communicating with the Division of Foreign Tariffs of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the latest cabled data regarding any commodity to any country may be obtained. The current import duty on radio receiving sets in the United Kingdom is 20 per cent ad valorem, on tubes 33M per cent, and on radio-phonographs 33M per cent. These duties are levied on landed cost values. Television — See television section. Short Waves — The BBC has been a leading factor in the development of world-wide short wave. Its facilities were instituted primarily to reach all parts of the British Empire, but as the service became popular shortly afterward, non-British countries have been given special attention, both with regard to directional broadcast, and as to language. The Daventry stations now transmit in several languages, especially in Arabic and Turkish for the Near East and Spanish and Portuguese for Latin America. Six transmitters are in use and two more are soon to be installed. Government Control — Broadcasting in the United Kingdom is operated by the BBC a semi-governmental organization operating under a charter granted by the Postmaster General with the approval of Parliament. Early in the year, the charter which expired at the end of 1936 was renewed for another period of 10 years. No commercial or sponsored programs are permitted by the charter of the BBC, which is responsible for all programs transmitted through the National and Regional stations and the Empire transmitters as well. Programs — The program policy of the BBC remains with a few slight changes the same as in past years. Greater emphasis is being placed on broadcasts to schools and talks than hitherto. The pro 959