Evening star., 1933-12-03
impatient Ameri-
can experimenters-some

4 can OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
~ of them we'll qualified to
speak and be needed by
reason of their high standing and
past achievements in the radio
arts-are insisting that television
Is ready to emerge from the labo-
ratories: They say that eeonomie
some form VI teleVlSlQn receiving
instrument, possibly comparable
with the crystal radio of dozen
years or ,s.d so ag3 from nn,nieo the puAfliIH sfi
differs. as to the adVisability of
starting in these times to per-
suade people to buy changeable
visual adjuncts to their audible
radios.
The official American viewpoint,
reiterated time and again during
the last half dozen years by the
Federal Radio Commission, and
tacitly agreed to by the leading
radio companies that are expected
ultimately to exploit television on
a widespread scale, is that vision
by radio is still in the expert
mental stage. But that these big
companies expect television to be
ready in reasonable time is evi-
denced by the fact that the mag
nif1cent new radio headquarters
of the biggest of our broadcasting
networks were constructed in
Radio City with an eye to almost
instant readiness for visual broad
casting.
Over in England, where the sale
OF audible radios is apparently
booming as strongly as it has de-
clined in this country during the
depression, they are becoming
more and more "telev1Sion con-
scious."' An official pronounce
ment by the British Broadcasting
Corporation, government operated
monopoly, has just been received
here and has led to considerable
speculation as to the status of and
expectations in British television.
The tenor Of the announcement
would seem to warrant the con-
clusion that in England, as in the
United States, they also are con-
vinced that televiSion is still ex-
perimental. AS in the United
States, too, the British are look
ing to the ultra-Short waves as
the potentially most favorable
avenues of transmission of NOV
ing images by radio
Since August 1882 the B. B. C.
has been broadcasting late eve
ming test programs, utilizing wave
lengths ordinarily used in this
country for sound broadcasting.
four or five nights weekly. Equip
ment Of Baird Television, Ltd, a
private company, has been en-
ployed. Thirty-line transmits
sionS, which among American ex-
perimenters might not seem to be
very lar advanced, have been
radiated from a special studio in
Broadcasting House in London.
Now the B. B. C. announces
that the Baird contract will be
continued until its expiration next
March, agreeing that "the quality
OF 30-line picture is, of course,
not of the highest" However,
starting in January, a new series
OF tests will be undertaken with
apparatus installed by Electrical
& Musical Industries, Ltd, and it
is stated that the B. B. C. may at
its discretion give other COM
panies similar opportunities of in
stalling high definition television
apparatus for transmission ex-
perimentS.
The number of lines will be 12O
to 180, forming Is so-called
frames" per second, and British
amateurs and experinlenters now
equipped to receive the 3O-line
images will not be able to look
in unless they adjust their re-
ceiving equipment radically or in
stan new receivers But the B. B.
G. is not concerned with them, for
1t makes plain that "these tests
will be experimental and Intended
primarily for reception by the en-
g1neerS Of the B. B. G. and the
television companies concerned" +"
In other words, television is still
so highly experimental in Eng
land that any who wants to join
the official engineers in the tests
must do so at their own risk and
expense. Nor are they being
urged to do SO. British broadcast
ing officials are holding forth no