The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-05
BROADCASTING
STATE FAIR IS
INTRICATE TASK
Mammoth Job Is Achieved
by Engineers at Indiana
Exposition.

Some idea of the magnitude of
the task of broadcasting the In
diana State fair by WIS, the Sears
Roebuck station of Chicago, in CO.
operation with WENR, station of
the Great Lakes Broadcasting Com
pany and the Interstate Public
Service Company during this week
from the State Playground can be
gained from the following facts:
Microphones for various pickups
giving the highlights Of the fair are
located in the coliseum for judg-
ing cattle, and leads go into the
cattle barn. race track and other
vantage points over the grounds.
These wires all terminate in a
radio control room, which is a tenn
porary structure located in the
southeast corner foyer of the won-
ems building.
Microphone wires from these
points run into what is known as a
mixer panel, where the various pro-
grams are blended. This means
that the pickups are made instantly
from these several microphones.
See Artists in Action
The WIS portable studio is To-
Gated also in the southeast end OF
the foyer. This is where fair visit
ors are enabled to see the WIS art
lists from Chicago in action.
Two special wires carrying the
"big doings" go from this panel to
the American Telegraph and Tele-
phone Company toll or repeating
station in downtown indianapolis.
From this central Office in Ind1-
annapolis six repeating stations To-
Gated between here and Chicago
carry the ampliflcation. Each sta
ton amplif1er insures a proper Level
for a perfect broadcasting from the
5,oo0-watt WIS station in Chicago
The receiving end at Chicago gets
the pickup and then it is carried
by land wires to the WIS trans
hitting station at Crete, Ill.
Two operators are located at the
Playground control board, and a man
= continually is following the program
and checking it's quality as it is
amplified at each of the six ampli-
flying points.
Three Engineers Check
At the Crete transmitting station
three engineers give the program
its final check and. send it. out on
huge antenna, where it is available
to listeners.
In addition to the wires that
handle the program is another spe-
cial wire which runs directly from
the temporary control room OF WIS,
Chicago, this wire being for the sole
purpose of permitting communica-
ton between chief operators at each
end of the line.
The average listener, when hear
ing a program, thinks only OF the
announcers and various artists TAX
ing part in the broadcast, but from
the foregoing it can be seen that
their efforts would be of no avail
without the steady and careful eff
forts of the experienced engineering
staff.
Play Big Part
The two men who have arranged
this intricate system of wires and
microphone set-ups, and who are
on the job throughout the week, to
see that the programs are carried
to listeners are T. L. Rowe, chief
operator of the WIS engineering
staff, and his assistant, Charles
Townsend.
WIS hours on the air at the State
Playground, excepting for Saturday,
when lines from the big race track
will be in operation from 230 until
the final heats late in the after
noon, are 1920 to II, 1890 to 1870,
2:s0 to $3.50 and $50 to 6.
Announcing is in charge of Har-
old Stafford of the WIS staff, Chi
cago.
RARIA REAI EnR lAIII