Radio Broadcast (May 1927-Apr 1928)

200 RADIO BROADCAST JANUARY, 1928 trolling frequency, which has been successfully employed by wbz and wbza at Springfield and Boston, has the disadvantage of being prohibitively expensive. For example, if wor attempted to eliminate the heterodyne whistle caused by wos at Jefferson City by this method, it would probably cost some fifty thousand dollars a year. To stabilize the whole broadcasting structure would require perhaps five years to erect sufficient telephone channels for the purpose and an expenditure of perhaps twenty million dollars a year in maintenance. The third suggestion made by the Commissioner was prompted by a suggestion from wdrc of New Haven, Connecticut, a 500-watt station. A heterodyne whistle, originating from the carrier of waiu, a 5000-watt station in Columbus, Ohio, about 500 miles distant, had been sufficiently annoying to require drastic measures. To solve this problem, a receiving station was installed five miles from New Haven, connected by wire lines with wdrc's transmitter. By tuning this receiving set carefully so that the heterodyne whistle is eliminated, wdrc's carrier is adjusted to coincide with that of waiu. So long as the operator is vigilant and skillful, there is no heterodyne whistle. But, if the whole broadcasting structure depended for frequency stability upon manual control, it would become a sorry mess. One need but recall the days of the regenerative receiver, with its heterodyning carrier of but a tiny fraction of a watt. Then imagine manually controlled broadcast transmitters with hundreds and thousands of watts power, trying to establish zero beat with each other. The incident again emphasizes the fact that the Commission is sadly in need of technical assistance which will help the members to grapple more wisely with their problems. Any competent engineer could have pointed out the dangers of this ingenuous panacea. What Readers Say About Broadcasting Conditions THE following are quotations from readers of these editorials. George Madtes, Radio Editor of the Yoitngstown Vindicator, writes: "I have no doubt that the re-allocation of frequencies has materially helped stations in New York and Chicago, but it has not attained the Commission's apparent goal — an arrangement which would permit listeners everywhere to enjoy the stations nearest them. We are within fifty miles of stations in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Akron and depend upon them for local service. Our four main stations in these cities, wtam.kdka, wcae, and wadc are often heterodyned and wadc and wcae are almost invariably useless at night." W. W. Muir of Lockport, New York writes: "One cannot help but notice the difference between the stations which are operating in the few wave bands on which there is only one station and those operating on the frequencies on which there are more than one station. The stations which are operating on exclusive channels are usually free from distortion, the signal being strong and clear. The stations which are operating on wavelengths on which there are more than one station show a decided tendency to be mushy and weak, and have a wide variation in signal strength from moment to moment One cannot help speculating what is apt to take place in the future. We know that the American public have had lots of things put over on them without complaint. It is hard to believe that they will be willing to stand for the huge joke that it is possible to successfully operate more than one powerful broadcasting station on a single frequency without serious interference." Another correspondent writes from Wyoming to the effect that koa, Denver, is the principal reliance for summer and winter reception of the entire state. The Federal Radio Commission has ordered that station to cut its power in half after seven in theevening. Continuing, he writes: "Practically every strong station near the east coast is located on the same frequency as some powerful station on the west coast. While probably they do not interfere in their home territory, the heterodyne of the two completely ruins reception in the Rocky Mountain region. Before the recent changes, we could usually depend on woe, Davenport, and wcco, St. Paul, for weaf programs, but have been unable to locate either for a long time." Another correspondent writes from Ohio that he is located "forty-eight miles air line from wtam, 102 miles from wwj and 95 miles from waiu . . . wtam fades so badly at night that it is worse than useless, wwj is 'crowded to death' on both sides. There is not one station in this group, or any other station, that can be received here without heterodyning. Yet the Chairman of the Federal Radio Commission reports the district very much improved. It is all bunk. Some stations must be eliminated." INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CHANGES BROADCASTING BANDS HP HE International Radio Telegraph Con*■ ference at this writing is still in session in Washington. Very few of the articles of the new international agreement have yet been adopted. Some opposition has appeared to the American proposal that no more spark stations shall be licensed and that steps be taken to eliminate gradually those in existence with a view to their complete disappearance in 1935. The elimination of spark transmitters is proposed largely in the interests of the broadcast listener. In the matter of frequency allocations, the amateurs, as usual, have defended their position with great heat. The Japanese delegation, in particular, was far from cordial in its attitude toward amateurs. The British, French and German governments sought lower frequency channels for broadcasting in the 1000-, 1300-, 1500 and 1800-meter regions, in addition to the usual bands in general use. It was finally decided to consolidate these requests for a longer wave broadcasting band of setting aside 1500 to 1550 meters (200 to 194 kc.) for the purpose, providing about two channels with ten-kc. separation. At this writing, this band is not yet officially approved, but is likely to stand. The Committee on frequency allocation, while favorably inclined toward the recommendations of the American delegation for the broadcasting band, does not, at this writing, plan to devote the entire 500 to 1 500-kc. region to broadcasting purposes. In the plan announced, it proposes to utilize the lower 200 kc. (i.e. from 1300 to 1 500 kc. or 230 to 200 meters) for both broadcasting and ship stations. This does not mean that the 275 American broadcasting stations, now occupying that part of the band, will have to get off, but it is likely that ship interference will develop at this end of the broadcasting channels. This move on the part of the International Telegraph Conference will undoubtedly accentuate still further the need for curtailing the number of broadcasting stations on the air in the United States BROADCASTING NOTES THE National Broadcasting Company and the British Broadcasting Company will cooperate in several short-wave international programs. In 1924, wjz participated in the first attempt at international broadcasting by relay. A dance music program from the Savoy Hotel was radiated from England and intercepted at Houlton, Maine, and from there sent by wire to wjz, in New York. The fading experienced on the 1600-meter wavelength, (187 kc.) upon which the program was relayed, was sufficient to discourage further attempts along these lines at that time. With the development of short-wave transmitters, however, more reliable results may be expected. ? f ? In a statement of its policy on international broadcasting, the British Broadcasting Company lays considerable stress upon the failures of previous attempts along these HOW VISITORS SEE THE ATWATER KENT FACTORY