Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22
Behind the Microphone
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.

tional Broadcasting Co. repoSes
in its newly developed system is
evident from the fact that It has
been willing to risk mutilating, or
"mushing," the clear channel
operations Of its two New York
key stations to prove that Il has
accomplished practical synchro-
nization. If either Of the two sta
tons ON the EXPERIMENTATION wave
happens to "wobble" in the
slightest it inevitably will mean
q distortion Of the programs
heard by listeners of either or
both stations.
The N. b. G.. will have engineers
in the field constantly to measure
the signals Of the stations and
determine If any distortion occurs.
Within q few months it Is ex-
pected that other stations may be
added to the synchronized wave,
until eventually q synchronized
network has been built to cover
the Eastern States.
Charles w. Horn, N. B. G. gen.
eral engineer, developed the new
system, whose technical secrets
are contained in q sort Of "f1y-
wheel" Stabilizer, which aut0mati-
ca1ly operates the stations and is
governed by a frequency control
furnished from a central point.
The stabilizer "diSregards vari-
atoms in voltage, nlomentary
changes in frequency and other
disturbing factors, and for all
practical purposes maintains the
phase relationship between the
synchronizing stations in an ideal
way"
THE dialing system, similar to
l that used with the new tele-
phones, may come to occupy an
important place In the home Of
the future If 8 new system Of
remote control by means Of which
radio programs and recorded
music may be brought into differ
ent rooms Of o house by dialing
simple mum Der combinations
comes into extensive use.
The new system, which was de-
veloped for special photograph
radio installation, employs the
same principles used in the dial
telephones that have recently
come into such wide use. A simple
dial control, mounted on q small
ornamental box with a pilot light,
Is installed at desirable locations
throughout the house and con-
nected to q master monograph
radio outfit located in the attic
or basement. Complete operating
control of both the radio and
automatic photograph is provided
by each dial station.
Up to 18 different stations are
pre-tuned and adjusted to the
dial unit to respond to
easy code number combinations.
The automatic photograph is
similarly adjusted for each Of its
functions. To bring in a radio
program to one Of the rooms the
dial is twirled to the code number
Of the desired station from any of
the dial controls. In the same
way a code number is dia1ed to
raise or lower the volume, start
and stop the radio music, and to
play records or reject them at will.
The volume of each loud speaker
outlet may be separately regu-
lated by any of the dial controls.
The code numbers are conveu-
iently listed in the lid of each
control box. For phonograph
record programs the code number
OF the record-changing device is
dialed and the machine plays a
continuous program of IL records,
stopping at the end automatically.
PY any other name, they're still
- recorded programs, say off,
cials of the National Broadcasting
Co., who propose not only to enter !
the recording program field |
shortly, but to announce phono-
graph records or film recordings |
over the radio by names |
more descriptive Of their real |
character than electrical tran
scriptions."
Henry A. Bellows, the former
Federal radio commissioner, coined
the phrase electrical transcript
ton" for programs especially
~ 0AAoSAA0CA VA SlAoAo VI 4AAEklS 1OI
1roadcaStlng purposes. Largely
1T his instance, the Federal Radio
Commission adopted it officially
n one Of its orders. Stations are
to describe phonograph /
records or the special "transcrip-
ions" as such before and after
each playing.
With network time now at a
premium, the recording business
has f1ouriShed, even the big sta
ions carrying a certain amount
IT canned programs" Although
t continues to refuse to carry re-
cordings over the network, the
Y. B. G. is permitting the stations
t owns and controls to broadcast
some recordings.
In the meantime it is surveying
he field carefully with q view to
and Syndicating a va
-iety Of recordings Of it's own pro-
1uction, probably on Aims, to
0roadcasting stations.