Radio mirror (Jan-Oct 1923)

March /-, /O-V R A D ! O DIGEST YOU'VE HEARD 'EM? HERE THEY ARE! Of course you know who "Uncle Billy" is — if you have ever listened in on WGI, Medford, Massachusetts. Here is a picture of "the bedtime story man" (center above). We are sorry to say that Peter Rabbit and Johnnie Chipmunk were not at the station when the photographer called or we would have made it a group. While a lot of the kiddies have the impression that "Uncle Billy" looks something like Billie Possum, there are some grown-ups who still think "G. C. A." (G. C. Arnoux), program director of WBAP, Fort Worth, Texas, is "fat and forty." We are forced to run a picture of "G. C. A." (left) , in order to cut down on some of our correspondence correcting this rumor that is riot among the fair sex. At the right is Harry Sadenwater, who has been placed in charge of the technical direction of the General Electric Company's broadcasting plants. Sadenwater will be remembered as the Radio officer aboard the ill fated NC-1, one of the three flying boats of the United States Navy that attempted to cross the Atlantic in May, 1919. Mr. Sadenwater' s craft ran into a heavy fog and was forced to seek safety in the ocean. The plane was badly damaged by waves but the crew was finally rescued by a Greek freighter BRITON'S STATIONS PURPOSELY LIMITED LICENSED RECEIVING SETS DEFRAY EXPENSE Four Broadcasting Plants Supply News and Time for All of the British Isles By F. N. Hollingsworth LONDON, ENGLAND. — Britons have only four broadcasting stations to entertain them and to provide the news of the day via the air, but, considering the size of the British Isles, this seems to be amply sufficient. The number has been purposely limited, however, to lessen interference. Receiving stations are licensed, and a portion of the license fees turned over to the broadcasting stations through the British Broadcasting Association to help defray expenses of the work. The largest station is at Marconi House, with call letters 2LO, and wave lengths of 400 and 800 meters, using 1500 watts power. The station at Manchester, 3ZY, has 800 watts power and a wave length of 385 meters, while the other two are 5NO at Newcastle on 400 meters and 5IT at Birmingham, on 420 meters. In tuning in to attempt to pick up England, fans should remember that London is five hours earlier than Eastern Standard time. Fans Wire and Phone in on WQAM's Clearness Hotel Guests Dance by Music of Miami Plant MIAMI, FLA. — Telegrams, letters and telephone calls coming in to The Metropolis tell of the clearness with which the programs put on by the new Radio station WQAM are heard. Among the cities reporting by wire or letter are Glen Cove, N. T.: Somerville, N. J.; Needham, Mass.; Arcadia, Orlando and Hialeah. Telegrams, local and long distance telephone calls, received during the broadcast of WQAM attested to the popularity of Tasillo's Le Bal Tabarin Orchestra of Hartford, Conn., which furnished a recent program. This orchestra is now filling a season's engagement at Luna Park dancing pavilion. In several of the leading hotels of Miami and Miami Beach guests often dance to its music which was received over Radio and The Metropolis has received many expressions of thanks by telephone and telegram. DE FOREST AWARDED MEDAL BY INSTITUTE Special Committee Appointed to Investigate the Audion PHILADELPHIA. — Presentation of the Elliott Cresson medal to Dr. Lee de Forest for his invention of the Audion or threeelectrode vacuum tube took place here at the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania in connection with a joint meeting of the Institute of the Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The special committee appointed by the Institute to investigate and report upon the Audion consisted of Mr. Charles E. Bonine, chairman, and Dr. George A. Hoadley, with the following consulting members: General J. J. Carty, Dr. A. E. Kennelly, Major General George Owen Squier, Mr. John Stone. The presentation address was delivered by Dr. Walton Clark. The report upon which the award was made says in part: "This invention of the three-electrode vacuum tube for the purpose of amplifying minute electrical currents and pressures, called by the inventor the Audion and variously known as the electron amplifier, thermionic amplifier, three-electrode bulb, et cetera, the specific invention considered in this report, is one of the most important ever made in the field of the electrical transmission of intelligence and through its development has worked a profound revolution in the art of Radio communication." Glee Club Contest Is New Novelty of Station WEAF NEW YORK. — Picking the winner of the Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest was the Radio audience's unusual privilege on the evening of Saturday, March 3, when WEAF broadcast the college men's voices through a special direct wire installation at Carnegie Hall. Entered in the contest were glee clubs from Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Pennsylvania State, Amherst, Wesleyan and the University of Wisconsin. The latter is winner of the Intercollegiate Prize Contest held in the Middle West. Each glee club sang one "light" song and one "college" song of their own selection, followed by a rendition of "The Hunter's Farewell" by Mendelssohn. The complete vocal merits of each club may thus be fairly judged. The Radio audience not only enjoyed a program of unusual merit, but had the opportunity to test its discriminative powers in selecting the winner, whose name is yet to be announced through WEAF as soon as the judges' decision is reached. ETHER WAVES BRING SON BY FLYING BOAT Huge Seaplane Delivers Man to Mother's Side MIAMI, FLA. — The eleven-passenger flying boat Buckeye of the Aeromarine Airways, Inc., performed an unusual service recently aided by a new Radio apparatus carried aboard the huge seaplane, according to adyices received by C. F. Redden, president of the company, at the executive office, Times building, New York. Shortly before the Buckeye sailed on its first trip to Nassau from Miami, a Radio message was received from Carter De Gregory at Settlement Point at the west end of Grand Bahama island, stating that his mother was seriously ill in Nassau and requesting that the Buckeye stop for him and carry him to the British island. F. Kuback, Radio operator aboard the Buckeye, sent a message from the flying boat to a ship in harbor at Settlement Point giving directions to have Mr. De Gregory aboard a small boat ready to be transferred to the aircraft. The descent was made promptly for Mr. De Gregory and the voyage was resumed without delay; the Buckeye arriving in Nassau that evening. Pullman Conductor Gives Passengers Air Concert Receiving Set Furnishes Music for 400-Mile Trip TEXARKANA, TEX. — People here who were passengers on Kansas City Southern passenger train No. 1, southbound, March 1, are discussing what they profess to be the first Radio entertainment for railway passengers in this territory. The Radio set is the property of Pullman conductor, Tom Chapman. It was installed in the Pullman with aerials running along the top of the coach. The set furnished the passengers with concerts all along the 400-mile journey between here and Kansas City. Hear WHB in New York Tube NEW YORK N. Y. — Officials of the Interborough Rapid Transit company of New York recently used the subway and East river tunnel to test Radio reception. Kansas City, WHB, was picked up in the concrete tube sixty feet under ground, and. also midway to Brooklyn in the tube under the river. Every state in the Union reported having heard WGY on Christmas eve. At the same time WGY was heard in London, Liverpool, Mexico, Porto Rico, Cuba and Canada. CREATION OF NEW DEPARTMENT ASKED NEW POST OFFICE DEPT. WILL INCLUDE RADIO Adoption of New Department of Communication Is Not Urged By President By Carl H. Butman The creation of a Department of Communications, including Radio, is suggested in the report on the reorganization of the executive departments submitted to the joint committee of Congress by the President a few days ago. The committee, headed by Walter F. Brown, suggests that the Post Office Department be renamed the Department of Communications, and that it include an Assistant Secretary for Telephone and Telegraph, including Radio. To Add Development Bureau In the report Mr. Brown says in part: "The only important chaage contemplated is the addition of a bureau (to the Post Office) to develop and extend telephone and telegraph communications, including Radio, for the general public benefit." Apparently the Navy would retain its communication system as would >the Signal Corps, but it is evident that Radio regulation would be transferred from the Commerce Department to the Department of Communication, although the Bureau of Navigation, under which the Radio section operates today, is left in the Commerce Department. President Does Not Urg-e Adoption Although the report is labelled as recommended by the President, his letter of transmittal states that with few exceptions, the changes have the sanction of the cabinet, and adds that it is his hope that the suggestions will be of assistance to the committee. Further than that, the President does not appear to urge its adoption. Signal Corps Establishes Two New Army Net Stations WASHINGTON. — The War Department has announced that Radio stations are to be established by the signal corps at Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Leavenworth, Kans., as a part of the army Radio net. The station at Fort Leavenworth will be a relay point for transcontinental business. The signal corps land line in Alaska extending from Fort Gibbons to Koyukuk, a distance of about 200 miles, is to be abandoned, and a Radio station will be established at Ruby to take care of the locality previously served by that line.