Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-23
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

be, they are and must remain second
airy to the primary business of broad
casting, which is that of transmitting
music, good, bad and indifferent, to the
people.
Any one who is interested In finding
out the truth of this statement has but
to take a typical broadcasting day
about Is hours-at any one of the
greater stations, and to compute the
respective amounts of time given to
music, on the one hand, and to all
other sorts of broadcasting, on the other.
He will see that the radio industry,
with sure instinct, has realized that
music, classical and popular, with &C
cent on the popular, is the basic COM
modify of broadcasting. 1t is what the
people want. In the evening, when the
greatest number of persons listen in,"
music constitutes almost the entire
broadcast.
Now. the whole point of our argu-
ment rests on this fact that music,
whether coming from miles or 5000
miles, is just the same music.
Let us grant, for argument, that one
might receive Just as we'll from 5000
miles as from 3-although we have
never seen or heard set that would
do it-what difference would it make
to the listener, after the first thrill
of getting the call letters had vanished?
The truth is that no reception is as
good, unsteady speaking, as that from a
f1rst-class high-poWered local station.
We will never forget the installation
of our new electric set. After the radio
store man had fooled around with the
dial for several minutes, bringing in
O1Ir n 11n ynVNf tn
After ALL" he said with pleased
smile, there is nothing like local."
X x X X
The system of chain broadcast, under
the auspices of two great national or
CARNATIONS, has practically reduced the
ether to three or four sets of programs.
Whatever any enthusiast may say
to the contrary, every set has a certain
number of stations which it will pick
up every night with regularity, and
another group which it will pick up not
so regularly.
The result Is that one is confined, as
a general thing, to the first set for
night-in and night-out performance.
And, as stated, these stations usually
carry one Of three or four programs.
so that no matter where you turn you
get the same thing.
In the first place, out-of-town never
comes in as smoothly and as free from
extraneous noises-it is not necessary
to call them static-as the local station
Even that fine station, VIDAL, Balti-
more, is accompanied by sundry clicks
and code, dragged in even on the best
of sets from the fathomless depths of
the ether. Those who say nay simply
haven't sensitive ears, that is all.
The ideal reception, the perfect re-
ception of the future, will be simply
music in the air." without the slightest
suggestion of where it is coming from
or how it is getting there.
The room will simply be full Of music.
There will be no slight rush of carrier
wave" or any other noise whatsoever.
There will be absolutely no sound ex-
cept that combination made by the
musicians.
1t may be submitted that the nearest
approach to this ideal Is broadcast
music received on a good outfit from a
good local station. Radio of the future,
we are convinced, will have invisible
apparati and will give two or three
changes of program, and that will be
enough.