Radio daily (Feb-Mar 1937)

8 RADIO DAILY Friday, March 26, 1937 * * STATION EQUIPMENT * a WTMV Equipping New Studio East St. Louis, 111.— WTMV is equipping a new studios with a view to taking care of more live talent shows. The station recently completed installation of new Western Electric 23-A speech input console in the main control room, thus ending the task of entirely refurbishing the equipment. Three months ago a RCA 250-watt transmitter permitted this station to take advantage of a FCC power boost grant. Speak-O-Phone Recorder A new recorder embracing many improvements has been put on the market by Speak-O-Phone Recording and Equipment Co., New York. It is designed for studio, commercial, broadcast, educational or individual recording. The Speak-O-Phone recorder comes equipped with crystal or ribbon microphone, 25 feet micro cable, meter indicator, head-phones, permanent diamond recording stylus, threesection collapsible chromium floor stand and twelve 8-inch test records. Sets for Argentine Farms Argentina's Ministry of Agriculture has appointed a committee to determine the type or types of radio receiving sets suitable for use on the farms and ranches of that country, Assistant Trade Commissioner J. D. Walstrom, Buenos Aires, states in a report to the Department of Commerce. The general plan is to select one or more types combining adequate performance with low cost, and to promote the widespread use of these sets among the farmers and ranchers. Due to the advanced stage of the Argentine radio industry, it is believed that the locally-established manufacturers and assemblers will be in the best position to compete. New Antennas at Riverhead Riverhead, L. I. — Engineers at the huge RCA international radio communications station this week set a number of 130-foot wooden poles for the support of new antennas to be used in transatlantic work. The poles are believed to be the largest one-piece masts in the East, with an average length of 130 feet and an average weight of four tons. They are Douglas fir, sent from the state of Washington. The new antennas, when completed, will have an increased average height of 60 to 70 per cent over those previously employed, which is expected to result in more efficient operation in the longer part of the socalled short wave band of radio wave lengths employed in international communication. The radio engineers said that the shorter the wave the greater its penetration into the earth's outer atmosphere before "re bounding" back to earth. This influences the angle at which the wave arrives at a distant receiving antenna. Analysis of this phenomena indicates that antennas of greater height will be more effective for certain wave lengths. Philco Auto Radio In England Philadelphia — The Philco auto radio is now exclusively approved as standard optional equipment by 21 automobile manufacturers in Great Britain, virtually the entire list, according to Russell L. Heberling, president of Transitone Automobile Radio Corp., Philco's domestic auto radio division. In addition, the De Havilland and Moth aircraft also list the Philco as standard optional equipment. Station Improvements Anderson, Ind. — WDEV has asked the FCC for permission to install automatic frequency control. Oakland, Cal. — License to cover construction permit for a new antenna and to move transmitter and studio has been asked from the FCC by KLS. Rochester, Minn. — Authority to make changes in equipment and to increase power is being sought by KROC from the FCC. Sioux Falls, S. D. — KSOO has applied to the FCC for authority to change equipment and increase power to 5 kw. Rockford, 111. — License to cover CP for changes in equipment, new antenna and increase in day power has been asked of the FCC by WROK. "Salt-Shaker" Mike Popular Attesting to the popularity of Western Electric's new "Salt-Shaker" microphones, WOR this week increased its total number of such mikes to 33 by placing an order for 25. Chief Engineer Jack Poppele of Bamberger Broadcasting Service plans to use these diminutive and versatile mikes for many purposes around the studios and out on remote pick-ups. Without its little detachable disc baffle, the salt-shaker mike may be suspended from overhead or mounted on a floor stand for universal pickup, responding equally well to sound waves arriving from all directions. However, if it is decided that the character of the program being prepared for is such that a directive microphone is preferable, it is only necessary to apply the small baffle over the business end of this micro phone, and by means of the swivel joint in its base it may be literally "aimed" at the desired sound source. The salt-shaker is then ready to accept a maximum of sound from this direction and a minimum from other directions. New Pads for Audio Circuits St. Paul— Hector R. Skifter, consulting and manufacturing radio engineer, announces a line of fixed pads for general use in audio circuits. The pads are made in two types. Type P4 is designed to plug into a four prong tube socket and is two and three fourths inches high and one and one half inches in diameter. Type W4 is made in a fiber 'tube two inches long and one inch in diameter and is furnished with flexible leads. Accurate wire-wound noninductive resistors, impregnated in wax, are used and both types may be had in any value of attenuation and impedances. commEnTS On Current Programs Burns and Allen It was a very sentimental occasion the night when George Burns and Gracie Allen said farewell to the Campbell Tomato Juice program, to Tony Martin, Ken Niles, Henry King's orchestra and to CBS preparatory to taking their Grape Nuts spot on NBC. Amenities were exchanged with a sincerity and amiability that couldn't help being appreciated by dialers. As a farewell token to their sponsor and CBS (for which concern the stars had appeared for the past five years) George and Gracie presented one of the finest comedy scripts of their career. Everyone connected with the show should feel mighty proud of their efforts. Ken Murray and Oswald, Lud Gluskin's orchestra, with Shirley Ross as vocalist, succeed Burns and Allen next Wednesday. The forthcoming show received no end of plugs from the departing stars. Whiteman's Birthday Program Paul Whiteman's birthday program over the NBC-Blue network was an impressive cavalcade composed mostly of numbers made famous by the King of Jazz over the years. Whiteman's orchestra, combined with the NBC Symphony program, presented what should appear a very good show worthy of sponsorship. It should be reported that Graham McNamee, who did the commentating relative to the Whiteman testimonial, was never in better form at the mike. F. C. C. ACTIVITIES — Washington Bureau of THE RADIO " " " HEARINGS SCHEDULED May 18: John D. Fields, Inc., Las Vegas. Nev. CP for new station. 1370 kc, 100 watts, unlimited. World Publishing Co., Tulsa. CP for new station. 940 kc, 1 Kw., 5 Kw. LS unlimited. May 19: Watertown Broadcasting Corp., Watertown, N. Y. CP for new station. 1420 kc. 100 watts, 250 watts LS. unlimited. Black River Valley Broadcasts, Inc., Watertown, N. Y. CP for new station. 1420 kc, 100 watts. 250 watts LS. unlimited. May 21: Ashville Daily News, Ashville. N. C. CP for new station. 1370 kc. 100 watts, unlimited. Amarillo Broadcasting Co., Amarillo, Tex. CP for new station. 1500 kc, 100 watts, unlimited. George H. Payne, San Jose, Cal. CP for new station. 1440 kc, 500 watts, unlimited. May 24: Carolinas Radio, Inc., Charlotte, N. C. CP for new station. 880 kc, 500 watts, 1 Kw. LS. unlimited. Voice of Detroit, Inc., Detroit, Mich. CP for new station. 1120 kc, 500 watts, 1 Kw. LS. unlimited. May 26: J. K. Patrick & Co.. Athens, Ga. CP for new station, 1310 kc, 100 watts. 250 watts LS. unlimited. John W. Haigis, Greenfield. Mass. CP for new station. 1210 kc, 250 watts, daytime. June 1: W. H. Hartman Co., Waterloo, Iowa. CP for new station. 1420 kc, 100 watts, unlimited. Vancouver Radio Corp., Vancouver, Wash. CP for new station. 880 kc. 250 watts, daytime. EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDATIONS WELL New Haven. Conn. CP for mod. of license. 930 kc, 250 watts. 500 watts LS. unlimited, be granted. Lawrence K. Miller, Pittsfield, Mass. CP for new station, be denied. KRLH, Midland, Tex. CP for mod. of license, be denied. H. O. Davis, Mobile, Ala. CP for new station, be denied. Virgil V. Evans, Gastonia. No. Car. CP for new station, be denied. J. L. Statler, Muscatine, Iowa. Authority to transmit programs to stations in Canada and Mexico, denied. Harold Thomas, Pittsfield. Mass. CP for new station, be denied.