Evening star., 1947-11-14
|TeIevision Network
Extended 10 Boston
|By Microwave Relay

The Atlantic Seaboard network
television system now extends from
Washington to Boston.
In ceremonies which included q
Washington pickup, the New York
Boston microwave radio relay route
Of the Bell system was inaugurated
Yesterday, making exchange Of tele-
casts possible among the Capital,
the Massachusetts city and way
points.
Previously, Washington, Balti-
more, Philadelphia and New York
had been linked by the coaxial cable,
also a Bell System development.
Links Have Other Uses.
officials explained the relative
merits of the two transmission
methods now could be compared.
They emphasized the links are not
intended for television alone, but for
a<multiplicity of telephone conyer-
sations, network sound broadcast
ing programs and other message
services.
Teleyision, however, cannot travel
between cities over ordinary tele-
phone lines. The coaxial-type cable
or radio relays must be used.
In another television development,
Leonard Hole, associate director OF
television for the Columbia Broad
casting System, told a television
seminar of the Radio Executives
Club in New York that Obs is now
making television working agree
ments with Station WMAL Of Wash
ington, The Star station; Station
WMAR of the Baltimore Sun and
a station being built by the Philadel-
phia Bulletin.
Plans for Expansion.
Right now we are exchanging
both commercial and sustaining
programs within the limits of the
availability of the coaxial line"
Mr.. Hole said. "In time we expect
other stations to Join us with plans
calling for expansion toward Boston
and south of Washington"
Frank E. Mullen. executive vice
president of the National Broadcast
ing Co., predicted at the seminar
that television may be a shock
absorber" for the national economy
four times greater than radio was
after the last war.
Mr.. Mullen, told the seminar that
while radio nwo accounts for more
than s1,5O0,00O,O00 annually in the
national economy, telecasting and
manufacturing of television equip
ment will be a Sc. .O00, ,00o, 900 business.
Within a short time, Mr.. Mullen
said, television will employ an ad-
ditional 250,0O0 and 100000 sets
will be in use in eastern seaboard
cities alone by the end of 1949.-
Acting Chairman Paul A Walker
of the Federal Communications
Commission and H. Randolph Mad
dox, president of the Chesapeake
& Potomac Telephone Co.'S, par
ticipated in the inaugural program
Of the New York Boston route yes
terday.. First, they joined in the
initial telephone call over the new
relay bridge with Walter S. Clifford
president of the American Tele-
phone & Telegraph Co. in New
York and Joe E. Harrell, president
of the New England Telephone Tele'
! graph Co. In Boston.
Virtually Static-Free.
/ Microwaves, scarcely aslong as 8
sicigarette, oscillate at a rate ao1
about 1000 ,0OO, 900 cycles a second
They can carry images and sound
with virtually complete freedom
from natural and man-made static
The New York-Boston relay sys-
tenn consists of stations in telephone
buildings of the two cities and or
seven hilltops between them. Ths
stations are about 80 miles apart
This Is necessary because micro
waves will not follow the curvature
lof the earth and will shoot into
space If not caught and rehroadcast
Their range Is limited, approx
matelN by the horizon as seen from
the point of transmission, hence the
desirahiity of hilltop locations.
The Bell System proposes to hnl
New York and Chicago by radio
relay by 1949. Meanwhile, tht
coaxail cable is being extended west
ward to increase long-distance tele'
phone line capacity and make pos
sible a coast-to-coast television net.
work.