Evening star., 1927-10-30
NEW WRC STUDIOS
TOBE OPENED SOON
Quarters in Press Building to
Be Ready Within Two
Months.

he opened in the National Pres!
Building, Fourteenth and r streets
within the next two months, wa!
made last week by Merlin Hall Ayles
worth, president of the compan!
which manages and operates WRC
for the Radio Corporation o
America,
The new quarters, according to Mr.
Aylesworth. will he representative o.
the Nations Capital, particularly il
their quiet dignity and impressive
ness. For six months, he said, en-
gineers. together with the leading
acoustical experts in the country
have been working on plans for The
new studios. These plans are now
complete and work is under way.
Programs originating from the com
pany's studios in Washington ol
from government halls or buildings
will be carried through WRC anC
other stations associated with tho
National Broadcasting Co. All new
and modern equipment will be in
stalled in the new studios, although
the two duplicate transmitters o
WRC. which are located in the Riggs
Bank -Tompkins Building, Fourteenth
and Park road, will remain in theil
present location.
One feature of the new equipment
will be additional apparatus which
will enable the Washington staff OF
the National Broadcasting Co tc
handle three programs at one time
which is not now possible. Under
the new arrangement. three "chan
nels' are provided. Thus one pro
gram can be in progress in one
studio and broadcast through WRC
another program can be presented il
the second studio and be transmitted
to the National Broadcasting CO..
New York terminus for distribution tc
associated stations, and still a thirC
program can be received in the con
troll room from an outside point.
Will Have Two Studios.
Twenty-one rooms on the twelfth
and thirteenth floors of the National
Press Building have been leased for
studios and offices. There will be two
studios, the largest occupying both
the twelfth and thirteenth floors
utilizing six rooms of the new build
ing. This studio will be 20 feet wide
33 feet long and 20 feet high. The
small studio occupies two rooms and
is 20 feet long, 20 feet wide and 1C
feet high. The control room, which
is located between the two studios
is the same size as the small studio
o. B. Hanson, manager of plant
operation and engineering of the Ma.
tional Broadca sting Co, designed the
new studios and with George w. and
G. W. Rapp, Chicago architects. plan
ned the acoustical effects. George
McElrath, engineer-in-charg of Sta.
ton WRC. is supervising the con.
struction of the new quarters, which
is being done by the Fuller Co.. which
erected the building.
Both studios will. of course, be
soundproof," Mr.. Aylesworth de
clared in describing the new quar-
ters. There will be double walls.
with air spaces between. in each
studio. This was arranged not only
to make the rooms soundproof, but
also to prevent sounds from escap.
ing. Being located in a large office
building, we feel that we must con.
slider the other tenants of the build
ing. While no doubt they might en-.
joy hearing our programs, we do not
believe it is good policy from a
business standpoint.
Both studios will be flexible. BY
that / mean that the acoustical effects
will be movable. Our experience in
transmitting programs from studios
has shown that different acoustical
effects are necessary for every type
of program. Therefore, the new
studios will be readily adaptable to
handle any type of program. whether
1t be orchestral music or talking, and
get the best possible results for
broadcasting purposes.
Sound and Air Proof.
"Inasmuch as both studios are
goundproof, they are likewise air.
proof. We have made arrangements
for a special ventilating system which
will connect with the system to he
used in the new quarters Of the Ma
tional Press Club. In the Summer
particularly, de-humidified and cooled
air will be sent into the studios.
THE studios will be treated with
celotex, the face of which will be dec
grated with attractive designs which
will make the studios most pleasing to
look at Each studio will also be
draped, the drapes being hung on troll
ieys around the room. These drapes
aid in making the studios flexible. The
floors of the studios will be treated
with a special cork tile"
Next TO the studios will be located
reception room where artists may
rest before going on the air. This
room leads into private corridor,
from which corridor are entrances to
the small and large studios and the
control room. This insures the ut
most privacy for the station.
All new equipment is being in
stalled in the control room. Separat-
ing this room from the studios are
small openings which are covered
with sets OF plate glass. This ena bles
men in the control room to watch the
program in either studio and make
the necessary adjustment to equip
ment at the same time.
Special test equipment is also being
installed. This will enable engineers
of the staff of National Broadcasting
Co. in Washington to make tests of
all circuits and apparatus. This will
add considerably to the stations eff.
cheney.
Press Club Connected.
Although technically WRC will
have only two studios, it will really
have four. Arrangements have been
made for the installation Of per
end the auditorium of the National
Press Club on the fourteenth floor
This will enable the station to broad
cast programs from these points with
out installing equipment such as is
now necessary whenever broadcasting
is done outside of the studio.
In addition TO the studios and con
troll rooms, the general program and
commercial Offices and the plant and
engineering department will be 10
Gated in rooms which connect with
the hrOadcaStlng unit. A small room
has been set aside for "A" and "B'
batteries. In order to prevent fumes
from escaping from the battery room
and penetrating the studios anC
other parts of the building. specia
metal or fiber ducts have been in
stalled to allow the fumes to escape.
Members of the staff will have di