The Washington times., 1929-02-02
HEARS
BROADCAST
Of LONDON

Ut lUWDUW
Unusually good volume from all
sections of the broadcast continent
accompanied by static crashes here
and there, came to loud speakers
last evening. All parts of the broad.
casting world were available to
receivers having power enough to
receive the signals. There was, Of
course, considerable annoyance
from interference between broad
casts and from fading, as there
always is on nights of sharp, clear
signals.
Nothing quite so strikingly and
accurately describes radio reception
of the last "a hours as the phrase
used by our old staff-mate of this
newspaper, George Rothwell Brown,
in referring to the experimental re-
broadcast of London as bands
across the seaT' The broadcast
band, equipped with what sounded
like a distinctly domestic and
tempestuous brand of static, was
extended across the sea and a
London symphony orchestra reached
itself over $500 miles of dampness
and played for listeners of the
United States for half an hour.
The broadcast was the culmina-
ton of a series of joint experiments
by the National Broadcasting Com
pany and the British Broadcasting
Company in the pursuit of their
ambition to make broadcasting of
music and entertainment and en-
lightenment an international affair
and bring the product of European
broadcasting stations to listeners in
the Western Hemisphere, as we'll as
take American entertainment to
Europe.
The London symphony concert of
last night was selected for the big
test. At 4:45 yesterday afternoon,
9:45 London time, the National
Broadcasting Company engineers
picked up the broadcast of Station
5SW. of Chelmsford, England which
was presenting the London program
as part of the British Broad
casting Company chain.
The program was brought across
the Atlantic from Chelmsford on
short waves of 1888 meters and re-
ceived by the Radio Corporation of
America, at Riverside, L. I. Thence
it was transmitted by wire to the
WEAF control room and from there
sent TO the various stations of the
big chain throughout the United
States by which it was broadcast.
The program continued half an
hour.
The tones of the orchestra were re-
markably well modulated. Static
storms interrupted and practically
wrecked the program. But so they
do programs of even local stations.
Technically the broadcast seemed to
be very much of a success.
PRESIDENT TALKS
FROM FLORIDA
Otherwise in the afternoon and
evening output for loud speakers
there was the speech of President
Coolidge, introduced by Edward w.
Box, in. which the President euIo-
gized the efforts being made to pro-
mote artistic development and to
500 voices and the new set of bells
cate, contributed to the program
AL Hopkins and his Hill Billies,
prese lted to radio audiences in
regular program for the first time
three years ago by The Washington
Times. turned up on the wave
lengths last evening during the True
Story presentation from WMAL.
They presented incidental music to
one of Bill Sweets dramatic sketches
of a True Story story. Charles EN-
erson Cook, impressario of the
Savoy Musical Comedy Company of
the Belasco Theater, auspiciously
opened a series of programs from
VOL at $50 which will present
stars of his organization every week
and which featured Helen AuIt and
Bob Carbauh last evening. in addi-
tion to Renee Hamilton and others
of the Savoy group.
The concert bureau hour from
WRC provided the best program
we've heard under that title for
many weeks. Ermine Galloway, the
singer Of character songs, figured
twice in the proceedings with her
characteristic zeal and abandon
The Arm Chair Quartet of NBC an.
nouncers. directed by Milton Cross,
were in fine voice and performed
well. Elsewhere and otherwise the
programs were as usual Of a Fri
day.