Abstract
Mr. L. W. Hayes and Mr. R. N. MacLarty presented an interesting paper to the Institution of Electrical Engineers on February 2. They first gave an account of how broadcast transmissions with short waves initially started at the Chelmsford works of Marconi's Wireless Telegraphic Co. in 1927. This gave intelligible reception at practically every place on the earth's surface at almost every period of the day and year. A serious difficulty that had to be overcome was due to the wide difference in longitude of the different Dominions and Colonies of the British Empire. For this reason, a transmission sent out at a given time in England would arrive at very various local times of the night and day in the different Dominions. Broadly, the aim of the service is to give listeners anywhere in the Empire a daily programme of about two hours' duration; the installation of the new broadcasting service started in 1933 practically does this. Earlier than this, reports received in the West Indies also gave a service at the same time in Western Australia, and the announcement of “London calling the African and West African Zones” was being heard simultaneously at night in Africa, in the early evening in South America and the West Indies, and at breakfast time in New Zealand. This showed that dividing the earth into geographical zones could cause confusion. Accordingly, the daily transmission from the Empire Station at Daventry was divided into five sessions: Transmission No. 1, Transmission No. 2, etc., in accordance with a time schedule, the programme from the first zone being recorded and then transmitted at the most suitable times to the other zones. In 1935, a sixth transmission was added, primarily intended for evening listening in western Canada, but serving also North America generally and giving an early morning service to India.
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The Empire Service Broadcasting Station. Nature 143, 234 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/143234b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/143234b0