Evening star., 1923-01-07
BY COMMANDER STANFORD
HOOPER, L. y. y.
Copyrighted, 1927

The radiophone broadcasting serv-
ice of today is reminiscent of the ra-
dio telegraph service of fifteen years
ago.
In what are now referred to as the
! ''old days in radio" of twelve to
eighteen years ago, radio operators
of the dot and dash code made their
| own traffic regulations for exchang-
: ing messages, as do the radiophone
operatives now for broadcasting their
programs.
In the old days an operator might
be capable of rapid and accurate
! transmission and reception of the dot
and dash radio language. or he might
be very slow and inaccurate--it made
little difference. Moreover, virtually
each individual operator employed his
own particular style or form for
transmitting authorized messages
through space, and he engaged freely
In unauthorized personal CONVERSE
ton with his brother operators
through the medium of the ether.
The result of this combination of
non regulated and often slow and in
efficient traffic procedure. interspersed
| with personal gossip in the ether, was
needless interference and confusion
in radio.
! creased in number and effective range
| the situation eventually became so
pad that regulation of d very strict
nature became imperative i'll the in
crest of rapid and efficient service
Today prescribed traffic procedure
Tor radio telegraphy, stripped of all
superfiuous signals, is in universal
use throughout the world. Slow and
inaccurate service has given way TO
rapid and accurate service, because
radio operators must now undergo an
examination and obtain a government
license before they are permitted to
handle traffic. Not only is personal
conversation in the ether between op-
orators forbidden, but If they should
deliberately create a single superfiu-
Gus dot or dash in the ether they
are subject to discipline. In the case
OF a civilian operator his license may
be suspended or Cancelled altogether.
and without a license he cannot en-
gage in his profession.
Fifteen Years Hence.
Fifteen years hence we will refer
to the present as the "old days in ra-
diophone broadcasting." 1t is con-
ceivable that all radiophone broad
be licensed, as radio operators are
now Doubtless a standard procedure
Tor making announcements, etc, will
be In effect. and other than the cleo
tiiCdl output OF the stations will be
regulated In some form.
Radio is one public utility which
every one agrees should be regulated.
The nature of the regulation of the
output of radiophone broadcasting
stations. however. is problem not
easy of solution. 1t is possible that
conditions will gradually deyeIop
which will make some form of control
similar to that now existing in the
motion picture industry and in or
ganized base ball advisable also for
radiophone broadcasting.
The radiophone broadcasting sta
tions themselves are now licensed
They are thus regulated with respect
TO their electrical output in the ether
especially as regards the wave length
they must use.
Beyond this. however, each station
is virtually as free to regulate the
form and quality of its broadcast pro
grams as was the radio telegraph
operator to regulate his traffic fifteen
years ago.
The fact that the output of radio
phone broadcasting stations is in the
form of the equivalent of the human
voice and other intelIigible sounds
does not imply that radiophone oper-
atives need have 10 special training
or special qualifica tions for broad
casting.