Evening star., 1926-10-10

you only from one stupid city to an
other?"
The present-day Matthew Arnold
might question the utility of even
so marvellous force as radio broad
casting, if little can be received
through the air except jazz and banal
entertainments. discussed this
subject with Mr.. Sarnoff, asking him
what are the cultural possibilities of
broadcasting and particularly what
improvements in subject matter he
advocates.
1.-The very essence of broadcasting
is made communication" explained
Mr.. Sarnoff 1T thus offers a vast
field of cultural and educational in
fluence.
THE problem, however, of how to
use this new and great medium of
communication for the best educa-
tional and cultural purposes chal-
lenges the imagination. Already
some of our great universities are
alive to the tremendous opportunity
offers. I look forward to the day
when the board of education of
every metropolitan community in the
United States will include in it's
activities a special extension course
to be broadcast by radio. Lectures
on household economics, child well
fare. public health and other topics
are program features still subject to
systematic development by radio"
Changes Are Swift.
Radios are perhaps the swiftest
changing applied science. Improve
ments follow one another with such
rapidity that the equipment of today
is likely to be obsolete tomorrow.
l asked Mr.. Sarnoff to indicate
advancement.
With characteristic definiteness, he
indicated that the following six de-
velopments are at the forefront of
the Immediately practical improve
mentS which may be expected:
"(a) Simplification of radio receiv-
ing sets to the point where the mini
mum of servicing Of the equipment
in the home will be required. This
involves progressive improvement in
battery sets as well as in the re-
ceiving devices which operate di-
rectly from the lighting circuit.
"(b) Vacuum tube and loud speak
er development to the end that the
greatest perfection may be attained
both in the reproduction of the
human voice and of instrumental
music.
"(c) improvement of high.poWer
broadcasting transmission, as we'll as
progress in short-Wave transmission.
with the end In view of solving the
problems of Static fading and in.
terference.' Moth lines of DEVELOPMENT
are necessary to insure the highest
possibilities of broadcasting service.
I'D Progress in the direction of in.
ternational brOadcasting. The mech.
anlsms of a broadcasting system that
Will enable us to send and receive
programs from across the seas are
engaging the attention of engineers
both here and abroad
'(e) Improved picture transmission
by radio. Development now proceed
ing along this line promises much
further progress.
W The utilization of radio devices
In other industries-notaby in the
moving picture industry, where the
synchronization of sight and sound
promises interesting developments.
Will Supplement Cables.
There has been some fear among
lay investors that the new competition
OF the radio might eventually drive,
cable and telegraph companies from
the field.
AS to this, Mr.. Sarnoff declared:
Il believe that cables and radio will
continue to develop technically as
well as commercially, and that these
two methods of international commu.
nicatiOn will supplement rather than
supersede each other.
Americas position as the center
or worldwide wireless is due pri-
mariiy to the development of a single
tranSOceanlc radio communication
system in the United States. For
international communication is a two.
way circuit. Transoceanic communi.
cation abroad is either under gov.
ernmental or unified control The
best way to have destroyed the pri
macy or our own position was to
permit European countries to die.
tate to us their terms of communi.
cation, as they would have been able
10 90 II there were two or three
radio systems on this side, each com.
petlng for the traffic of a single svs.
tenn from abroad. The best Way. in
1act, to have impoverished or even
destroyed our system of international
wireless communication was to have
divided the limited international traffic
among numerous stations on this side
AiOAO SOuiu dIOFQ 10 ODcrafp
prof1tably '"'o
Far from being mononolv i,
international communication. the for.
nation of the Radio Corporation of
America gave the first real comment.
ton offered to cable communica tinns
The almost immediate result was q
general reduction in transocean nio
telegraph rates.
The public has been the benef,c;.
ary in the present competition ha.
tween RADIO and cable communics.
ton systems" "'nod'
we tnen discussed financial mat.
ters' with special reference to the
earning prospects of the Radio CO..
poration of America for the current
year. eht
I'm general" Mr.. Sarnoff remarked
may say that the prospects ars
very encouraging, but / am NOT ah,e
70 answer your question specificajIv
as 1t Is not the policy of the Rad;,'
corporation to predict its f,ture
earnings" 1o'ore
Mr.. Sarnoff is of medium height
mas dark hair and a swartbv CO..,
plexion. He is modest in spite of h;s
rapid and spectacular rise and vou,h'
lui IN MS ways in spite of the weioht