Evening star., 1933-09-03

~
the recent North American Radio
Conference at Mexico City to
agree on a new division of the
broadcasting wave lengths, the TACT
that an accord was reached respecting
the use of the shorter waves beyond
the broadcast band" is fraught with
significance to radio listeners and po-
tential television "lookers-in" through
out the continent.
Indeed, the general assumption has
been that the status quo was preserved,
for the time being at least, on the
broadcasting wave lengths and that the
threatened widespread reallocaoon OF
wave assignments in the United States
was rendered unnecessary for the pres
ent. The fact of the matter is that 10
more waves were in effect opened up
for broadcast program services IN all
countries of North America.
More than that, the short wave con-
ferees decided definitely that television
in the future belongs on the newly de-
veloped ultra-short waves-paths In the
ether far beyond the reach of present.
day audible receivers, but offering far
more latitude for technical development
than the waves on which most radio
vision experiments have hitherto been
concentrated.
Can Be Tuned In.
Without much fanfare, the short
wave conferees actually opened the way
to making available in the near future
the 1,500 to 1000 kilocycle band for
broadcasting services These are the
channels beyond the upper end OF the
average receiving set, but many modern
radios can tune them in readily.
1t was the longer waves-beyond $50
kilocycles which the American broad
casters wanted Thrown into the pot
before the proposed Mexico City divi-
sion. Because the waves at the short
wave end of the dial are not quite as
well suited to program services, the
broadcasters spurned the proffer of
channels beyond 800 kilocycles sThey
lost out in their demand for channels
below $50 kilocycles, but they secured
the 10 above $500 kilocycles in spite of
themselves.
What happened at Mexico City was a
convening of the short-wave experts un-
der the chairmanship of Comdr. c. P.
Edwards, director of radio in the Cana
dian ministry of marine, with Lieut.. E.
K. Jett, short-wave engineer of the
Federal Radio Commission, here as
vice chairman, and Gerald C. Gross,
also of the Radio Commission, as secre-
tary. Canada and the United States
had already reached an agreement re-
mlttee was formed to guide the rest of
the continent into new technical
set-up.
They decided to allocate the short
waves by services rather than to par
tlcular countries, leaving each country
free to use any channel as it pleases
(W1thln other treaty limitations) so
long as 1t does not interfere with the
services of any other country. Thus the
radio spectrum from 1,500 to 1000 kilo-
cycles was, in effect, blocked of" for
different types of services.
Band Left Open.
The 1,5O0-to-1 900 kilocycles band
now occupied by handful of marine,
f1re, State police, broadcast pickup; tele-
vision sound track and other services,
was left free of service assignments. This
means, according to the experts, that
they were virtually reserved for broad
casting as soon as any one or all of the
nations want them. The United States
and Mexico have evinced little interest
IN their use by program stations, but
one of Canada's delegates, Commits
S1oner Steel of the Canadian Radio
Commission, announced that his coun-
try had already decided to go beyond
1,oOO kllocycles and had already as
signed the 500-watt Station CKOC of
Hamilton, Ontario, to the 1910 kilo-
cycle wave length.
IhuS Canada takes the lead in WIDEN
ing the broadcasting band at the short
wave END, Just as it did about a year
ago at the long-wav end when it as
signed station at Windsor, Ontario. to
$40 kilocycles.
The action of Canada is Interpreted
mere as paving the way for an influx
on the short waves up to 1000 kilo-
cycles. In ether words, Canadian list
enerS may expect to tune beyond I.5OO
on thelr dlals and still receive stations.
American listeners will do IkeWise-as
soon as the Radio Commission here falls
1nto line with the new scheme. The
OhlIeo States almost inevitably will do
90 When applicants for new broadcast
ing facilities are found who are willing
70 invest IN the future of radio to the
point Where they will operate stations
now receive. On the other hand as
ALREADY pointed out, the better modern
receivers built since 1929 can ALREADY
tune well beyond 1,500 kilocycles. if not
actually up to 1000
Inc Radio Commission regulations at
present reserve this band for n,isce1N
IaneouS minor services, but it can he
cleared up conveniently if broadca sters
want TO Use 1t and attempt to deveion
audience on it. Since the demand for
more stations Is exceedingly heavy, par
tlcularly IN some sections of the coun-
Try not now getting adequate local sery-
ICE IL Is anticipated the demand will
oe created as soon as prospective broad
1odn
bnlty of these waves.
Can Be Duplicated.
In fact. it is conceded to be tn the
best interests of the commission to
utilize these channels before the other
countries usurp them all-Canada has
plainly indicated its purpose. Fortu-
nately, the use of the channels between
l,oOO and l,6O0 kilocycles can be dupli-
Gated IN the various countries if too
much power is not used on them.
The televlsion agreement at Mexico
City looks to the future rather than the
present, but it means that most present
eXperimenters must shortly move to the
ultra-short waves between $4,000 and
10000 kilocycles. Only two of the pres
ent four television bands are retained,
and these with slight changes, namely,
2,000-2,102 and 2,742-2,850 kilocycles.
The trend away from these "intermedi-
ate" bands toward the ultra-highs is al
ready perceptible, so this move was
more or less expected
Blocking off the other short waves,
the conference divided them variously
among ship, shore, amateur, expert
mental, aeronautical, police and other
services. Practically all~new local police
radio stations must go on new wave
lengths, and there is reshufhing of
the Others Provisions are made for
adequate spacings between wave lengths
and for modernizing all stations. Only
the wave lengths up to 1000 kilocycles
were involved, the rest remaining to be
regulated in accordance with the Ma
drid treaty. It is expected the whole
blocking" plan, including possibly the
vacating of the l,500-1 500 kilocycle
band for broadcasting, will be put into