Evening star., 1923-02-25

| casting service Of the local stations
has been started by i. few of .he
Washington radio enthusiasts. The
outstanding criticisms are aimed at
the foolish lecture stuff" broadcast
by the government departments
/ through the powerful naval radio
| station NAA in Arlington. Va, and
! the canned music" which fills the
air about 6 o'clock in the evening and
! which the protestants charge is seri-
! ously interfering with the reception
of the dinner concerts of the distant
stations.
Many letters have been received by
| the writer during the week emphati-
cally protesting against the monopoly
OF the air on three nights in seven
Dy the government departments with
| their radio lectures, while others
have registered their complaints over
the telephone. The local station which
Droadcasts phonograph music around
the dinner hour has received share
OF the criticism.
Programs Too Long.
There are still others who have
complained that some Of the pro-
grams are either too long or are
mediocre in quality. The impatient
lengthy intermissions between the
program numbers.
Almost as quickly as the complaints
arose, however, some of the listeners
In came to the defense of the broad
casting stations. indicating their ap-
probation of the efforts of the broad :
sasters to entertain them.
Ihe complaints and the commenda-
lions have deeply impressed on the
Droadcasters that 1t is virtually out
m nf
the entire mass of listeners.
Answer to Criticism.
What effect tho adverse criticisms
VIII nave on the broadcasters will be
indicated by the action of the Wash
lngton Radio Broadcasters Associ-
dtlon when 1t meets this week to
map out program for improving
the broadcastinE service. Clarence A
Parezo OF Station Will of the Con-
tinental Electric Supply Company,
however, has taken cognizance of the
complaints against the broadcasting
of the phonograph records during the
dinner hour. and answered the critics
in the following communication ad-
dressed to the radio editor Of The
Star:
Information Offered.
I'm reading The Star of February
II, came across a letter which had
been written by II. c. c. Stiles. offer
ing up a prayer for less local broad
casting, and as 6 o'clock in the eve
ming was mentioned, i naturally feel
this station. as we are broadcasting
local entertainment from $50 to $50.
The gentleman in question has not
failed to mention tho financial ex-
pense incurred in installing broad
casting stations.
II am not writing or answering
this letter in the form of criticism, !
am simply offering some information
that might be OF assistance to the
owners of the so-called really good
sets. The so-called really good sets
should be capable Of tuning out any
local interference. There are dozen
sets on the market that are able to
do this, and I have come into con-
tact with hundreds Of business men
In the store who state that they are
able to tune out even NAA. station
at Arlington, and you must admit
that NAA is a very powerful station
alongside the department Sore ana
electrical store broadcasting stations.
and as d further suggestion to the
gentlemen that feel inclined to criti-
cize such stations, l might mako the
suggestion that If they would re-
duce the length of their aerial their
sets would be much sharper In tuning.
Live and Let Live
statistics show that there are about
10000 small receiving sets in WASH
but the local stations, and most or
the owners of these sets are people
who work during the day and are not
interested in the day programs, ano
1 feel that the owners of these smaller
sets are entirely satisfied with the
monograph boradcasting concerts and
such talent as can be afforded them In
these one-hour programs. Most or
these people cannot afford to buy the
so-called really good sets, and as
<,sx CT
this whole proposition SINNERS down
to one thing, and that is, Live and let
live"
Logging Interference.
Acting as observing stations. mem
bers of the American Radio Relay
League in Washington and other sec
tions Of the country have started the
task of logging all interference on
broadcast wave lengths in order to
determine what percentage of inter-
ference is being caused by the several
classes of transmitting stations.
Interference in receiving is a ques-
tion of general moment to all those
interested in radio at the present
time. 1t is what Secretary Of Com
merce Hoover referred to when he
declared there was an urgent need
for a means Of policing the air." 1t
was one factor back of the active
support of the White radio control
bill;
Subject Not Understood.
The subject is not generally under
stood by the thousands who have be-
come interested in broadcast-listen-
ing almost overnight, and by having
country log the interference, the
American Radio Relay League pro-
posed to show just what percentage
of the interference is being caused by
the broadcasting stations. 1t would
appear from statistics compiled from
other sources that Of the various
kinds Of transmitting stations, COM
mercial, naval and private, the inter-
ference caused by the amateur is neg
ligible.
the part of the amateur today, it is
said, is the spark transmitter. which
is fast becoming extinct. Next in
line is the tube transmitter employ
ing a frequency of alternating cur
rent which Is unf1ltered. The anna
teur is doing his best to eliminate
this undesirable feature by rectify-
ing his alternating current.
Commercial Interference.
Another form of Interference un-
doubtedly comes from the naval and
commercial spark stations, which
often operate on wave lengths sup
posed to to be soG or pr 40 4s,;9ie meters. but
poor decrement, and Is incorrectly
tuned, this wave interferes with the
broadcast wave of 400 meters. No
one really knows how much inter-
ference, nor what percentage of it, is
being caused by these various inter-
ests.
When the first radio law was
drafted, in 1912, government officials
here in Washington, upon the advice
Of the best informed radio men in
the country, passed a law giving the
amateur a wave length not to ex-
ceed 200 meters, decrement Of 2