Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28
TIMED PROGRAMS
SEEN AID TO RADIO
Progress in Synchronization
Held as Beneficial in Re-
ceiving Breakfasts.
BY ROBERT MACK.

Scientific progress of only the past
few months will yield to the radio ifs
tener in the near future a greater va
riety Of programs and less of the squeals
and heterodynes that now mar recep-
ton, it is predicted by Federal Radio
Commissioner Harold A. Lafount.
Important engineering advances in
broadcasting, surrounding the perfec-
ton Of synchronization. will have the
effect of reshaping the radio structure,
with the public reaping the benefits in
ali-around improvement of programs,
the commissioner states. While syn
chronization is the major technical
accomplishment and should result In
the practical elimination of inter-station
interference, there are other engineering
achievements that unite in the inn
pend1ng realigning of broadcasting Serv-
ice.
Fears that synchronization, or the
operation Of more than one high-pow-
cred station on a single channel, will
spell the ruin of the local and regional
stations, are allayed by the commits
sioner. And he insists there will be mo
monopoly of the wavelengths" as some
groups have predicted with the advent
OF Synchronization.
Fear for Independents,
Since the networks have been expert
ment1ng with synchronization, and one
OF them-the National Broadcasting
Co.-has actually forged the first link
IN such project, there has been much
skepticiSm in the industry as to the
fate of the independent station. Now
some $50 of the Nations leading sta
tons are aligned with the two major
networks. subscribing to their programs.
With Synchronization, now definitely
adjusted as "out of the laboratory" the
ultimate hope is that entire networks
Of stations will operate on single
broadcast channel by means Of booster
stations Strategically located through
out the country. This would obviate
the need of contracting with independ-
ent stations in localities served by the
boosters" and the independent sta
tons would be forced to go it alone,
competing with the synchronized net
works.
Mr.. Lafount believes that this will
stimulate the development of local and
regional stations. He emissions the
establishment of cooperative independ-
ent regional networks, operating in the
same general territory, supplementing
the national programs of the N. B. G.
and Columbia. Thus the stations now
will be supplanted by boosters of the
networks in their service areas will be
enabled to perform local, regional and
national service, depending upon their
sizes, and to cater to their regular aus
diences with types of programs peculiar
to their localities" he asserted. 1T
will be like the service rendered by the
press associations in providing State
and regional news for newspapers in
particular localities"
First Link Soon.
Within the next few months N. B. G.
will have in operation its first Synchro-
nized link, by virtue of authority grant,
ed it to synchronize Station WBAL, in
Baltimore, and VITO, in Hartford, now
sharing time on a cleared channel, with
the two keys of the N. B. G. in New
York. Thus, both of these stations will
be accorded full-time operation, as
against their operation on alternate
days.
Laboratory developments in antenna
construction for transmitting stations
also should have an important bearing
on the reduction of interference, Mr..
Lafount pointed out. These have In
view more general use of the ground
wave in transmission and correspond
ingly lessened use of the sky wave,
which is affected greatly by elemental
interferences.
Moreover, he declared, master fire.
quency service" shortly will be inaugu-
rated by the American Telephone g.
Telegraph Co. by wire line. This serv-
ice will be offered to stations of the
country to keep them precisely on their
frequencies and thus avoid the clashing
of signals of stations operating on the
same channel, which now causes hetero-
dyne interference.
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