Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-23

which for the first time will make it
possible to link television stations to-
gether to carry identical visual pro-
grams on a chain basis. This has
been one of the chief drawbacks to
the introduction of television on
widespread scale, for the radio leaders
envision the need of national
system of television comparable to
existing nation wide audible broad
casting services before they are willing
to introduce televiSion to the public.
1t is already generally known that
acceptable pictures can be broadcast
by radio. Transmitting them from
individual radio stations with limited
tuning ranges is not regarded as
adequate for the ultimate purposes of
television. Ordinary telephone wires,
such as now link audible broadcasting
stations, do not encompass a wide
enough frequency range for high
definition televiSion-and the fear OF
the television experimenters has been
that televisiop, when it is publicly
introduced, might be confined to local
services only.
The coaxial cable, of course, was
not developed primarily for television
purposes, but really was perfected by
the Bell labo: atories to make it pos
sible to transmit 200 or more tele-
phone CONVEX sations over a single
wire circuit, as contrasted to only four
that can now be handled over existing
circuits. On the other hand, its
frequency band of LOCO, 900 cycles, or
1000 kilocycles, is precisely the
answer to the most crying need of
the televiSion experimenters-a wide
path" for the transmission by wire of
high definition pictures before they
are transmitted via the ether on
equally wide paths"
GNCE the telephone company is
~ hardly IN need of additional tele-
phone circuits between New York and
Philadelphia, and since the Radio
Corporation Of America has an
nounced its intention of erecting its
first public television transmitter
somewhere between those two cities, it
is generally believed in radio circles
that potential rental of the circuit for
television uses is the real reason be-
hind the telephone company'S willing
ness to spend the $580,000 it will cost.
BY means Of the new cable it will
be possible to transmit programs from
the Radio City teleViSion studios of
the National Broadcasting Co., an
r. c. A. subsidiary, to the site of the
proposed visual broadcasting trans
mitter. which it is hoped will throw
down signals" receivable in both New
York and Philadelphia.
The cable consists of two concentric
conductors in a lead shield, one for
each transmission direction. Re
peaters" will be needed every 10 miles
to overcome transmission losses or at
tenuation. Just as repeaters are needed
to boost long-distance telephone
sounds in the existing telephone
system.
THE Postal Telegraph and Western
- Union interests at first protested
the laying of the new cable for fear
that the telephone company intended
to expand its leased wire telegraph
services in competition with them,
in the teletypewriter field.
They have had assurances, however,
that the new cable will not be used,
for the time being at least. for COM
mercial purposes but rather for ex-
perimental purposes" It seems signifi-
cant that television Is also still brand
ed as experimental" by the radio
in Washington.
In addition to the likelihood that
r. C. A. will become a lessor of the
new cable circuit when it Is COM
pleted next Spring cat about the time
r. c. A. is expected to have its first
televiSion transmitting unit ready to
operate), the Bell Laboratories have
a televiSion system of their own upon
which Herbert E. Ives mas been work
ing for many years. 1t was DR.. Ives
who installed the first American wire
vision system whereby person speak
ing over telephone in a special booth
might be able to see the person at the
other end. This service was operated
between two points in New York sew
eral years ago, and while it was tech
nically excellent it did not attract
much public enthusiasm and was said
to be far too costly to install on a
widespread scale and practically pro-
hibitive for the home.
TOR the next five years, anyway,
listeners who tune the programs
Of stations Of the major networks will
continue to hear the songs and music
Of leading composers and authors.
This may sound rather absurd. but
when you realize that there has been
imminent danger of the loss of the
right to perform this music, then you
can appreciate the significance of this
statement.
The issue goes back to the persistent
conflict between the American Society
of Composers, Authors and Publishers
and the broadcasters over how much
should be paid in royalties for the
right to perform the AScap catalog,
which is said to contain the works of
perhaps 80 per cent of the leading
of the world. Broadcasters
maintained that they were
being held up" by Ascap, which they
charged was a monopoly that fixed
exorbitant prices on its products.
THREE years ago contracts were
signed, purportedly under duress,"
by the broadcasters with Ascap. This
year-the last for those contracts
like 100000 is being
turned over to Ascap as royalties for
its music. The contracts were to ex-
pire on August 81. Meanwhile, how
ever, Uncle Sam filed an antitrust
suit against Ascap, now being tried
In the New York Federal courts,
charging it with monopoly and price
fixing.
Broadcasters asked for and got an
extension of their present contracts