Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-30
FOOT BALL CLASSIC
ON RADIO SATURDAY
Broadcast of Big American
Sport Events Forces
Much Preparation.

CdSI Vi lIi6 Va 1NOSSS 6o]IiS
between Leland Stanford and Ala
bama, the two indicated major teams
Of the late foot ball season. But the
remote control broadcast of this New
Year day game has no more unusual
elements that the wireless transmits
sion to the far corners of the earth
last month of the Army Navy classic,
with little or no relay wiring.
Station WEAF as the key" station
will receive Graham McNamee's voice
over 1000 miles of telephone wire from
Pasadena, and the hook-up that will
transmit the account of the Stanford
Alabama contest through the length
and breadth of the land will require
10000 miles more of wire. About $50
engineers will man the various con-
nected transmitterS or watch the tele-
phone circuits in the relay between
broadcast sting stations.
The National Broadcasting Co. thus
presents splendid service to it's
American audience. 1t is interesting
at this moment to recall, however, a
no less spectacular and an even far
ther-f1ung broadcast that kept at his
post nearly every radio operator in
the United States fleet. Although the
Army-Navy game is a month past. the
story of the broadcast and reception
of the play-by-play account is here
told for the first time in practically
the words of Capt. Ridley Mclean, d.
rector of naval communications:
Great Lakes transmitted TO Wash
ington by high frequency. The play
by-play account was copied solid by
Washington. by Balboa. and nearly
solid by sherwood, at Gibraltar, and
doubtless by other stations not report
ing. Washington abbreviated the ac-
count, transmitting 1t on both high
and low frequency, thus covering
ships and stations in the Atlantic, in
Europe and on the West Coast. The
transmission began at sos pm, Wash
ington time. and was concluded 20
minutes after the last play of the
game.
The commander of the naval forces
in Europe at Madeira, the commander
of the scouting fleet at Guantanamo,
Guantanamo station itself, San Juan,
Balboa, the S. S. Scorpion at Venice,
the S. S. Case and S. S. Toucey at
Gibraltar and the commander of the
battle feet on the West Coast report
ed copying the broadcast solid.
Although the Washington broadcast
was available, the Pacific communi-
cations officer made independent ar
rangements to cover the West Coast
and the Pacific by having land wire
direct from Soldiers Field. bulletins
being supplied through the courtesy
of a press association. These were re-
1ayed to Honolulu and to the battle
fleet.
Honolulu in general was only IL
minutes behind San Francisco in re-
broadcasting the play-by-pl account,
Guam was about 10~minuteS behind
Honolulu in sending the news to
Cavite, and Cavite received and re-
broadcast for the Asiatic station the
last bulleting only 81 minutes after
the last play of the game.
No special preparations were made
except for the land wire to the
West Coast, according to Capt. Nc
Lean, who said he considered the re-
suits highly gratifying. Capt. Nc
Lean said the transpacific circuit de-
served special credit for its excellent
work throughout the test. For 1t was
a test that had its military sig
nificance. as well as kept the Ameri.
can forces throughout the world in
formed on the progress Of the annual
service classic of the gridiron.
The year now drawing to a close
has produced much good, bad and in
different broadcasting, but taken as a
whole 1926 has witnessed a very
noticeable improvement in the quail
fly of the features presented as well
as the manner of their presentation.
Much has been done also to improve
the mechanical elements of both
transmission and reception, particu
1arly in the use of greater power and
better amplifers by broadcasting sta
tions and the emphasis laid on repro
ductive quality in receiving sets.
Where, in 1925, the broadcasting
of a concert by famous orchestra,
a ranking virtuoso or singer OF re-
nown was an uncommon event, and
one not always attended by success,
such programs are now weekly attrac-
tions that have profited greatly by the
earlier mistakes. Those worthy Of
special commentator are the At
water Kent, Balkite, Maxwell, Victor,
New York Philharmonic and Boston
Symphony programs. to which may
be added to the secondary brilliancies
of the Pennsylvania. Eveready and
Royal hour broadcasts.
In the travelogue tour{of European
capitals. which closed Tuesday night
at WRC and WIZ with the ninth half
hour broadcast of the series, $4,000
words of copy material was read by
the guide. and excerpts from more
than 400 selections were played for
the musical settings.
In the last two years of weekly
travelogues more than 100000 words
have been spoken by the guide and
selections from more than 1900 com.
positions have been played by the
orchestra
The cravelogues will be continued
IN 1927. but WRC will not be a party
to them, owing to the recently an
nounced policy Of disconnecting with
its parent station. WIZ. at the be
ginning of the New Year.
Reception from points beyond the
local area was very poor last night.
all but very few of the transmitters
being "blanketed." There was no
sharp static to contend with. but the
signals simply were not there. Many
stations that were heard did not come
in clearly enough for identification.
"Old Man Donaldson" whose alb.
sorbing tales of adventure in connec-
ton with famous jewels attracted SO
much attention last Winter, will relate
his final story tonight through WRC.
His little granddaughter, Joan. will
again be heard teasing him. Scotland
will be the scene OF the "old mans
adventures.
ne hltt Hcur OF music, AnOIheF
WRC attraction. will introduce Helen
Gerrer Irwin, violinist, and Zoe Wal
son, pianist Both are popular Wash
fngton musicians and have avoided
the microphone for almost year.
Robert d. Beeton, 1923 Newton
street, who has been annoyed by code
interference between GAS and 7:45
pm, appealed for relief today through
this column. Perhaps some of the
amateurs in his neighborhood. who
often have volunteered to cooperate