Indianapolis Times, Volume 37, Number 125, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 September 1925 — Page 16

4

Studio Director Crosses Channel and Visits With B. B. C. Officials

This is the teeond of a. series of r---tiiies written by Fred Smith. Studio Dir.Mttor, of The Crosley Radio Corporation'.'! super-power brondeantine sta tion WLiVV. He has been referred to as tile first "Radio Amba-ssador,” and visited a'l of the important broadcasting; stations abroad. By Fred Smith Commercial broadcasting as we know it in America is not permitted in France. Chanton cannot get his money in that manner, Taxation, Nuch as exists in England, Germany and Switzerland, is not favored, so he has no hope in that direction. For the present he must be content ■with programs furnished by I’AssoCiation Generale des Auditeurs. This organization, a national club- of radio listeners,, pays the PTT 4,000 francs a month for the use of the Btation. A committee of the club prepares the programs, submits them to M. Chanton, who reviews, cuts and completes the entire arrangement for performances. Asa result, of this method, the work of the performers is gratis and they are practically all amateurs. The PTT is endeavoring to build tip a system of stations throughout the country. Already 500-watt st tiom arc being operated at Lyon, Toulouse and Marseilles, with Angers, Strasbourg and Lille to be opened before aJn. 3.. All of these are to be connected with Paris by means of telephone lines, an easy matter for this department of the government. Telephone .Monopoly One of the chief causes of the existing unfriendliness between stations in Paris is the monopoly of telephone lines by the PTT. RadioParis cannot obtain lines for remote control work. Asa result, this station does a great deal of retransmission, picking up programs from other stations. Radio-Paris Is managed by a group of energetic and intelligent business men. Secretary General Tabouis represents ' france at the International Conference at Geneva The director, M. Vinot, who does much of the planning of the programs, introduced me to his friends, Pierre Cusy and Gabriel Germinet, who have written a book which is just ready for publication called “Theatre Radiophonique.” These gentlemen have ambitious plans to develop the radario and thematic performances for radio. Already they have stage< several. Their ideal of the radio program, already known and certain of growth in America, is the performance written both in speech and music expressly for the radio stage. M. Tabouis, of Radio-Paris, told mo of the International Wireless Conference to be held at Geneva th< Second week in July, so I planned our schedule accordingly, desiring to reach Geneva at the close of this conference, and obtain from A. R. Burrows, director of the Office International de Radiophonie complete information concerning the |topes and ambitions of that organisation. We expect to go to Belgium and Spain after returning to £*aris. Across the Channel , The English Channel was all set for a dizzy shake-up as we rode the

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waves from Calais to Dover. But evti y turn of fate seemed to welcome us with friendly fortune in England. Three English gentlemen in our compartment from Paris to Calais naturally got through the customs in Dover before we did; yet when we emerged, one of them was waiting for us, saying that they had reserved places for us with them. When we came to London one of them left us for a moment to telephone his wife, and then took us from Victoria to our hotel. First, we went by way of bus, looking down upon the streets from the upper deck. It was the time of afternoon when thousands were going homeward, streets and sidewalks were Jammed. Dear old London was smilling gently in soft northern sunlight. Our friend took us several blocks beyond our corner in order that he might point out Picedilly, Trafalgar Square and other sights to us, while I kept pointing out the aerials upon the housetops to him. Finally we descended. He found a taxi for us, told the driver where to go, and 'vide us good-bye. He himself was returning from a trip out East. He was happy and proud, and wanted us to share his enthusiasm for his beloved country. I find this same attitude later expressed just as earnestly and quite universally by members and staff of the British Broadcasting Company. Patriotism in this form is most beautiful, because it is most constructive. At the B. B. C. Just as soon as I got into London I phoned Major Atkinson of the B, B. C., publicity department, since it was he who had answered my letter from America some weeks before. Thanks to the Major, I was able to visit the station and go all over the buildings, from office to office, meeting practically everyone of importance on the huge staff. I was curious to know what part the announcers played in the program. Major Atkinson told me that personal publicity for the individual members of the staff was generally restricted. Voices that talk to the children and the youngsters take on the title of "Uncle.” It seems that "Uncie Rex’’ is one of the most popular Everybody loves him. Many of the original announcers have Income station directors in the provinces, and still remain very prominent and popular. There are 562 names on the B. B. C. pay roll, and so they can’t all be stars! The main offices are right in the center of London Savoy IJill. which is just off Picadilly. Provincial stations, such as Manchester, have about fifteen members on the staff. The stations do not use their call letters as we do in America. Neither is the name of the company mentioned. The announcer rarely tells you about the selection that has been played, but comes on to announce the next group of songs or instrumental numbers. Now and then he says, ‘Tendon calling!" He still clings td the "Wait a moment.

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please!” Pauses are not bad, but sometimes go up to a minute. Origin of the 11. 11. C. The British Broadcasting Company was formed in 11*22, when each of the following electrical firms contributed $50,000 as a fund upon which which to begin operations: The British, Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph. Metropolitan-Vickers. Radio Communication and Western Electric. The B. B. C. operates under the supervision of the postoffice department, with a special contract of privileges and restrictions. One of the restrictions, for example: When broadcasting by remote control a banquet or any similar performance, a description of what is occurring is not permitted—nothng but the set speeches and the music and the clatter of the dishes! This is a protection to the press. By the way, what would Graham MacNamee do at such a party? Tea Time One can learn a great deal in the course of a day at 2LO. I was conducted from department to department by C. It. Wade. The offices are being eidarged, as well as *he studios, which will soon number five. In the morning an orchestra was rehearsing. One of the program managers was working on a play. The director of the dramatic department told me they are paying for good radarios now. In fact, the best English writers are commissioned to wr te radio plays for the B. B. C. All services are paid for, and all performers are compensated. One of the engineers was doing some experimental work with microphones in the studio. He told me they are making some surprising tests with double studios—one stu dio being much damped and the other left as an ordinary room, the two joining with open doors between, and the performance in the damped studio. After lunch with Major Atkinson I resumed investigations. By tea time I was in the program department, where programs were being

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checked before going to the Radio Times, official organ of the B. B. C., a weekly magazine with nearly a million a week circulation. Pro* grams for twenty stations go out of the main office about five weeks in advance. Taking tea in the office at four in the afternoon was not the only national custom observed at the B. 11. C. —that same British patriotism of which we spoke in the beginning evidenced itself in it universal enthusiasm for this very British insti tution, this great broadcasting monopoly. The Dominant Personality The dominant personality of J. C. W. Reith strengthens the entire organization of the B. B. C. with its pugnacious virility and its intelligent idealism. He is the managing director and the power upon the throne. Reith is a thin Scotchman, six feet seven inches tall, the_ son of a Presbyterian manister. He hgs written a i>enetrating study on radio, a book called "Broadcast Over Britain." This I read before meeting him. I had expected to be with him only ten or fifteen minutes. The interview lasted over two hours. He knows very clearly what has hel|>cd create in the B. B. C. and what he wants to do in the future. For him broadcasting holds no vague, elusive charms of an art "just in its infancy.” He sees clearly that it is the greatest thing in

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human experience since the printing press, and that "the obligation of broadcasting must be the service of culture in its highest and broadest sense.” His plans for the future are open and well defined. Reid believes in gathering about him the highest type of speeialistic talent. For example, there has just been formed as a progressive step a musical advisory committee consisting of Britain’s most noted musical leaders such as Landon Ronald and Sir Hugh Allen. ,In this, and many other ways, the B. B. C. is preparing for gigantic developments. Centralization The B. B. C. has a net work of telephone lines tying the twenty stations together. At five in the afternoon these lines, which are used during the day for commercial purposes, are turned over to the company. From five to seven the lines are used for conversation —business details between the various stations. At oven the urogram begins. All relayed programs go through 2LO, London. That is to say, if Birmingham has a special concert to be given to any one or all other stations, the concert goes first to the London switchboard, and then out over the network. Even if the station is relaying to only one other, the relay must go through London. In other words, the capital of the British Empire is the capital of the British Broadcasting Company. (To Bo Continued)

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