U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

Wooferton, England; Colombo, Ceylon, and Honolulu. A majority of the VOA programming is aimed at listeners behind the Iron Curtain. This has led to the problem of jamming, which VOA describes as one of the complicating factors in its operation. Jamming of the broadcasts, VOA states, rises and falls in intensity depending on the caloric state of the cold war. The Voice is constantly seeking out ways to improve its service. Early this year it went on the air ^vith regular nightly broadcasts in Spanish to Latin America on shortwave. This was in line with President Eisenhower's views, expressed after his South American trip, that more information about the U. S. and its policies should be offered to the people of Latin America. Previous to the inception of these broadcasts last March, VOA had been broadcasting two and a half hours a day in English to Latin America on shortwave. This has continued. Voice also provides recorded materials in Spanish and Portuguese to local stations in Latin America. An index to the effectiveness and popularity of the Spanish broadcasts is the fact that 76 medium and longwave stations in Latin America now pick up all or part of the VOA shortwave Spanish broadcasts. Of these stations, 62 are in Colombia and the others are in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, El Salvador and Venezuela. With the international power of radio communications, the Voice of America is playing an active role in the most important battle of all — the fight for men's minds. • • • R. J. Rockwell, vice president and director of engineering, Crosley Broadcasting Corp. in groups of two or three, and eight are curtain-type antennas. A modern building near the center of the mile-square tract houses the complicated transmitter equipment, master control board and machine shop where much of the equipment has been built to exacting specifications. There are also comfortable living quarters for the engineers. At the rear of the main building is the complicated antenna switch gear. Mounted on a forest of 20-foot poles are 232 switches which can be manually operated from the ground to connect any of the six transmitters with any of the 22 antennas. There are more than 1,000 poles, ranging in height up to 170 feet, supporting antennas and transmission lines. Although WLWO serves only as a relay base and does not originate any programs, WLW Cincinnati provides regular material for VOA broadcasts. The station's farm department, in particular, supplies at least two and usually more tapes from various farm shows each month. In addition, outstanding public service tapes are supplied through the special broadcast services department on a continuing basis. TRANSMITTERS AND curtain-type antennas are part of the VOA's facilities at WLWO Bethany, O., operated by Crosley as a relay base for broadcasts. Mjllilillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli!lillllllllllllll||||||||||lllll||iy^ U. S. RADIO • September 1960 llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 31