Indianapolis Times, Volume 37, Number 122, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 September 1925 — Page 16
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AMERICAN STUDIO DIRECTOR VISITS EUROPEAN STA TIONS
National Characteristics Are Discovered in Broadcasting. Tli .8 is the first of a series of articles written by Frnl Smith, studio din elor of the Crosley Radio Corporation's superpower broadcasting station. WLW. He has licen referred to as the first "Radio Ambassador." and veiled all of the important broadcasting stations abroad. Those articles will appear in The Indianapolis Tinnn exclusively. By Fred Smith For three busy weeks we have been absorbing the European radio atmosphere. Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich have crowded our minds with innumerable impressions. The weather has been constantly cool and clear so that we have been able to go about from morning to midnight, interviewing Europe’s most prominent * idio men, visiting studios and factories, and listening- at every available opportunity to radio concerts. At the end of this time we have come to Zurich to rest a little, digest this three weeks’ experience, and put into readable form the many, many notes taken "along the way. Our room overlooks a small park with thickly branched trees, colorful flower beds and gTass of freshest green. A half a block away to the left is the lake. Beyond it are green mountains. Back the other way. the town climbs great hills. On our second afternoon here wo took No. 3 of the tiny trams and climbed those hills to the top of Zurlchsberg. Below us lay the city of Zwingii, the tranquil lake, and, defining the sky line, the glorious mountains of Switzerland! A tranquil place indeed in which to write. Vague Idea We had come from America with a vague and uncertain idea of what might be happenii g In Europe with regard .to radio broadcasting. Many Americans had told us that we would learn nothing over here. Hut it seemed to me, since I had lived on the Continent eight years, that these European countries with one or two thousand years of civilization behind them, would most certainly jhave developed some ideas worthy. of careful study. And I haxo nbt been disappointed. Traveling from nation to nation one is struck immediately by art expression of the dominant national characteristics in their broadcasting systems. England by a governmental j franchise to a monopoly carefully controlled. Holland by mercenary cautiousness. Geormany by defiant - Idealism. Switzerland by pure patriotism. France by balancing state against private interests. Asa student of these broadcasting systems, I consider it my business first, to examine them as they actually exist; second, to analyze ;uid compare them with each other; and third, to point out In what way their virtues may be applied profitably to American broadcasting. Following, there comes a fourth step which goes beyond the boundary lines of racea; and this Is the Influence of radio upon internatio. tl relationships. I hope you will follow us In these journeyings in the attitude of sympathetic observers. Our main Idea, will be to enrich ourselves by experience. Each country has its atmosphere in which every form of expression is modified by dominant Influences. The rapidly changing Economic conditions In these European countries gives birth to rapidly changing influences. We cannot judge them by American standards, but by their own. In Paris My first impression of European broadcasting was in the little house built under the North Foot of the gigantic Eiffel Tower, Paris. It was a beautiful summer afternoon. Our taxi deposited us on the green grass not far from the magnificent Trocadero. Through the park which surrounds the Tour children were playing under the vigilance of their governesses, and tiny babes were sleeping in their cabs. Lovers, promenading arm in arm or seated upon park benches, were cooing the eternal avowals of joyous affection. There was a constant motion of people coming and going through the cool shadows. Under each foot of the Tour tiny houses wanting fresh paint squatted modestly. The tremendous proportions of the famous Tower made these little houses seem smaller than they actually were. Our knock was answered by a young French soldier who conducted us through a aarrow hall to the entrance of the _?tudio at the back. A little reception room welcomed us, with the announcer, M. Andre Delacour, seated it a table making out his program. He asked us to go into the studio, ex-
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Fred Smith and Marjory Garrigii.s Smith.
plaining that the director, Maurice Privat, would come later. At a quarter post six the program started. It began with an announcement to the effect that the tour would begin its regular afternoon program. During the n?xt threequarters of an hour the tour was not mentioned aagin, nor were any call letters given. The concert consisted of excellent tenor, violin, and cello solos with piano accompaniments. A French Restaurant At about seven M. Privat appeared with news from the Chamber of Deputies, which he gave to the listeners. Then he beckoned us out of the studio, and we went into the little back yard to chat. His wife
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and little boy of 6 had come with him. and they invited Marjory and myself to have supper with them. M. Privat took us to one of those rare old restaurants not generally known to Americans, one of those substantial French institutions which still preserves the glory of the classic French cuisine with all its native flavor. Aftdr supper we went do tho home of some artist friends living near the Etoile, and, after some music and pastries, a great crowd of us sallied forth to visit the Fete de Neuilly—a play ground for the grown-up children of Paris, with merry-go-rounds, shooting galleries, lotteries, games and countless sports
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of childhood. And such a crowd there was!... .Long after midnight the director of our first European radio station left us at the door of our hotel. The broadcasting situation In Paris is a strange one. There are four stations, each operating under a very different plan from all the others. The Eifel Tour is really a military post b;ut it Is rented for broadcasting to M. Privat, who operates it with a daily program of music and news for one hour each evening. He obtains funds from a group of radio listeners called "Friends of the Tower," who each pay ten francs a year. Commercial Station Radio-Paris is a commercial station in the sense that it is owned and operated by a company representative of the French radio Indus try. Third, there is a newspaper station owned and operated by Le Petit I*arisien. And finally, the station of the State, L’Ecole Superlaure, generally known as ITT. With regard to the entire situation In France one becomes immediately conscious of the tremendous obstacles which impede the Natural progress of the art of broadcasting: The government has taken no definite stand about taxing the listeners. Theoretically, users of receiving sets are supposed to pay one franc a year for licenses. But nobody pays. Therefore, there is no definite Income. An astonishing amount of jealousy exists between stations. The ITT of the Post, Telephone and Telegraph is operated by government employees. M. Lucien Chanton. at the head of PTT broadcasting in Paris, is ambitious to perform a beautiful and worthy service which would demand about a million francs a year. But the government will make no provision for funds, and so the director does not know how in the world he will obtain the money. To be continued).
Broadcaster * Pans’ Own Programs Rv NF.A Service CINCINNATI, Sept. 21. Station WKRC, here, has decided to forestall outside criticism by doing its own criticising right after each entertainment. Frank Ashton Is WKRC s radio critic. He reviews what has gore before over the microphone, praising or "panning” the entertainers and their renditions. This action is taken in hopes of improving the quality of radio concerts.
Treat yonr storage battery as you would your car. No one ever intentionally run a car without oil, such neglect would render anew car useless. Keep the water above the plates in your storage battery if you would keep from ‘‘ever buying storage batteries.” Also keep your battery in a charged condition rather than discharged. A battery kept in a charged condition will live through the life of a few radio sets. A discharged battery can totally deteriorate within a few months. A well-kept battery will eliminate about 60 per cent of so-called "static." THE MATCHING OF TUBES Unless a super heterodyne Is used, there Is small necessity for matching tubes, as first-class tubes have sinrvilar constants. “In the super, different tubes can be tried in the sockets by juggling until the right combinatio nis found. CAUSES LOSS OF ENERGY When the roter of a variable condenser or tickler coil passes too close to the secondary coil a bad effect is introduced, similar to that of adding a vernier condenser. Besides detuning the set, it causes a loss of energy through absorption.
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