Page
RADIO
Nation Chall
Peace Unto Nation"
After Ten Years
The years ago the very thought improved. You can't go very much of efficient broadcasting was ridicul-higher and keep at that higher ed. The announcers said This, level all the year round. is London calling the British Isles," I myself loathe the Children's und everybody made jokes about Hour, and get angry when I find the cat's whiskers and the com- that the only alternative is dance Blicated ass of wires that then music. It seems tiresome that I seemed necessary for even a crystal | cannot get chamber music at five
wireless set.
u'clock;-which-is-the-very time: I. Now there are few who have not want it. Nevertheless, I must re- sumething good to say for the I member that thousands of people. B.B.C. That celebrities think much find this ten-time music most en- the same as the man in the streetjoyable. is shown by this Symposium.
G. BERNARD SHAW
the dramatist"and essayist, A request for any opinions of mine on the artistic, commercial, ur scientife future of broadcast ing should be accompanied by an offer of at least £20,000 advance on account of royalties,
TEN YEARS OF
WIRELESS
ACHIEVEMENTS, OF THE B.B.C
GREAT: PUBLIC SERVICE
On November 14, 1922, the first regular service of wireless broadcast programmes began from the Lon don, Birmingham, and Manchester stations. On that day what had
radio trade, as well as by n direct payment for the privilege of owning a set. but by the autumn of 1924 the element of contribution through the industry was dropped and the receiving licence fee became the sole important source of
of revenue As more.
tatlong-ware---
were erected and put into service more money was required, and in 1929, as a result of the report of the Sykes Committee, the payment to the B.B.C of the propertion of the listener's licence fee was increased from 50 per cent to 75 per cent, and permission was also given to accept programmes 14 provided" by cutaidors with publicity ands to
Try to better the programmes yourself-remembering that your taste may not be the taste of other people, and that you have to please others as well as yourself. One must give way somewhere. It is when the B.B.C. attempts to please previously been regarded as an ex-serve, somewhat after the American everybody at one and the same time periment was formally admitted fashion. It is to the lasting credit to the status of a service, which, of the company that, although they that it pleases no one at all.
in its turn, has developed into an exploited this licence in a fow ex established and accepted factor in perimental instances during 1925, it has since been dropped without our national life.
C. B. COCHRAN.
comment.
-DEATH OF MAR- CONT'S ASSISTANT.
MR. G. S. KEMP: MIRELESS PIONEER
[BRITISH WIRELESS SERVICE}
RUGBY, Tan, 3 THE death occurred yesterday of
A
Mr. C 8, Kamp, who was Marconi's first assistant in his early wireless experiments when as young inventor he came to Eng land in 1600
Mr. Kemp, who was seventy five: accompanied Marconi to New- foundland in December, 1901 and beard the wireless signals received from the wation at Poldin, Corn wall, this being the first demon stration of Trans-Atlantic wireless telegraphy,
Recently Marconi and his as sistants have been conducting fur they experiments with very shar wireless waves less than one metre long this being the order of the wave length used in his earliest experiments in which the late Mr. Kemp participated.AN PERK
the theatrical producer, But the question, Should the . If there is anything to my tasto B.B.C. return to its status, as ain the programmes always en private concern, le ruled by one deavour to hear it. And if I see gifted individual or continue to be the announcement of a talk dealing this week their early adventures in programmes which had been pre-troversial matter was neither neces-
Fun as it is?" I answer by the words: 1 am in favour of public
control."
with any of my own interests-the theatre, old masters, and so on-I invariably switch on.
Some kind of central control! Broadcast plays I am unble to clears the air in more senses than understand. The sound effects to one. The Americans have messed me are meaningless, and I cannot up their ether by permitting any distinguish between the voices of one to set up a broadenstang ata the actors, The prospect ofan tion. The listener, instead of hav. entire svering spent in listening to ing a choice of programme, is of a broadcast musical comedy appals ten not even able to get one. The me. Still, I must confess that the towns have too many stations. The programmes strike me as clever, wide open spaces tave. none. Ou
Those who have followed the progress of broadcasting from the The work of the same committee realized that the simple prohibi- start will doubtless be contrasting led also to the admission of daytime tion of the brodcasting of any con- sary nor desirable. While, there- listening with their present day viously prohibited on the grounds fore, under the terms of the new service, and be comparing those of possible interference to othor Charter, any Government could few evening hours of music with users of wireless services. Shortly reserve for itself when required the wealth of programme material, after the opening of the Daventry the unrestricted use of the malero dorived from the studios of Europe high-power station 5XX in 1925 the phone on its own responsibility, the and America, as well as from the third constitutional landmark was a studios of Broadcasting House, reached when as a result of the admission of controversial matter in with which the B.B.C. is next week work of the Crawford Committee,e ordinary programmes was, by celebrating its tenth birthday fes the service was transferred from agreement, tried out by gradual tival.
the company to the corporation.
Start of the Corporation.
steps.
The old restrictions on news!! were removed and the era of unfet- tered programmies began The licence fee was still continued at the rate of 10s. per annum per in- stallation, but the proportion paid over by the Postmaster General to The Board of Directors was recording to a scale which, with the
the corporation was assessed a placed by Board of Governors, present total of 6,000,000 listeners, nominated by the Government provides that approximately 60 per presided over by Lord Clarendon cent. of their fees gose to the main- na: chairman, with Lord Gainford tenance of their service. as vice chairman, and Sir Gordon Nairne, Dr. Montague Rendall and Mrs. Philip (now Viscountess) Snowden as governors The British listener, however, did not at first notice the change, for the staff, the plant, and programme machinery were taken over still under, the executive control of Sir John Reith, who now became the first. Director General.
The technical and administrative - growth of this great servica, which |-| If I were naked to produce: 8 now boasts more than 5,000,000 | On-December 31, 1996, the old the other hand, a monopoly by two-hour broadens show immedia.clients, is not without interest. As company was dissolved, and on the private company is not desirable.tely, I do not know what I should a result of negotiations during the following day the corporation be Such a system lends itself too much do. Look back at last year's pro-summer of 1922 between the Postel Bus on works tinder Royal Charter to jealousy and favouritiam to be grammes and initste them, probabmaster-General and a committed really successful.
15. Then I should rightly be charg representative of the radio manu For the rest, I suggest that ased with bing out of date," for facturers of the country, the British long as the present play censorship the B.B.C. seems to make amazing Broadcasting Company, Limited; regulations hold good, a play to be progress. And I believe we are was formed on October 16 in the broadcast should have the Lord scarcely at the beingning of the same year. The company was cond Chamberlain's licence. The B.B.C. great future before broadcasting.
stituted with a capital of £100,000 ought also to hold a licence-for As for broadensting and the of which £60,000 was contributed in permitting music on its premises! theatre, I believe that the listener. Mr. J. C. W. (now Sir John) Reith And regarding the proposal to having heard, wants to see the was appointed general manager, broadcast the proceedings of Par original. Hear & symphony orand in October, 1923, joined the liament. I think that such a step chastra and then hear it through a board, as managing director." would ruin our democratic institu-loud-speaker: the effect is not the tion and certainly abolish broad-same and never can be. casting. Why broadcast when there- are vo¬listenera ? ̈
¿COMPTON MACKENZIE
So, no matter bow perfect mechanical entertainment may be come, it will never oust the real thing and especially the theatre, which had a limited public before the author.broadcasting begar, and has that Althigh loud-speakers have im-limited publio now. proved tremendously during the DAME ETHEL SMYTH, past few years, I still prefer gramo- phones a distinct from radiograins. particularly if you can afford only tfew records, but the average radio is curiously able to get over suffgient "patch,'
A wireless set is worth having,
You may have volume and power and the seemingly perfect reproduc-
tion of instruments, but it is often apparently impossible to trantit through the radio the essentiu? vitality of a picco.
My eats remains unmoved by breadrust music. I can drive them out of the room by the right gramɔ- phone' record.
1
I am, of course, expressing my own personal taste. The broadcast programmes could hardly be much
BRUNSWICK
AND
MELOTONE
RECORDS
FOR
JANUARY
TSANG FOOK PIANO COMPANY
the eminent composer. I have only lately acquired a wireless set (simply because I can't go to and from London in winter and yet want to hear new music), and so I have not had time yet to study the programmes.
Though, of my own_first_experien
Advertisement Barred,
Early Programmes.
A re-examination of the old pro- grannies of the early days recalls many items of special interest. A month after the beginning of the programmes service that is in December, 1922-were broadcast the first Children's Hour and the first religious addresses. These features From the outset it was wisely
still remain characteristics of the decided not to follow the American
programmes to day. The first out- But the changes brought about side broadcast a performance of example of using the microphone for advertisements, and that the by the formation of the corporation Mozart's The Magic Flute &t Covent maintenance and development of were, especially sa for us the pro Garden, took place on January 8, the service, should depend on the grammes we concerned, deep and 1923, while to Mr. G. R. Chester listeners themselves and not on in- far-reaching Tha experience of ton belongs, the honour of broad- terested parties. At first, as the the general strike of 1926. had de casting the first after dinner speech company and the radio industry monstrated in striking fashion the when he proposed The Immortel generally were feeling their way, an immediate link between the sta dinner on January 5, 1920, at potentiality of the microphone as Memory at the "Burns Night"| the listener made his contribution teman and the private citizen. Princes Restaurant. both by way of taxes and tariffs on About the same time it was being his receiving apparatus sold by the (Continue on next Column)
ces a few weeks ago: I had no com- HAVE YOU HEARD THESE?
plaints to make, the programmed I am told, are hecaring less and less satisfactory for serious musi cians. If this is in, it it a serious matter, for broadcasting should stimulate interest in music, and I have always expected it would do 50.
Living in the country, and seldom seeing musicians, I really am not to a josition to say whether broad- casting has, or has not, had the effect as many maintain) of lessen- ing zeal in concert-goers.
From all I hear. I fear audiences are getting smaller, but this may be the effect of the general financial depression.
VERNON BARTLETT,
the popular broadcast speaker as
international affairs.
The discovery of wireless will one' day prove to be more important, than that of printing. With tho help of radio, war will disappear in the present century, for misan- derstanding, fear and distrust have often proved more powerful tham common sense, and now broadcast
ing is making the peoples of foreign parts as well known to us us our wext-door neighbours.
Hare are "Lats of long-warI and short-wave stations which should be picked up by anyone in Hong Kong who has a mode- rately good sat suitable for re- ceiving such signals. Success In picking up these stations also depands, very largely upon fay ourable atmospheric conditions. Readers are invited to add to this list should they mucceed In picking up any station not in- cluded in alther of these lista.
Soon some international tongue OWN will be universally spoken, and we 67.65 60.12 shall not think of a German or 28.7 Biamese as being much more of a m stranger than a man who speaks 18. the dialect belonging to some corner | 496- of the British Inles
415 DR CYRIL NORWOOD
STATION
LONG-WAVE STATIONS.
Wave length (Metres) Station
260 Manila (277 Shanghai
+
On February 17 of the same year "Ian Hay" broadcast the first. wireless appoat on behalf of the Winter Distress League, while three days later Sir Oliver Lodge began, in a wireless talk, his career as perhaps the most popular broad- caster of all, On October 3. 3923, the late evening performances of the Savoy Hotel dance band began, while a fortnight afterwards that popular concert party "The Roo- Call Kiloter's gave their first broadcast. Biga eyele On the evening of December 4, 1923, the broadcasting of election results KZI.B. 1,163
continued till 1 o'clock in the morn- K.B.M.8. 1,083 ing, while on April 13 of the follow ing year the first address was given by the Rev H. R L Sheppard - in an outside broadcast from St. Mar- tin-in-the-Fielda. Both M. Stephan and Sir Walford Davies have over eight years of popular service ab the microphone to their credit. The first broadcast by the King and the Prince of Wales were on the oc 800casion of the opening of the British J.0.G.K 730 Empire Exhibition on April 23; JOHK770: JQAE 760 `7.0.B.EE (760)
Q.M.B EZRM.
345 Tokyo JOLK 176 353 Hiroshima J.0.1.K.
850
355 Hong Kong Z,B.W. 840 357.1 Bombay ·V,U.B. 840
361 Sapporo- 360 Kaijo. 370 Nagoya 370.4 Calcutta. 380 dmamoto 300 Bandal
SHORT-WAVE STATIONS.
•A.F.E Dobints (Germany) Khabarovsk (Russia) 4.97. Nadonw
REN Home Perth. Singapore
JOLE 880
J.O.D.K.. 89d J.0.0.K 810 V.U.O.
TI (Howo Koro), OF WÖRKING
4,484 | Mon., Wade de Fri., 6 pm- 4,990 | 6-10: 5,291 || Not regi
17,810
5,000 Tues.
L.M...
BAG. 1.6.1.A.D; POL
8,800 Baby 714
HSAPJ
Melbourne Bazenectady
8.LO.
36.8 Kootwijk (Holland)
Bangkok (Blam): Sydney
85.2
Healmaster of Horrow School. 31,50 Wireless, I think, has boen of this | 11,48 greatest ass in elementary schools. 81.20 la studio leamon by an acknowledged 32:20
expert can be broadcast to a B thousand schools at once, and then 26
978
7,760 Day 11 8,108 Tue, & TH 090 Not
9,508 Kot rogaler
698
9,690 Fri 8am Sat. 9 am 4:10 am (Holland) PC
Not regular LEO, DER KO,540 "Nairobi (Kenya) 7.LONE 0,077, Kidnight daily
DIMEX 10.526 Not regular Bydney
PLEAL,120 Midnightů k ní, daitez
be followed up by a brief, perso Chelmsford (England) bemASSIES 141797,80 % 23 male dally"except::
[al-lesson- from the individualutena irma Bertarny
cotady
W.KK.0 12.460
* Many pupils food to make more
interest in facts and figures when they come via the loud speakor, 174
Ko
Holland)
FLO. 16,100 POLAR 10300
Ba
Koopell
Holland
and, of course, in the smaller coun 16 try schools Lius method of teaching Sokinys pablo Mode
tising that
Н.Е.Р.Ј. (17,76
18/404
Baturday and Sunday
1024.
Only a few months after regular broadcasting began theme was form ed the B.B.C. Central Religious Advisory Committee, which has functioned regularly and with un animity over since, the original number of members being six," and the Bishop of Bonthwark having. been chairman of the committee from the very beginning Beiatively recently the membership of this committee has been enlarged to 13, to permit the inclusion of represeD- tatives of the Regional Committee. Pinework of Technical Stan
While it is true to my that the real interest of the great majority of listeners is in the material:con- veyed by broadcasting and not in the vehiole ofite conveyance, no *** account of the B.B.C.'s activities, however, brief, should omit to men- tion-the upgbtrusive but essential. "and fundamental work of ite techn
cal staff. As more an stations were built problems without cnoauntered and
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COMMENCING SUNDAY, 8TH JANUARY-
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