History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Stations/4QG Brisbane/Notes

4QG Brisbane - Transcriptions and notes

1920s

1921

1921 03

Focus on Land Stations but principle applies to broadcasting also

BUSH SILENCE DOOMED. Silence has had a long innings in the Australian bush. Birdsville (South-west Queensland) residents enjoy the privileges of two hotels, two stores, a police station, and post office; but to send a telegram they would have to travel 250 miles to the nearest telegraph office. As a matter of fact, they prefer to journey 300 miles in the other direction, because that track is less atrocious (says a writer in a Sydney paper). Wireless will probably end such a state of affairs for Birdsville which seems certain to be chosen, as a Government wireless base. To make the bush truly vocal, however. the individual pioneer must turn his own hand to the latest mystic art. The main difficulty is to persuade the individual bushman that the at-tempt is worth while. He is not in the habit of straightway adopting the things he reads about. With him "going without" has become second nature. Yet the pioneer is quick to adopt new ways if once they are proved effi-cient and economical out in his own environment. Acting on this, the Australian Inland Mission is now fit-ting up a portable wireless plant, to be provided with power, if practicable by an adjustment to the engine of a motor car. Rev. J. R. Steel, B.A., who is going to Cloncurry this week, has already turned his hand to wireless. In all probability he will be selected to test the plant, for Cameoweal, which is to be one of the first Government receiv-ing stations in the interior, is in his district. If a missionary can be pro-vided with a serviceable plant in this way, he will continually be obliging isolated families, who would otherwise have to send their own members to the telegraph station anything up to 100 miles away. It would be a happy arrangement for all the denominations to equip their missionaries in this way. Practical demonstration is convincing, and their flocks would follow them as far as wireless is concerned.

1921 05

Colville talks to QWI foreshadowing the future for the Queensland outback

WIRELESS TELEPHONE. BRISBANE INSTALLATION. "Provided that the authorities governing wireless matters in Australia grant private individuals permission to operate transmitting apparatus, the vast areas of Queensland out of communication with the larger towns will be well linked up by wireless telephony, the most scientific, efficient, and inexpensive means of communication ever invented," said Mr. S. V. Colville, secretary of the Queensland Wireless Institute last night. He was lecturing to members of that body upon the subject of wireless telephony. Mr. Colville. had intended to transmit his lecture from a transmitter stationed on the next floor to the lecture room but, although the receiver performed all that was required of it, the transmitter instrument refused to operate. Mr. Colville thereupon delivered his lecture direct to the audience, and claimed that his telephone had operated over a distance of 60 miles on Thursday night. He pointed out that the instrument weighed only 3 or 4lb, and said that its operation would only cost as many pounds a year. The time would soon come when farmers and squatters would have their small wireless telephone sets, the city business man would no longer be out of touch with the trend of events when he went down the Bay, and the doctor would always be available. Mr. G. F. Chilton, the officer in charge of the Pinkenba wireless station, and who presided over the meeting, confirmed Mr. Colville's statement about the instrument attaining a radius of 60 miles on Thursday night, and declared that it would not be long before the radius was 600 miles.

1923

1923 01

Emil Robert Voigt (later 2KY) commenting on nationalisation of industry by Premier Theodore

ACHIEVED IN QUEENSLAND. . . . . "Communist" states, that my definition of Socialism is correct; but that Socialism is not Communism. Well, then, since Marx, Engels, and Lenin have declared for Socialism, they become ipso facto non-Communists, according to "Communist" for they cannot subscribe to two fundamentally differing economic principles at the same time. But let us proceed: "Communist," after auditing and finding correct my definition of Socialism, states that this "has been achieved in Queensland." This is enough to make Marx and Engels turn in their graves, and Lenin weep bitter tears of envy; and just imagine Premier Theodore, at the 1921 Brisbane A.L.P. Conference, bitterly opposing the "Socialisation of Industry" objective, when, according to "Communist," Socialism already "has been achieved in Queensland!" And Theodore never knew it! "Communist" is apparently unaware of the difference between "Nationalisation" and "Socialisation." This question was threshed out in the Socialist Movement of Europe twenty years ago. Nationalisation is public ownership under Capitalism; Socialisation is public ownership under Socialism. Nationalised industry, although owned by the people, is controlled and run in the interests of the capitalist class. Socialised industry (see my definition) is controlled by, and in the interests of the community. "Communist," after asking, "what is the Socialisation of Industry," and finding no answer to the riddle, is not deterred from stating that it is not the "immediate" objective of the working class movement Who said it was? I never did. Why insert the word "immediate." The column that follows is clearly out of order. "Communist's" exposition on the "revolutionary overthrow of the bourgeois state" —- "Seizure of power" — "dictatorship of the proletariat," etc., etc., read very well but like the flowers that bloom in the spring, has nothing to do with the case. . . .

1923 09

Opinion piece on future benefits of wireless for farmers in the outback

Wireless War on Isolation. Pioneering a Big Project. Linking Up the Lonely Bushlands with the City — Brighter Existence in View for the Man Outback. Farmers and settlers scattered throughout the lonely corners of the Commonwealth, little, realise how near they are to the dawn of a brighter and livelier existence than that which they experience at present. For that matter, possibly many thousands of city folk also have failed to grasp the significance of the announcements that; within a few months, there will be conducted, under the new Federal wireless regulations, wireless broadcasting entertainrnents and commercial programmes nightly to settlers in outlying and God-forsaken parts of Australia. It may be that the importance of this human achievement hasn't yet gripped popular imagination, because wireless, in the past, has frequently been regarded more as an object for experiment and amusement, rather than one of practical utility. The stimulus that these programmes are expected to give to the science will, no doubt, dispel this notion, and, judging by awakening already reported from wireless circles, Australia will shortly produce a mushroom crop of listeners-in and experimenters, every bit as keen and enthusiastic as the radio enthusiasts, whose aerial masts may be seen dotted all over England and America. No doubt in the near future, here in Queensland, as is projected in the South towards the year-end, arrangements will be made with theatrical managements to provide a high-class musical entertainment, contributed to by leading artists in Brisbane and transmitted to any home in the State within a certain given radius of Brisbane. Broadcasting, as it is termed, though, so far, sampled only by the few in this country, is not uncommon abroad — in fact, now that the novelty has worn off, it is regularly employed for the dissemination of urgent and necessary commercial intelligence to distant places previously not in direct communication with civilisation by rail, telephone, or telegraph. PROMPT STOCK REPORTS. The Southern programmes will, it is stated, in accordance with the Commonwealth's regulations, be transmitted on a specified wavelength, to which the receiving sets of listeners-in will be tuned. Transmissions will also comprise latest market and stock quotations for the benefit of primary producers, who have sent, or who are about to send, stock or produce to market. The importance of this development in the lives of the isolated settlers outback defies exaggeration. From a national standpoint — when appeals can be heard on every side to check the drift to the cities — the advantages are self-evident. WHEN DAD SITS ROUND THE LOG FIRE. If a farmer with his wife and growing family can assemble round the big log-fire after their day's toil is done, and enjoy a bright programme of musical items, followed by a brief summary of the news of the day, including general items and commercial intelligence, much of the magnetism of the city, which chiefly appeals to settlers, will have been brought right into their homes and, to some extent, at any rate, will counteract any inclination to rush to the "Big Smoke" for a mental pick-me-up. POSSIBILITIES OF WIRELESS. But the chief virtue of such service as is proposed, will not be the excellence or otherwise of the programmes provided, so much as the kick-off it will give to wireless in this country. Its importance as a prime factor in human progress need not be stressed here, for most observant people have witnessed ample evidence of its utility, not only from the standpoint of convenience, but also in saving life at sea and in other directions. Only quite recently its value as a medium in saving human life was dramatically brought home to the civilised world by the prompt manner in which news of the Japanese catastrophe was flashed across the waters, notwithstanding the interruptions to the Pacific cables in consequence of the earth's disturbance. Had it not been for the wireless reports, news of the Japanese disaster may have been withheld from the rest of the world for several days, and the sufferings of those awaiting the arrival of doctors and nurses accordirgly prolonged for that period. REAL FARMERS' FRIEND. As far as wireless as a commercial proposition is concerned, only the fringe has been touched to date in Australia. In America large numbers of farmers hundreds of miles from anywhere, have their own wireless apparatus, and they say that, thanks to the commercial intelligence broadcasted to them each night, they get their market quotations 36 hours earlier than if waiting for the newspapers to reach their homesteads — in fact, they claim it was as beneficial to him as if they had a member of the family on the stock exchange floor each day. In addition, it enabled them to effectively deal with speculators and middle men who received latest reports from their commission house each morning and motored out to the farmers in the afternoon to trade the farmers out of their products before the latter had time to ascertain the latest market fluctuations. BUY A RECEIVING SET. Settlers outback are naturally chary about embracing new inventions and discoveries until they have been tried "on the dog first," so to speak. The desirability of acquiring the necessary wireless apparatus for listening-in purposes, as soon as the various wireless firms announce that they are available, is, however, obvious. Anyone, excepting out-and-out boneheads, can manipulate a receiving set, and, as the cost does not exceed a few pounds, all who avail themselves of this latest wonder of science will later cheerfully admit that it was the wisest investment they ever made. When listeners-in become on speaking terms with wireless they may then arrange for intercommunication with other parts of the Commonwealth by wireless telephony on specified wavelengths. But this involves an incursion into greater depths of the radio realm, and will be dealt with at a future date.

1924

1924 03

Calls for establishment of Qld broadcasting service in lead up to Malone visit

WIRELESS NEWS AND NOTES. (By "Reprah"). Broadcasting Service Coming. Now that the amateur experimenters of Queensland have brought local radio to such an advanced stage of utility, a situation has developed which calls for an up-to-date broadcasting service of our own. The stages of a radio life advances in steadiness with the amateur right from when a small boy experimenter he attempts to master the mysteries of the crystal receiver. With this accomplished he passes on to probe the depth of the complications of the valve receivers with their hundreds of variations in construction, etc. Rising to the ranks of the experienced experimenters the small boy looks for assistance in the line of good, serviceable broadcasting in order that he may have every facility available for the satisfactory operation of his set, or sets, with which he may be experimenting. Further rapid progress could not be better assured than by the establishing of a broadcasting service, and as the commercial advantages of such a service are at present easily realised, the near future should reveal some interesting development in the establishing of Queensland's first broadcasting service. . . .

Report of Malone visit to Qld to encourage the establishment of Qld broadcasting draws parallel with 6WF

Wireless Matters. Arrangements in Queensland. Chief Manager's Visit. Wireless matters affecting Queensland are to receive a stimulus through the visit of Mr. J. J. Malone, chief manager of telegraphs and wireless for the Commonwealth, now in Brisbane. WHAT IS DOING? Asked the reason of his visit, Mr. Malone said it was of an investigatory character. "I want to see what is doing in wireless here," the chief manager proceeded, and to discover how we can assist in clearing away any doubts which may exist as to the Government's attitude towards wireless, and in regard to the administration of its regulations. PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. "As you know, the Commonwealth Government takes no part in wireless services, apart from the duties of regulating and inspecting them. The broadcasting business is mainly of an entertainment character. We are anxious to see some regular broadcasting business established here and in the provincial cities of Queensland. In Sydney there are two stations operating and there is one at Melbourne. There shortly will be three stations in the latter city. There also will be two at Adelaide in the very near future, and there will be one at Perth. FARMERS BROADCASTS. "The Perth station is the only one in Australia set up by farmers for their special benefit. The object is not so much of entertainment as of disseminating market quotations and weather forecasts. No doubt Queensland will not be long in following the western State's example in this respect. Already we have find inquiries from people here who are considering the matter. The expense is considerable, however, and this no doubt accounts for the delay in establishing such a service here. WHY NOT BRISBANE? At present the people of Brisbane are dependent on the Sydney stations, and they are not too successful for interstate work yet. There is no reason why Brisbane should not have its own station, and I am sure it will not be long before she has come into line with the southern metropolises in this way. The two services at Sydney have been operating regularly for three months now, but they have not yet got into their proper stride. No doubt many people are wondering why the Sydney transmissions cannot be picked up satisfactorily here. The principal reason is that there has not been a sufficiency of experimenting yet, and even the big station there is only operating with a 500 watts power, whereas they are entitled to operate to the extent of 5,000 watts. As the power is increased naturally the range is greater, and so it will become easier for listeners to hear the programme. EXPERIMENTERS AND BROADCASTERS. "About 300 licenses have been issued to amateurs in Queensland. The total number in the Commonwealth is about 6,000. None of these Queensland amateurs are paying the broadcasters any subscription for the obvious reason that there are no broadcasters to pay. When broadcasting is established here a different form of license will be issued. The broadcasters will receive a license which will involve payment of a subscription for services rendered, and experimental licenses will be issued only to those who have some definite object of experiment in view. All those amateurs who have been carrying on here and in other places for years, have done so purely for the scientific love of the work. The only kind of license held in Queensland is that of an experimenter. The broadcasting license is for purely commercial purposes, and the broadcaster is obliged to give a regular and otherwise satisfactory service, whereas the experimenter gives demonstrations on a purely voluntary and gratuitous basis. The Government is anxious to encourage the experimenter, but at the same time it must see that the broadcaster's business is not unduly interfered with; otherwise he will not be able to carry out his services satisfactorily. In order to protect the public in obtaining the right class of wireless equipment no person has a right to sell wireless apparatus unless he holds a wireless dealer's license, and displays outside his premises a sign reading, "Licensed radio dealer." "I am looking forward to meeting the commercial and experimental wireless people here," concluded Mr. Malone. "No doubt I shall be able to help them in some way. In addition to this, as chief manager of telegraphs, I am looking into telegraphic conditions here with Mr. McConachie, Deputy Postmaster-General, with a view to the extension of facilities of these services." Mr. Malone will leave here for the south on Wednesday morning.

1924 04

Still no takers for the Brisbane A class licence, relay of Sydney considered

WIRELESS CONCERTS. Up to the present no serious attempt seems to have been made to bring into being a Queensland Broadcasting Company on lines similar to southern organisations, which transmit news, weather and market reports, lectures, entertainments for children, and concerts afternoon and night. It is rather an expensive matter to organise such a company, and with limited population perhaps it would not prove a profitable or even payable proposition. But the suggestion has been made that the Queensland experimenter and wireless enthusiast could be catered for by the erection of a relay station or stations in Brisbane, which would retransmit the Sydney programme so that they could be heard by the owner of the simplest and inexpensive crystal set in the metropolis, and by the owners of one or two-valve sets in the country.

4AK (Experimental) / Valley Theatre granted power increase, perhaps looking for a B class licence

Broadcasting Station for Brisbane. The Valley Theatre endeavours to entertain radio amateurs in their own homes, as well as at their theatre by presenting to them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a radio concert of quality. News is now to hand that Station 4AK, situated in this house of entertainment has been granted permission to increase power to 250 Watts. Arrangements are in hand for the erection of a first-class radio studio to accommodate vocal artists, instrumentalists, etc. Amateur listeners-in can look forward to first-class entertainments that no doubt will be the means of furthering the interests and knowledge of our many amateur wireless students. Congratulations are extended to the management of the Valley Theatre for the success which they richly deserve. An invitation is extended to all who are interested to inspect the installation used, which is under the control of Mr. J. Milner and Mr. H. Dick.

1924 05

Early report of likely decision by Gillies on establishment of Qld Government station

Radio for Farmers. State Action Likely Broadcasting Market Reports. Government action is likely in the near future in the direction of broadcasting by wireless weather and market reports in the daytime and concerts at night time, for the benefit of the man on the land. Although no official announcement has yet been made on the subject, it is believed that the Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Gillies) has had some such scheme in mind. Mr. Gillies is at present visiting Sydney, and what action he may suggest in the matter is at present not known. The possibilities of wireless for the farmer cannot be overestimated. For £12 or £20, the cost of installing a complete valve set, and, say, £5 a year for the service, the outback farmer, besides being in direct communication with the outer world, would be supplied, as soon as it was made available, with information as to what his produce fetched in the markets, and also the latest weather forecasts, whilst the concerts at night time would serve to enliven the home life of his family. To erect a broadcasting station suitable for the purpose in Brisbane would, it is believed, cost about £9,000. This, however, would not alone be used for the benefit of the farmers. The city and town dweller would also be able to be kept in close touch with the day's doings, besides having the advantage of the enjoyment to be derived from wireless musical evenings. It is suggested that the State Government should erect this broadcasting station, or in the alternative, subsidise a private company to do so. In America the idea has greatly "caught on" amongst the farmers. The Government there foster the scheme with liberal financial support.

Gillies listens to 4CM at Sutton's residence then visits 4CM station

RADIO FOR FARMERS. ACTING PREMIER'S EXPERIENCE. The Acting Premier and Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Gillies), discussing today the proposal to broadcast by wireless to residents of the rural districts market and weather reports by day and concerts by night, said that on Thursday night he had a very interesting and pleasant experience at a demonstration at the home of Mr. Sutton, chief engineer, Deputy Postmaster General's Department. He was accompanied by Mrs. Gillies and members of the Council of Agriculture. In the evening Mr. Gillies paid a visit to Dr. McDowall's station at Preston House, where he delivered a short message through the transmitter to those assembled at Mr. Sutton's residence at New Farm. Mr. Gillies also heard musical items broadcasted from Dr. McDowall's station as well as from Farmers', Ltd., broadcasting service in Sydney. The wireless station at Pinkenba was also plainly heard at work. "On Saturday," added Mr. Gillies, "I received a letter from the Amateur Wireless Association at Ipswich, saying that, sitting 15 feet from the receiving set, members distinctly heard my speech."

1924 06

PMGD holds back application forms for experimental licences in lead up to open sets

OUR WIRELESS CIRCLE. HOW LONG? Experimental Licenses. There have been a large number of applications to the radio inspector in Brisbane for experimental licence forms. The usual reply is "One will be sent to you as soon as a supply arrives," but the supply is still lacking. The Wireless Institute, receiving a number of complaints on this matter, decided to take a hand, so the secretary was instructed to apply for a supply of forms but he met with no success. The reason again given was that there were not any available. Now the question is: "Why are they not available? Who is responsible for the hold up?" It is safe to say that we would not have to apply as many times for an income tax form. It is now nearly twelve months since the broadcasting regulations were framed, and in so far as Brisbane is concerned nothing has been done with regard to organised broadcasting; yet it is almost impossible to get a licence to listen to one's own radio club transmission. If the powers that be are nervous as to where the revenue would come from, when a broadcasting company started in Brisbane, should they allow too many experimental licenses, they could easily overcome this fear, by the issue of a provisional broadcasting license — at the cost of 10s. the actual payment to a broadcasting company of a fee, say of £2 2s per annum to commence from the day of commencement of operations of the company. It should be remembered by the P.M.G. and the broadcasting companies that when the English amateurs could not get what they desired there arose a very large number of pirates. The Australian does not want to become a pirate. He is willing and ready to pay for what he receives. In that case why not send along a large supply of these forms and let all who wish take part in this fascinating and useful exercise?

1924 07

Ink barely dry on Regulations 1924 when announcement made of interested applicant for Brisbane Class A

Broadcasting Station. A Brisbane Proposal. Details of Regulations. It is understood that negotiations are proceeding for the early establishment of an "A" class wireless broadcasting station in Brisbane, and that an interesting announcement will be made to experimenters and listeners-in during the next few days. The equipment of such a station has now been made possible by the provisions of the new regulations. Further details of the new regulations controlling broadcasting show that one A class broadcasting station will be authorised in Queensland. This station will obtain revenue from receiving licence fees. There is no limitation on the number of class B stations which will not receive revenue from license fees which will be collected by the Postal Department. The broadcasting license fee in Brisbane during 1924-25 will be 35s., but in 1925-26 it will be reduced to 30s. Experimental Iicenses will be issued in cases where the department is satisfied that the applicant possesses sufficient knowledge to undertake scientific research and investigation. The fee for the license in Brisbane will be 20s. There will be no stipulations prohibiting the reception of broadcasting programmes or the design of receiving equipment.

Speculation as to southern group seeking Brisbane A class licence

RADIO TOPICS. Broadcasting Stations. Brisbane Wants One. By "LOUDSPEAKER" Written for "The Telegraph." The announcement in the "Telegraph" last Wednesday that it was understood negotiations were proceeding for the erection of a broadcasting station in Brisbane caused a great deal of interest in Queensland wireless circles and speculation was rife as to who was behind the move. Two or three well known Brisbane transmitters were questioned, but they could supply no information of a concrete nature. It is now understood that the prime movers In the scheme are firms whose operations in wireless broadcasting have not yet been extended to Queensland. With the present number of experimenters in Queensland the increased license fees would bring in a revenue of nearly £1,000 a year, but an announcement of the establishment of a broadcasting station at an early date would probably have effect of nearly doubling the number of listeners-in. As one A class broadcasting station would take the greater part of the license fees collected there would appear to be good reason for the careful consideration which southern firms are said to be giving to the question of the installation of a station in Brisbane. A company commencing operations with an A class station would have a monopoly in Southern Queensland for five years from the date of the granting of the license. The Postmaster-General would have the right to order the inclusion of items of general interest or utility which he considered necessary in the broadcasting programme, and the company could accept advertising matter for transmission at reasonable rates. That would be a source of additional revenue to the company.

J. C. Price announces his intention to seek B Class licence and notes Queensland Government expected to be awarded the A Class

RADIO TOPICS. Broadcasting Proposals. Queensland Activities. By "LOUDSPEAKER" Written for "The Telegraph" During his visit to Sydney Mr. J. C. Price inspected Farmer's 2FC broadcasting studio and transmitting station at Willoughby. . . . While in Melbourne, Mr. Price accertained that the erection of a new 5 kilowatts "A" class broadcasting station was proceeding, and it would be ready for operation in about two months' time. BRISBANE STATION? Mr. Price found that in Melbourne official circles there was a belief that the Queensland Government would take out the one and only "A" class broadcasting license made available in Queensland under the new regulations. He says he intends to establish a "B" class station if he succeeds in the negotiations which he is at present conducting.

1924 08

Further reflection of the Qld Government being awarded the A Class licence for Brisbane

ODD NOTES. In the South it is generally considered that the new broadcasting regulations will create a virtual monopoly in favour of Amalgamated Wireless, the broadcasting group in which J. C. Williamson Pty., Ltd., is actively interested. In New South Wales and Victoria the Williamson interests, it is claimed, will have the big end of the stick. It is satisfactory to know that there is a possibility of an A class broadcasting station being established in Brisbane in the near future, even though it may be under the not always desirable control of the State.

Queensland Government still not officially declaring its position and southern group also exploring

RADIO TOPICS. . . . By "LOUDSPEAKER" Written for "The Telegraph." . . . BROADCASTING STATION. So far the State Government has made no definite announcement of its intentions in regard to the proposed establishment of a State A class broadcasting station. Presumably the question is still receiving serious consideration, by the Minister for Agriculture (Mr. W. N. Gillies), who has displayed great interest in wireless since its value and usefulness was brought very prominently under his notice by demonstrations from 4CM, in which the Minister himself took an active part, on two or three occasions. There is a possibility however, that if the Government does not soon make a definite move in the direction of securing the one and only A class license allotted to southern Queensland by the federal authorities, southern firms will make a bold bid for it. It is learned on good authority that during the past week three gentlemen who are said to be prominently associated with a Sydney and Victorian broadcasting company, have been in Brisbane making careful inquiries, with a view to the early establishment of a station here should they be able to secure the license. It is all very good news for the amateur and experimenter, because it seems to indicate they will not now have long to wait before being placed on the same footing as their more fortunate New South Wales and Victorian fellow experimenters in the matter of broadcast reception. There is going to be a great boon in wireless here in the very near future, and the traders and broadcasting company which get in on the ground floor will reap a rich harvest from the large sales and the increased license fees paid by new enthusiasts.

Queensland Government finally and formally declares its position

Broadcasting. A State Station. A class A wireless broadcasting station is to be established by the State Government. The Premier (Mr. Theodore) announced yesterday that formal application had been made to the Commonwealth for the necessary license. This would be the only A class station in Queensland. It was intended to broadcast news of the day, meteorological and market reports, and concert programme's.

Further detail, clarifies application made but no licence issued by Federal Government

STATE WIRELESS. APPLICATION TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The Queensland Government has definitely decided to secure the control of a class A wireless station for the purpose of broadcasting to listeners-in in the rural districts weather and market reports by day, and entertainments by night. The station would be placed in Brisbane. It was ascertained from the Premier yesterday that the Government had decided to apply to the Commonwealth authorities for a class A broadcasting station — the only one of that class that the Federal wireless regulations would permit to be established in Queensland. So far, however, said Mr. Theodore, the Commonwealth authorities had not notified their acceptance of the application. In the meantime the Queensland Government was making inquiries respecting the equipment, installation, and operating of such a station. The general object of the Government was to have the control of this station. The compilation of the programmes of broadcasting had yet to be done. Mr. Theodore added that adequate arrangements would be made for the broadcasting of news, of meteorological and market reports, and of entertainment programmes to the men on the land, and others who cared to listen-in, but, so far, only preliminary inquiries had been made.

1924 09

The Telegraph points out that the success of 4QG will depend on the quality of its staff

Radio Topics. . . . By "LOUDSPEAKER." Written for the "Telegraph." If experimenters do not tune in local stations they should not jump to the conclusion that their sets are not working properly. It has frequently happened that stations did not work on the nights they were scheduled to do so by the morning papers, and this has caused a great deal of inconvenience to those searching for the carrier waves. Operators of transmitting stations should see that correct information is given to experimenters. How 4CM is missed! One could be always sure of tuning in that popular station on Sunday nights. But there would appear to be good times ahead for the Queensland amateur. As stated in the Telegraph last week, the State Government seems assured of the rights of the "A" class broadcasting station and the preliminary arrangements for its establishment in Brisbane are already being made with a view to the commencement of operations at an early date after the license has been secured from the Commonwealth Government. There is reason to believe that the authorities intend providing an excellent service, one that will be both educative and entertaining, and one that will be helpful to the man living outback. The success of the station, however, will depend on the skill of the staff, and the Government, no doubt, will secure the services of fully qualified wireless engineers and operators.

Telegraph's perceptive journalist Loudspeaker notes the State Government not fully aware of all the costs of the service and that Governments financial position not sound, also mentions the possibility of a low power service at an early date

RADIO TOPICS. That "A" Class Station Is Government Serious? By "LOUDSPEAKER" Written for "The Telegraph" With the coming of summer with its natural electrical disturbances in the ether static interference is becoming increasingly troublesome to Brisbane experimenters, and already it is difficult to receive Sydney broadcasting on some nights with any degree of efficiency. This makes the absence of any serious local broadcasting a source of dissatisfaction to all owners of sets who are desirous of entertaining their friends at wireless evenings, and causes a desire for some definite move in the direction of the establishment of a station here, whether it be of the "A," or "B" class type. It is nightly becoming more apparent that the best of the Australian stations are not conducted on the best possible wavelength, and in many quarters there is a strong feeling that the wavelength of 2FC should be reduced below 600 metres. It is certain that static interference on the present long wave of that station is becoming very serious, from the viewpoint of Brisbane and Southern Queensland listeners. There is less interference with the reception of 2BL, which station is working on a much lower wavelength than 2FC. "Loudspeaker" is not too optimistic in regard to, the early establishment of an "A" class station by the State Government. As is generally known, the Government is right up against it financially, and £20,000, the cost of a station, is a lot of money to spend just at the present time, with no immediate prospects of a return on the capital outlay., It is understood that despite all the publicity given to Ministerial announcements on the subject the proposal has not yet got past the inquiry stage. It would seem that the Government made initial inquiries as to the possibility of securing the license before even the advice of experts had been obtained or the probable cost of the station had been ascertained. It is doubtful whether a single member of the Government even knows the meaning of the term "static interference." It is understood that the Minister, who is taking the greatest interest in the proposal (Mr. W. N. Gillies), has been approached, and offered an existing broadcasting plant, either on sale or on lease, with which operations on a comparatively small scale and short range radius could be commenced almost immediately. The plant would only permit of the inauguration of a service equivalent to that of a "B" class station, because it would not have the power and radius of an "A" class station called for by the new regulations. It is suggested that the State Government might be able to induce the Commonwealth Government to amend the regulations so far as their application to Queensland is concerned by permitting the operation of a single "B" class station at first on an "A" class basis so far as revenue is concerned. As is now known to most experimenters, the controllers of an "A" class station would be entitled to receive 30s. of the 35s. collected in the southern division of Queensland as a licenses fee, whereas the controllers of a "B" class station would receive no revenue at all from licenses fees collected. It is further suggested that such an arrangement would promote a keener interest in wireless in Queensland, and whereas sufficient revenue could not now be collected, to make an "A" class station payable, the position 12 months after the inauguration and successful operation of a "B" class station would be such as to permit of the expenditure necessary to equip the larger powered and more efficient station. If the expected increased interest were not realised, the Government would lose little or nothing by its venture on a small scale. All these things are put forward by the proposers of the small station, but they seem to overlook the fact that the main reason given by the Minister for Agriculture for the Government's proposed embarkation into the wireless broadcasting business is to provide the men on the land and the country dwellers generally with better and improved means of social entertainment, and the facilities to speedily ascertain the latest and authoritative market, financial, and other reports necessary to their success and general well being, and to prevent, if possible, the undesirable drift to the big centres of population. Now a B class station would have a very limited effective range, and it is doubtful whether the Government would embark on a broadcasting scheme that would almost entirely cater for the city dweller, whose sources of news and entertainment are at hand without the need of calling into use his wireless receiving set. It will probably be found that if the State Government cannot see its way clear to finance the installation, erection, and control of an A class station, with which to reach the country people, it will not have anything to do with wireless broadcasting at all, and the way will be clear for a private company to make the venture. As "Loudspeaker" has pointed out before, the solution of the problem in this land of vast spaces and small populations seems to lie in the direction of the operation of stations relaying programmes and news sent out on a very low wave length by a central broadcasting plant, situated in Sydney or Melbourne. Even in America, where almost every other person is a radio enthusiast, the question confronting broadcasters, radio manufacturers, dealers, and millions of listeners-in, is "who is to pay for broadcasting?" And the question has not yet been answered satisfactorily to all interests.

1924 10

The announcement of 4QG stimulates demand for wireless components

RADIO TOPICS. Brisbane Activities. Broadcasting Proposals. By "LISTENER" Written for "The Telegraph" It is understood that efforts are now being made to interest an entertainment house proprietary in wireless broadcasting with a view to the early establishment in Brisbane of a B class station, using limited power, and having a radius of not more than about 100 miles. This class of station would not, of course, derive any revenue from an apportionment of license fees paid to the Post and Telegraphs Department. That form of revenue is reserved for A class stations, which must comply with certain requirements in regard to power used and class of programme broadcasted. Therefore, the only revenue or return from a B class station would be in respect of fees received from advertisements broadcasted, value of the advertising to the company interested in the station, or subsidy from retailers of wireless apparatus. The promoters of a B class station no doubt would point out that with the inauguration of broadcasting in Brisbane there would be a heavy demand for simple and inexpensive receiving sets with which to bring entertainment into the home, and before very long thousands would be in use every evening. Wireless broadcasting opens up a wide and valuable field for the advertiser, and use of it will be made on a very extensive scale in the near future. . . . ODD NOTES. . . . The Government's proposal to establish an A class broadcasting station has undoubtedly stimulated interest, and therefore trade. The demand now exceeds the suppty of available components, and some lines are being booked to arrive from England and America. In the south there is also a shortage of supplies of many lines.

1924 11

Government still silent of the establishment of an A class station

RADIO TOPICS. Broadcasting Position. . . . By "LISTENER" Written for "The Telegraph." From the broadcasting or wireless telephony point of view there is very little being done in Queensland at the present time. Old experimenters have become tired of listening-in to potted music, and static has prevented the successful reception of Sydney and long-distance telephony stations. New experimenters are not growing in numbers as quickly as would have been the case had there been a broadcasting company operating here, and the wonder of it is that the Brisbane traders have not hitherto made arrangements with an existing station to transmit a programme of concert items twice a week, either from a studio or by land line from the music halls and theatres. Nothing further can be learned of the intentions of the Government in regard to the establishment of an A class station. Preliminary announcements were made with a great flourish of trumpets, but since inquiries were made as to the cost of the undertaking, Ministers have maintained an oyster-like silence on the subject. Efforts to interest financial and theatrical business in a B class station also seem to have been fruitless and the prospects of a broadcasting station for Brisbane now seem very remote indeed. The next move seems to rest with the people, who are directly interested in the development of wireless in Queensland, and they comprise the experimenters and amateurs generally and the men who have invested capital in the selling side of the business. Some co-operative move is needed to provide regular programmes each week. But with the decline in broadcasting the way is clear for some real experimental work in long distance Morse reception. Successful efforts in reaching out for stations thousands of miles away should provide amateurs with greater cause for gratification than the reception of telephony stations situated but a few hundred miles south. Summer time is not radio telephony time in Australia, and until the winter months with their clear night air come round again, amateurs, in endeavouring to successfully tune in Sydney and Melbourne stations for the entertainment of their friends, will continue to strive after the impossible.

The Age highlights Qld as a wireless desert

WIRELESS. There is no doubt that almost all of the striking advances in the wireless science in Australasia have been achieved by amateur experimenters, and from the recent amazing developments in amateur international communication it would appear that this state of affairs is to continue. From the very inception of commercial wireless in Australia progress has been hampered by continual mismanagement and bungling from all sides, whereas experimental work, during the last three or four years at any rate, has been clearly one steady march forward. . . . In Queensland, to complete our review, broadcasting is still unknown, and except for an occasional gramophone record played at one of the few experimental stations, or occasional snatches of music from other States, heard through the atmospherics, the Queenslanders might just as well be living in the 16th century as far as broadcasting is concerned. It is well known that Australia was initiated into commercial broadcasting at least three years after successful service had been established in England and America, but our present condition serves to emphasise the fact, evidently not yet appreciated, that we cannot hope to cover the three years of lost time in one stride,

Letter to the editor bemoans Qld's slow response to broadcasting and suggests a lower power service to expedite

BROADCASTING SERVICE. (To the Editor.) Sir.— Is Queensland to be the last State to have a broadcasting station? A glance at the daily papers reveals transmission in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland, Dunedin, and sometimes an American one. The nearest of these is over 600 miles away, and frequently they were all heard during the winter months by several experiments in Queensland. But the summer months are different. The different conditions make it difficult and costly to get even Sydney, and so great many wireless people are greatly disheartened. There are several amateur transmitters here, but they are limited to 10 watts output and are very rarely featured in the press announcements. And again, the New South Wales men on the land have the privilege to listening to weather, market, and sports reports daily; our's must await the slowly moving mails, any many times storms are upon them without warning. Some little time ago a movement was afoot for the State Government to erect a class"B" station in Brisbane, but the idea seems to have been lost. It is a pity, for a great deal of good would result directly to the whole people. Government, farmers, experimenters, traders, and the general public. Perhaps in the rush of business incidental to the closing hours of the session Mr. Gillies has laid aside the scheme for a time, but he would earn the gratitude of a great number of people if he would operate even a medium powered service. In the meantime Queensland is allowing all the other States except Tasmania to lead her In the matter of "Wireless Service." Will Queensland be the absolute last? Yours, etc., COSMIC.

Qld Government announces that tenders called for 4QG, traders make arrangements with 4CM for interim programmes, Trocadero announces intention to establish a Brisbane B Class station

Radio in Brisbane. Broadcasting Proposals. "A" and "B" Class Stations. Another move in the direction of the inauguration of wireless telephony broadcasting in Brisbane was made last night when several traders and amateurs met at the T. and G. Building to discuss ways and means. It was announced at the meeting by Mr. Herbert, of the Trocadero, that he intended to establish and have a B class station in operation before Christmas. Mr. Read, of the Read Press, explained that he had called the conference because he with other wireless amateurs felt that something definite should be done, as early as possible to establish broadcasting in Brisbane. At the present time things were dead in Brisbane. There was a suggestion that the wireless traders of the city should co-operatively arrange for the operation of an existing station for two or three nights a week during the summer time, and until such times as conditions would permit of the successful reception of Sydney broadcasting. In this connection, 4CM station (Preston House), had been mentioned as one with which arrangements might be made. INFLUENCE OF STATIC. Mr. J. C. Price (Wireless House) said he thought they could not do better than make some arrangement with 4CM, if it were possible. The modulation of 4CM was excellent. He thought it would be to the advantage of the traders to make such a move. During wireless exhibition week, when demonstrations were given in Brisbane the trade received some impetus. Boys began to go in for crystal sets. But since then hardly a boy was to be seen about the traders' shops. It was mostly adults who were purchasing components. What was wanted was the transmission of local broadcasting during the summer months, because the interference from static was exceptionally bad, and would not permit of Sydney being brought in with any satisfactory measure of success, except on rare occasions. He had never known static to be so bad as it was this summer. It was the small traders in the south who had pioneered the way for broadcasting. They had started 2BL Sydney and made a success of it. He understood that station was now on the same footing as Farmers (2FC). Mr. Read said that it was now almost impossible to receive Sydney successfully with three valves. A local station was needed. Incidentally, Mr. Read mentioned that it was intended to publish a wireless magazine in Brisbane. Mr. Price referred to the fact that each of the other capitals now had A class stations and several B class licenses had been granted recently for New South Wales. But so far Queensland had done nothing. Mr. Tom Elliott (operator of 4CM) suggested that an arrangement might be entered into whereby the traders would each contribute a sufficient amount of money weekly towards the cost of broadcasting from Preston House. The maximum number of nights a week he could give to the service would be three. He proposed to arrange to transmit concerts from the music halls and theatres by means of land lines, and perhaps a church service and band concert on Sunday nights. He could have the station operating within seven days should the traders come to an agreement among themselves to open it. He would operate on a low wave length, and therefore the interference from static would not be as great as if 4CM's old wave length of 800 metres were being used. Most of the traders present expressed their approval of an agreement being entered into with 4CM, but as a number of houses were not represented, a committee consisting of Messrs. J. H. Chandler, J. C. Price, C. L. McLaughlin, T. L. Read, and S. I. Knipe was appointed to interview the others and ascertain if they were agreeable to what had been proposed. A DEFINITE STATEMENT. At this stage, Mr. Herbert of the Trocadero arrived, and in reply to questions announced that he had made definite arrangements to establish a "B" class broadcasting station which would, he expected, be operating before Christmas. He had taken steps to secure a license and an expert would be coming up from Sydney to instal the machine. He proposed to transmit dance music programmes six nights a week with vocal and instrumental items interspersed. If possible he might make arrangements with the council to also transmit on Sunday nights. In reply to further questions, Mr. Herbert said he would be agreeable to the broadcasting of orchestral music from the Trocadero by 4CM, pending the completion of his station, if the traders decided to go on with their proposal. One of the traders said that it might have been good policy on the part of Mr. Herbert to have obtained the co-operation of the traders in the inauguration of his "B" class station. Mr. Herbert replied that it was still open to the traders to come in with him. It was open to them to take shares in the project. After further discussion, Mr. Herbert consented to allow his name to be added to the committee which will meet at the Trocadero on Sunday night. STATE "A" CLASS STATION. There was another development yesterday in connection with the State Government's "A" class station proposal. It was ascertained that tenders had been invited, and two had been received for the erection of a five kilowatt station. It is expected that the tenders will be considered when the Premier returns from Sydney, where he recently inspected existing stations and the works of the Amalgamated Wireless Company, which, it is understood, is one of the two tenderers. It is now generally thought that the Government will have nothing to do with a "B" class station, and that if it cannot see its way to erect an "A" class station it will not enter into the wireless business at all. The main object of the Government is to provide a service which will be accessible to the men out back and the rural district schools, and this service the "B" class station would not provide. Furthermore, the Government would receive no revenue from a "B" class station in respect of the license fees paid to the Federal Government.

Tenders called for 4QG

STATE BROADCASTING. Weather and Market Reports. The Premier (Mr. Theodore) when asked this morning in reference to the State wireless installation said that investigations were still going on. The Government had invited tenders for wireless broadcasting apparatus, and the Under-Secretary (Mr. T. A. Ferry) had these in hand. The object will be for the broadcasting to the rural districts of weather and market, reports by day, and for amusement at night.

1924 12

Cabinet decides to appoint a manager for 4QG

Manager. The Cabinet has decided to appoint a manager of the class A wireless broadcasting station, which the Government will establish at an early date in or near Brisbane, to broadcast to the country market and weather reports by day, and concert programmes by night. The appointment will be made shortly.

Gillies as acting Premier announces appointment of John William Robinson as manager of 4QG

State Wireless. Manager Appointed. Mr. Gillies's Announcement. The Acting Premier (Mr. Gillies) stated this afternoon that it was the intention of the Government to appoint Mr. J. W. Robinson, assistant wireless manager of Farmer's, Ltd., in Sydney, as manager of the Queensland Government class A radio station. Recently tenders were received by the Government for the erection and installation of this wireless broadcasting plant, and these would be reviewed by Mr. Robinson upon his arrival in Brisbane. Mr. Robinson would also advise on the site of both the station and the studio.

As previous

MANAGER FOR BRISBANE. BRISBANE, December 11. The scheme for the establishment of a Government Class A wireless broadcasting station, in the metropolitan area, has been advanced a further step. A manager has been selected. The Acting Premier (Mr. Gillies) said today that it was the intention of the Government to appoint Mr. J. W. Robinson, at present assistant wireless manager at Farmers' in Sydney, as manager of the Queensland Government Class A Radio Station, which would short!y be established in Brisbane. Recently tenders were called for by the Government for the erection of the station, and the installation of the plant. Two were received. These would be reviewed by Mr. Robinson, who also would advise the Government respecting the choice of sites for the station, and necessary studio.

As previous but with further details of context and specific duties

State Broadcasting. Appointment of Manager. Acting Premier's Comment. The Acting Premier (Mr. W. N. Gillies), referring today to the announcement in yesterday's "Telegraph" that Mr. J. W. Robinson, assistant manager of Farmer's Wireless, Sydney, had been appointed manager of the proposed State radio station, said it would be remembered that the A grade wireless license provided for Queensland in the Commonwealth Government regulations had been applied for and secured by the State Government, which had decided to establish a high class broadcasting service for the people of Queensland. Mr. Gillies mentioned that tenders have already been received for the installation of the necessary apparatus, masts, aerials, &c., but it was deemed advisable before finally accepting a tender that an expert should be appointed to advise and also to select a site for both the station and the studio. It was also desirable to determine the wave length required for broadcasting in this State. Mr. Ferry, of the Chief Secretary's Department, had given the matter his attention and had collected a lot of valuable information on this interesting subject. Mr. Robinson's appointment was for three years, and he was expected to take up his duties immediately after the holidays. After the tender was accepted, it would take some considerable time to erect the plant and to put into commission. Personally he was pleased that the Queensland Government had decided to make this most wonderful discovery of the age a State owned service and thus secure to the whole community, so far as was in their power, the benefits of this hew branch of science. "None of the other States had taken this step, but, in his opinion, it was only right that a discovery with such tremendous possibilities should be a public utility.

As previous, SMH perspective of its former employee

WIRELESS EXPERT. Mr. J. W. Robinson, who has been appointed manager of the broadcasting station, which the Queensland Government intends to erect in Brisbane, is well known in wireless circles. He was for some years a member of the "Herald" staff, and during that time contributed many articles on radio work. Prior to the establishment of broadcasting in Australia he took an active interest in wireless from the experimental side, and in 1922 was appointed Honorary Radio Inspector by the Federal Government. When Farmer and Company, Limited, inaugurated a broadcasting service in Sydney Mr. Robinson resigned from the "Herald," and joined the staff of Station 2FC. He expects to leave for Brisbane during the first week of the New Year.

The prospect of 4QG heightens interest in broadcasting in Brisbane

RADIO TOPICS. Brisbane Broadcasting. Inexpensive Crystal Sets. By "LISTENER" Written for "The Telegraph." Owners and prospective owners, of crystal receiving sets are coming into their own in Brisbane. For many months past good entertainment has been enjoyed by thousands of crystal set owners in Sydney and Melbourne because of the existence of permanent stations which broadcast programmes during the day and night. But the Brisbane youth or man who adopted wireless as a hobby necessarily had to purchase comparatively expensive valve sets if any worthwhile results were to be obtained. The absence of a broadcasting station eliminated the inexpensive crystal set from the methods of reception so far as Brisbane was concerned. And so a very large number of youths with limited pocket money and men with very moderate means found that despite their inclinations wireless as a hobby was too expensive for them. For the time being they had to content themselves with listening-in on some other enthusiast's set, reading the various wireless periodicals, and looking in the wireless dealers' windows. The proud owner of a valve set did not always receive the satisfaction which at the outset of his experimental reception work he believed would come from listening-in to Sydney and Melbourne stations. When the winter months with their nights of clear and frost air had gone, and the warmer months had brought their thunderstorms and air all charged with natural electricity, the valve set owner found that a nuisance called "static" had come to interfere with the successful reception of 2BL and 2FC. There were frequent crashes in the telephone receivers, or in the loud speaker, that obliterated the voice and music, and took all the pleasure out of listening-in to broadcasting from distant stations. The need of a local station began to be badly felt because static, unless extremely bad, does not interfere to a very great extent with the reception of nearby broadcasters, "Listener," in "The Telegraph" notes under this heading, expressed surprise that the radio dealers of Brisbane had not moved in the direction of taking over an existing plant and using it on two or three nights a week. The Sydney traders' movement that ended in the establishment of the now popular 2BL was cited as an instance of successful endeavour. "Listener's" idea caught on, and subsequently some of the Brisbane traders were brought together by Mr. Read (of the Read Press), himself an enthusiastic radio experimenter. As an outcome of that meeting arrangements were entered into with 4CM for the transmission of programmes three nights a week — Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. There have now been two transmissions, and another will be given from Preston House tonight between the hours of 8 and 10 o'clock. Excellent results have so far been obtained on crystal sets, because 4CM is transmitting with plenty of volume. For local reception, crystal rectifiers are much better than valve rectifiers, because the latter create a certain amount of noise of their own. Crystal sets are therefore clearer receivers. Greater volume can be obtained with the assistance of valve amplifiers if it is desired to use loud speakers. With 4CM in the air once or twice a week, the Brisbane radio enthusiast is now being well catered for. The reopening of 4CM has had the desired effect in stimulating trade, and has given genuine pleasure to experimenters, who look forward to still better programmes than those already provided from Preston House. The plans for the future, as outlined in "The Telegraph" last Saturday, have created great interest. The plans give promise of good things for listeners-in both on crystal and valve sets. The man or youth who is prepared to spend four or five pounds may now enjoy one of the most fascinating hobbies ever known to the world. Much pleasure may be got out of making your own set. That is a fairly simple thing to do, provided one obtains a text book on the subject from one of the booksellers or wireless dealers. There are many publications on wireless which describe in detail how to build receiving sets. These books may be bought for a shilling or two. It must be remembered, however, that before any listening in may be done, it is necessary to go to the post office and take out a license costing 35s. for the first year and 30s. for the second year. PROPOSED STATE STATION. The State Government has taken another interesting step in the direction of establishing an "A" class broadcasting station in Brisbane by the notification of its intention to appoint a Sydney gentleman to the position of manager of this the latest State enterprise. The manager will be called upon to offer the Government quite a lot of expert advice on the subject, and there are those who still think that when Messrs. Theodore and Co. have been told all there is to be told about the project there may be a long delay before the station is erected. If at all.

1925

1925 01

1925 01 01

JWR to arrive in Brisbane shortly

STATE RADIO STATION. Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the State radio station, will arrive from Sydney on Monday night to establish the class A station in Brisbane for the Queensland Government. Until recently he was assistant manager of Farmers' wireless establishment in Sydney.

JWR departs Sydney

THE STATE WIRELESS SCHEME. Mr J. W. Robinson, who has been appointed manager of the proposed Queensland Goveminent wireless broadcasting station, left Sydney yesterday afternoon for Brisbane by the express.

JWR arrives in Brisbane

STATE RADIO STATION. ARRIVAL OF MANAGER. Mr. J. W. Robinson, who has been appointed manager of the State wireless broadcasting station, which is about to be erected in Brisbane, arrived from Sydney last night. Prior to his present appointment Mr. Robinson was assistant manager, of Farmer's 2FC station, Sydney. It will be Mr. Robinson's first duty to advse, the Government on all matters of detail in reference to the station, and also select the most suitable site for its establishment. The location of the studio will be another matter which he will deal with. In all probability the studio will be established in the city and the station in the suburbs. In an interview, Mr. Robinson said that the A grade service which the Government intended to provide under the terms of their license which the Federal authorities had granted, would include a news service, market, and weather reports, vocal and instrumental entertainments, and educational lectures, &c. "It is going to be a wonderful thing for Queensland," Mr Robinson said.

As previous, a little more detail

STATE RADIO STATION. Manager Robinson Arrives in Brisbane. COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE. Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the State Radio Station, arrived from Sydney last night. He said in an interview that licences for an A grade station had been issued by the Federal Government, of which Queensland had one, that taken out by the Government; New South Wales had two, Victoria two, and Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania one each. These were high-powered broadcasting stations. It was the intention of the Queensland Government to erect a station, for which he was to select a suitable site immediately. Studios would then be erected, and the scheme made operative as expeditiously as possible. The A grade service was very comprehensive, and included, a news service, market, and weather reports, vocal, and instrumental entertainments, and educational lectures, etc. Mr. Robinson was assistant manager of Farmer's 2FC station, in Sydney, which, he said, had a well-organised service, telephone lines running from the station to the theatres and the Sydney Conservatorium, and also to the churches. He thought that the church services which had been broadcast in the South had made the greatest appeal.

As previous, makes clear that JWR gave a lecture on broadcasting on the evening of his arrival, also that he had been working for the State Government in Sydney prior

WIRELESS IN QUEENSLAND. A definite move towards giving effect to the proposal of the State Government to institute a wireless broadcasting service throughout Queensland was taken some time ago, when Mr. J. W. Robinson, a well-known man in Southern wireless circles, was appointed manager of the State seivice. Mr. Robinson, who has been carrying out work in his new capacity in Sydney since his appointment, arrived in Brisbane by the mail train last night to take up his office here. During the course of an interesting talk on broadcasting last night, Mr. Robinson said that licenses for an A grade station had been issued by the Federal Government, of which Queensland had one, that taken out by the Government; New South Wales had two, Victoria two, and West Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania one each. These were high-powered broadcasting stations. It was the intention of the Queensland Government to erect a station, for which he was to select a suitable site immediately. Studios would then be erected, and the scheme made operative as expeditiously as possible. The A grade service, said Mr. Roblinson, was very comprehensive, and included a news service, market and weather reports, vocal and instrumental entertainments, and educational lectures, etc., Mr. Robinson was in Sydney assistant manager of Farmer's 2FC station, which, he said, had a well-organised service, telephone lines running from the station to the theatres and the Sydney Conservatorium, and also to the churches. He thought that the church services which had been broadcast in the South had made the greatest appeal. Speaking of the State scheme, Mr. Robinson was very enthusiastic, and stated that until experienced it was impossible to gauge the immense field covered by broadcasting. "It is going to be a very wonderful thing for Queensland,'" he said.

As previous, different detail

WIRELESS ERA. QUEENSLAND'S STATION. MANAGER's VIEWS. Mr. J. W. Robinson, who has been appointed manager of the State Wireless Service, arrived in Brisbane by the mail train last evening. The Queensland Government have taken out the only A grade license allotted to Queensland by the Federal Government, and Mr. Robinson will take charge of this station. Mr. Robinson will inspect suitable sites for the station, and will report to the Government on these. When the station is built it will be the only high power station in Queensland, and commercial intelligence, as well as concert programmes, will be broadcasted. Mr. Robinson was assistant manager of 2FC (Farmers') broadcasting station, Sydney, prior to appointment to his present position. Discussing the possibilities of broadcasting, Mr. Robinson said that it had attained a high standard in the south, where not only concerts, commercial news and general news were broadcasted, but church services were sent through the air. School children were also given lessons by wireless, and this, in Mr. Robinson's opinion, was a great thing. It meant that children in the backblocks were able to hear addresses and participate in lessons given to the more fortunate who happened to reside in the city. "In fact, it means," said Mr. Robinson, "that the whole of the outlying centres will be linked up with the commercial centres or with the centre of what one might call civilisation." Mr. Robinson said that the receiving of wireless had been reduced to simplicity itself, and there was no reason why the farmer should not share in the advantage it offered. The only necessary thing was to obtain a set, then a license, and this was quite easy to secure.

As previous, with further detail of Brisbane radio scene

RADIO TOPICS. State "A" Class Station. "Very Wonderful Thing." By "LISTENER" Written for "The Telegraph" The arrival in Brisbane of Mr. J. W. Robinson, who has been appointed manager of the "A" class broadcasting station which the State Government is about to erect in the metropolis, is an indication that the Government is serious in its intentions. There can be no doubt that, as Mr. Robinson says, "wireless broadcasting is going to be a very wonderful thing for Queensland. During the past few weeks the city people, and those who live within a radius of two or three hundred miles of Brisbane, have, from the programmes transmitted by 4CM (Preston House), tasted the delights of real radio broadcasting. It has whetted their appetites for a more regular service on organised lines such as that enjoyed by Victoria and New South Wales owners of listening-in sets. That is what the Government has in view in establishing an "A" class station. The service will include a news service, market and weather reports, vocal and instrumental entertainments and educational lectures. And not only will the city people be able to avail themselves of that service, but the power used will, it is expected, be sufficient to enable the station to make its programmes heard as far back as the far-flung borders of this vast State. From statements made by the Premier and Minister for Agriculture it would seem that the Government is not so much concerned with providing a service for city people as it is with reaching the man on the land, to whom the weather and market reports are of great value if they are received promptly, as only wireless can ensure in a land of vast spaces and infrequent mail services. If the culture of the city can be taken to the man in the backblocks by means of wireless, it is going to be of inestimable value to the State. When the A class station is erected there is no reason why the people of Winton, of Cloncurry, of Charleville, and of other places far removed from the capital should not enjoy the musical recitals of the best of the visiting and local artists, listen-in to the entertainments held at his Majesty's and other theatres, hear the speeches and lectures of leading men, and become possessed to the latest Australian and world's news as soon as the more favourably situated city and suburban dweller. Wireless opens up enormous possibilities for this State in the service of the people both commercially and socially. If an "A" class broadcasting station does nothing more than make country people more contented with their lot, and puts a break on the drift to the city, it will have justified its establishment in Queensland.

JWR recommends State Government Insurance Building as site for the big station

State Wireless. Site for Studios. Manager's Recommendation. The manager of the State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) has just completed the inspection of a number of sites, with a view to establishing a State wireless station. He stated this afternoon that the places inspected included the Executive Building, the Domain, Bowen Park, the old Fire Brigade Station Building, in Edward street, and the State Government Insurance Building, in George street. He had recommended a site on top of the latter building for the studios, control room, and station. It was a splendid site, nice and high up, and with any amount of space.

4CM excels itself with concert broadcasts, inter alia, filling the gap as a defacto B class until 4QG commences

WIRELESS. BY "LOUD SPEAKER" Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the new State Radio Service, has expressed his opinion that radio in Queensland has a great future, and within a few months we should be in as good a position as any other State in the Commonwealth so far as a radio broadcast service is concerned. Mr. Robinson has been associated with Farmer's Ltd. ever since that firm's station, 2FC, opened. . . . Local Broadcasting. After having taken many weeks to really organise its services the amateur station 4CM has achieved its object of broadcasting theatrical and dance hall music to the amateur experimenters and listeners-in of Brisbane. Readers will remember that the traders and several of our local enthusiasts came to satisfactory arrangements with Dr. Val McDowall for the loan of 4CM for a period in order to operate that station to fill the vacancy of a commercial broadcast station in Brisbane. Quite elaborate preparation for broadcasting — nothing but the best — has been made in the city, and last weekend 4CM gave out absolutely the best programme it has submitted to date. The studio is situated at the Shulz showrooms, in the T. and G. Buildings, from where a landline gives the apparatus in Preston House its broadcast matter. From this studio on Sunday evening a fine programme of vocal and instrumental items was rendered by the Diggers' Company. Great credit is due to Mr. L. Read, chairman of the committee of control, for his keen interest and great activity in the interests of local enthusiasts. In addition, Mr. Read is due for credit as a musical director at the studio. By special arrangements it was possible for 4CM to broadcast both the Tivoli Theatre Orchestra, St. Stephens' Cathedral Choir, and the Jazz Orchestra of Trocadero Dansant on Saturday evening. So it is easily seen that over the weekend Brisbane enjoyed its first real and best radio concerts. Those possessing radio sets were, indeed, treated well to have such a fine selection broadcasted to them. In comparison with the programmes given by Southern companies to their enthusiasts, Brisbane is now losing nothing, for the programmes given on Saturday and Sunday evenings were equal to any submitted by Farmers, Ltd (2FC) and Broadcasters, Ltd (2BL) of Sydney. Those artists to whom thanks are due include:— Mr. L. Read, who sang "Shipmates o' Mine," and "The Floral Dance," Mr. Jack Willis for his steel guitar items; Miss G. Norman, vocal items; Miss Wynne Macoboy, Mrs. Crossley, Miss Iza Crossley, Moya Crossley, Messrs. Jock Thompson, Laurie, Kennedy Allen, Purdie, and Master Brian Lawrence. The latter is a very enthusiastic wireless amateur himself. His small aerial can be seen erected on the Cremorne roof from the bridge. St. Stephen's Cathedral Choir sang from the Tivoli. The Tivoli Orchestra rendered the "Poet and Peasant," and "In a Monastery Garden." Brisbane enthusiasts should at present be more than pleased with their prospects of true entertainment in the future, for in addition to having received proof of the capabilities of Queensland broadcasting, there follows the arrival in Brisbane of Mr. J. W. Robinson, the newly-appointed State service manager. Mr. Robinson will immediately undertake the duties of establishing the A class station in Queensland for the Government. Mr. Robinson assures us that there will be nothing lacking either in enthusiasm or material in making our station absolutely efficient and worthy of the State.

Further detail on site selection considerations by JWR

STATE RADIO. Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the State Radio Service, said yesterday afternoon that he had examined certain likely sites for the studio's control room and station, including the State Government Insurance Building in George-street, the Domain, the old fire brigade station in Edward-street, the Executive Building, and Bowen Park. He had recommended the State Government Insurance Building, which, he said, was a capital site, nice and high up, and with ample space. It was essential that the studios should be in the heart of the city, The studio's control room and station would be in juxtaposition to each other. The Domain was a central site but it was low-lying, and would cost a great deal of money to erect steel towers there. It is expected that the recommendation will be accepted. Mr. Robinson, who was assistant manager of Farmers' wireless establishment, is an ex-pressman, and was actively connected with the Australian Journalists' Association.

As previous, further detail

IDEAL SITE. STATE WIRELESS INSURANCE BUILDING. The newly appointed manager of the State radio service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) is now located in an office in the Chief Secretary's Department. Mr. Robinson is a former Sydney pressman, though at the time of his appointment to Queensland he was assistant manager of Farmers Ltd., wireless establishment in Sydney. Mr. Robinson said yesterday that he had inspected several sites for the station, including the executive building, the Domain, the old fire brigade building in Edward-street, Bowen Park, and the State Government Insurance building in George-street. Mr. Robinson said that it was essential that studios should be in the heart of the city, and in Brisbane the station, control room, and studios would be close together. He had recommended to the Premier (Mr. E. G. Theodore) that the State Government Insurance building should be the site of the new station. It was admirably adapted for the purpose as it was high and there was ample room. Mr. Robinson explained that the Domain was too low lying for a site, and it would cost a considerable sum of money to erect steel towers, which would be unnecessary on the State Insurance buildings. It is expected the recommendation will be accepted.

JWR comments on burglar's intercepting messages from police patrol cars

CHASING BURGLARS. Police Patrol Wireless Cars. EXPERT'S VIEWS. During the weekend the Sydney police found a motor-car containing a wireless set and a kit of burglar's tools. They are of the opinion that the wireless set was being used by burglars to intercept messages passing from police headquarters, to the police patrol cars, which are fitted with wireless. Questioned concerning police patrol wireless cars, Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of the State radio service) said today that in Sydney and Melbourne there was a police patrol car fitted with wireless. The Sydney car had a portable wireless, and when it was patrolling the streets news of crime which reached headquarters was transmitted to the sending station, which, in turn, picked up the car and delivered the message. On numerous occasions, the early receipt or information by the police patrol car had been! of great advantage to the police. In one case in Melbourne five police got to the scene of a shooting case, four miles away, within seven minutes. Mr. Robinson was of the opinion that a police car, fitted with wireless, had proved an effective method of combating crime, and he thought it would be a valuable adjunct to police work in Queensland. It would be quite an easy matter for a burglar in a motor car fitted with wireless to intercept a police message, he said, but when the message was in code or cypher it was a different matter.

JWR interview

STATE RADIO. Definite Steps For immediate Operation. MANAGER'S STATEMENT. Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of the State radio service) said today:— During the past few days some definite steps have been taken towards the immediate establishment of a broadcasting service on a large scale in Queensland. Practically the whole of the most important matters in connection with the construction of a high power station have now been finalised, and during the next few days actual constructional work should be commenced. As is generally known, the State Government has secured the only "A" grade licence allotted under the wireless regulations to this State, and intends to carry out a broadcasting service in a manner similar to that in which such services are carried out in other parts of Australia. "The selection of a suitable site for the establishment of studios and a station is also necessary, and a wave length on which all transmission from the station will be effected must be decided on. Decisions regarding all these matters have been made during the past week. The Government has accepted the tender of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., for the supply of a modern 5K.W. broadcasting transmitting set, and also for the supply of the necessary aerial and earth materials, sound collecting equipment, microphones, control panels, and general receiving equipment. "The roof the State Insurance Building at the corner of George and Elizabeth streets, has been selected as the most suitable for the establishment of the station and studios. It has been decided to ask the Federal authorities to allot a wavelength of 425 metres to the Queensland Government. VALUE OF SERVICE. "The actual service rendered by the Queensland Broadcasting Station should be invaluable to the community. From the studios at regular intervals, late news items, stock exchange information, up-to-the-minute market reports, fashion topic for women, afternoon tea music, sporting information, high-class instrumental and vocal music, discussions on topics of public interest, and many other features will be flashed throughout Australia. "The advantages which such a service will confer on the State, and the manner in which the broadcasting station will serve the whole.community, are many. It is expected that the station will be ready for transmission, and a very comprehensive service organised with very little delay.

As previous, more fully reported

State Radio On a Large Scale. Studio in George Street. During the past few days some definite steps have been taken towards the immediate establishment of a broadcasting service on a large scale in Queensland. The manager of the State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) stated this morning that practically the whole of the most important matters in connection with the construction of a high powered station had now been finalised, and during the next few days actual constructional work should be commenced. As was generally known, the State Government had secured the only A grade license allotted under the wireless regulations to this State, and intended to carry out a broadcasting service in a manner similar to that in which such services were carried out in other parts of Australia. In order to establish such a service it was necessary to construct a high-powered telephony station, modern broadcasting studios, and to organise up-to-date services whereby news of the day, market reports, sporting information, &c., might be transmitted at regular hours daily, to say nothing of course of the high class musical entertainments which will also be broadcast. SELECTION OF SITE. The selection of a suitable site for the establishment of these studios and station was also necessary, and a wave length on which all transmission from the station would be effected must be decided on. Decisions regarding all these matters had been made during the past week. The Government had accepted the tender of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd. for the supply of a modern 5KW broadcasting transmitting set, and also for the supply of the necessary aerial and earth materials, sound collecting equipment, microphones, control panels, and general receiving equipment. The roof of the State Government Insurance building, at the corner of George and Elizabeth streets, Brisbane, had been selected as the most suitable for the establishment of the station and studios, and the necessary details for the drawing of plans and the compiling of specifications for these buildings had been handed to the Public Works Department. It had been decided to ask the Federal authorities to allot a wave length of 425 metres to the Queensland Government. THE APPARATUS. The 5 K.W. broadcasting transmitting set which will be installed, is of the most modern type, is manufactured in Australia, and should enable constant communication to be maintained for a distance of 500 miles by day, and 1,000 miles by night. The apparatus comprising the main control and amplifying panels is of the type used in most of the leading stations in the world, and will enable very delicate control of the station to be maintained by the operator, thus ensuring perfect transmission of all items. The handling of a full choir or full brass band will be quite as delicate as the handling of a single solo item. The equipment will also include portable units which will enable collections of musical items, speeches, &c., from outside points to be made. STATION AND STUDIOS. The studios which will be erected on the roof of the Queensland Insurance building will embody every modern idea, and will be constructed in such a manner as to enable perfect reproduction of speech and music to be effected. They will be built so as to be sound proof, will be draped in a scientific manner, and will be specially ventilated. They will comprise two transmitting rooms, one being larger than the other, and will both open from a main reception room. In other parts of Australia the stations have been placed at some distance from the studios, but the gathering of all the buildings, including offices, studios, reception rooms, control room, and station under one roof, should result in a more efficient service being maintained at a lower cost. SERVICE. "The actual service rendered by the Queensland broadcasting station should be invaluable to the community," declares Mr. Robinson. "From the studios at regular intervals, late news items, stock exchange information, up-to-the-minute market reports, fashion topic for women, afternoon tea music, sporting information, high-class instrumental and vocal music, discussions on topics of public interest, and many other features will be flashed with the speed of light throughout the length and breadth of Australia. "The advantages which such a service will confer on the State and the manner in which the broadcasting station will serve the whole community are almost too numerous to mention. "It is expected that the station will be ready for transmission and a very comprehensive service organised with very little delay."

1925 01 15

JWR clarifies aspects of wavelength announced, also mentions request for callsign of 4GC (possible typo)

STATION 4QG. STATE RADIO SERVICE. THE WAVE LENGTH. Referring yesterday to the wave length which it has been decided to use for transmissions from the State radio station, the manager of the Queensland radio service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) said that he wished to make it clear to those interested that the 425 metres referred to was not yet definitely approved. "As far as the Queensland Government is concerned," he said, "the decision is definite enough. The allotting of a wave length is however, a matter for the Federal authorities who issue the broadcasting license. They are in control of the issue of wave lengths and are responsible for their allotment in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of interference between stations. The Queensland Government has asked that the Federal authorities allot a wave length between 375 to 395 or between 405 and 425 to the state radio station. The latter wave length is favoured, but if reference to the wave charts shows that it is too close to that of another station a few metres difference will perhaps be necessary. This difference will not, however, mean anything to those who are now desirous of building or purchasing receiving sets." Mr. Robinson added that it might interest wireless enthusiasts to know that the Federal Wireless Department had been asked to allot the call sign 4QC to the Queensland Government Broadcasting Station.

AWA announces that 4QG transmitter a clone of 2FC, 3LO and 6WF (though all these were longwave at the time)

BROADCASTING STATION FOR QUEENSLAND. It is announced by Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Limited, that arrangements have been completed with the Queensland Government for the erection of a 5 k.w. "Class A" broadcasting station at Brisbane. Work will be commenced at an early date, and it is anticipated that the station will be in operation for the coming winter. In many respects it will be a replica of the three broadcasting stations — 2FC (Sydney), 3LO (Melbourne), and 6WF (Perth), already constructed by the company. The whole of the transmitting apparatus will be manufactured at the Radio-Electric works of the Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Limited, Sydney.

JWR provides detail of design of studios

BROADCASTING. State Radio Service. DESIGN OF STUDIOS. Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of the State Radio service) said today that the studios which had been designed for use in connection with the broadcasting service being established by the Government were to be of the most modern design, and in them would be incorporated a number of new ideas. They would be situated on the roof of the Queensland State Insurance building, and would open up from a main reception room. Two studios would be used, one large, and the other smaller. In the large one musical items, such as choirs, orchestral selections, band concerts, etc., would be rendered, while the smaller one would be reserved for solo items, pianola music, and the transmission of speeches and lectures. The use of two studios would obviate delay in the programmes, the studio manager arranging artists in one studio while an item was proceeding in another, and then quickly changing over. In the construction of these studios, care was being taken to evade external sound, and the walls and floors would be draped and padded so as to reduce echo effects. "In other broadcasting studios artificial light in used, but in those attached to 4QG, natural lighting will be provided, special sound proof windows being fitted," added Mr. Robinson. "The main control room for the station will be placed so that the operator on duty may obtain a clear view of both studios without moving from the main control panel. Sound proof windows will be fitted in the studios, and from these the operator will watch the artists while transmission is being effected. The control room will be constructed so that no sound whatever from the studios will reach it. A small wireless set will be fitted in it, and thus the operator will listen to wireless when actual concerts are being broadcast. It is necessary for such a system to be employed, so as to allow the control of the station to be maintained by hearing the concerts under the same conditions in which they are heard in any private home."

Brisbane listeners wanting more information about proposed programming, JWR spends time with Read

RADIO TOPICS. The State Station. News of the Amateurs. By '"LISTENER" Written for "The Telegraph." The announcements made during the last few days by the manager of the State radio station (Mr. Robinson) must have given pleasure to the several thousand enthusiasts who are now to be found scattered all over Queensland. It is interesting to know that the new station will, in many respects, be a replica of the three broadcasting stations in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, 2FC, 3LO, and 6WF respectively, because if that be so there should be little cause for complaint regarding the quality of the transmissions from a mechanical point of view. But there will be little cause for satisfaction with the excellence of the station itself if the programmes are badly arranged, and are of inferior quality. Having been a member of the staff of 2FC, Mr. Robinson no doubt will endeavour to avoid the mistakes that have been made in the southern capitals, and, profiting by his experience, will give the Queensland public something worth listening to. It is not desirable that the State station should broadcast potted music; we have had too much of that already in Queensland. Beyond a broad outline of the intended service, Mr. Robinson has not yet made known his intentions with regard to programmes, and a statement on that phase of the undertaking would be welcomed by amateurs. It would also promote a greater interest in the State station, and perhaps lead to a growing increase in the number of applications for receiving licenses with increased revenue to the station. Nobody is going to expend money in the purchase of a set when all that is known is that the station will transmit music, news, and market reports day and night. That is all the public have been told, so far. The allotment of a waye length of 425 metres will be welcomed by amateurs generally, as being a most satisfactory one for Queensland conditions. All will hope that 4QG will be heard on the air very soon. It is also pleasing to know that the whole of the transmitting apparatus for the State station will be manufactured at the radio-electric works of Amalgamated Wireless (Australia) Limited, Sydney. PRAISE FOR 4CM. In a special interview with "Listeners," for "Radio Topics," the manager of the State Radio Station (Mr. Robinson) said that, taking everything into consideration, 4CM station was doing very well. The results achieved with the apparatus available spoke volumes for the enthusiasm of those associated with the operation of the station and those who listened-in. He only hoped that the same enthusiasm would be shown when the State station commenced operations. Efficiency was undoubtedly being obtained with the apparatus which was being used at 4CM. . . . The manager of the State Radio Station (Mr. Robinson) was one of the guests at a wireless and musical evening held at the Home of Mr. L. Read (president of the Brisbane Broadcasters) last Friday. Mr. Robinson was delighted to have the opportunity of hearing the voice of the announcer of 2FC (Sydney) because he is a personal friend of his.

JWR claims 4QG will be the highest powered in the world (but likely this due to the odd way in which Australia measured power at the time)

Broadcasting. The Queensland Station. Highest Powered in World. When completed, the Queensland wireless broadcasting station will be the highest powered telephony station in the world. The manner in which the State Government intends to proceed with the establishing of broadcasting in Queensland, was referred to this morning by the manager of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson). In discussing the new station which is to be commenced shortly in Brisbane, he said that some idea of its size would perhaps be conveyed if he pointed out that when complete, there would not be any other telephony station in the world of a higher power. In England and America, high powered stations were being used, but in no case did the power of any one of them amount to even three-fifths of that to be used in the Queensland station. Furthermore, the experience gained in other broadcasting stations and studios would be made use of in Brisbane, and it was quite safe to say that Station 4QG, when completed, would be the most modern, the most up-to-date, and most efficient station in the whole of Australia.

JWR predicts a wireless boom in the coming weeks

Broadcasting. A Wonderful Invention. What It Means to Queensland. "It is questionable," said the manager of the State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) this afternoon, "whether during recent years any branch of science has produced a movement which has appealed so strongly to all sections of the community as that of wireless. In the older parts of the world, wireless during recent years has made amazing strides, and in addition to the magic spark being used for the purpose of commercial communication, the practical use of wireless telephony, for the broadcasting of programmes of speech and music has become exceedingly popular, and has gained a rapid hold on the people of the world. Parts of Australia have already witnessed a radio boom and now in Queensland an extraordinary amount of interest is being centred in wireless broadcasting. "Announcements made recently regarding the inauguration of a high-class broadcasting service by the State Government have served to stimulate this interest, and many people who know nothing, or next to nothing of the actual science of wireless are finding that those commercially interested in the broadcasting movement are now able to supply them with machines and apparatus which will enable them to participate in the pleasure of "listening in" without any close study of the phenomena of wireless. In spite of all that has been said regarding the broadcasting movement, a certain amount of misunderstanding exists. To many people the mention of wireless in any shape or form suggests some difficult subject which cannot be understood without months or even years of close study. While this may apply to the actual science of wireless itself, so much valuable work has been done by those who have made a life long study of the subject that the benefits to be gained from wireless in all its forms are now available to those who possess no technical knowledge. The latest type of receivers have been constructed by experts in such a mariner as to embody perfection of technical detail with absolute simplicity of operation, and even a child may handle a broadcasting receiver and fill the whole house with speech and music. "As is generally known, broadcasting refers to the transmission of speech and music by means of wireless telephony, the matter radiated being intended not for any one particular person, but for all who own sets and desire to 'listen in.' In wireless telephony speech and music transmitted are carried by electromagnetic waves which are created at a sending station, and which travel with the speed of light in all directions. These waves vary in length according to the station from which they are radiated, so that quite a number of stations may transmit at the same time, but the receiver will only respond to those to which it is "tuned". This tuning is quite a simple matter in the case of expertly constructed receivers, and means merely the turning of a knob or dial. The installation of receivers is quite a simple matter. "It is expected that during the next two or three months a high powered station will be erected in Brisbane by the State Government, and from this station at regular hours each day and at night late news services, stock exchange information, weather information, sporting news, afternoon tea music, and high class musical entertainments will be broadcast. A special system of lines connected with various theatres in the city and suburbs will enable collections of outside music to be made, to be brought to the station, and to be transmitted. Bed time stories for the children will also be a feature of the programme. It is not difficult to imagine just what sort of an appeal such a service will make to the imagination of the public. The dweller in the more distant part of the State will doubtless feel the benefit of the broadcasting service to a greater degree than his more fortunate city cousin, but even in districts near to the sending station, the transmission of high-class programmes of speech and music each night should do much towards providing home entertainment. "It does not seem unsafe to assume that within the next few weeks, Brisbane, in common with other States of Australia will witness a wireless boom."

JRW expounds on the role of the station

State Broadcasting Station. It is safe to definitely state that during the history of the world no branch of science and no marvel of man's making has done more to break down distance and to eliminate isolation than that of wireless telegraphy and telephony," said Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of the State radio service) yesterday afternoon. The inventions perfected during the early portion of the present century, and which resulted in communication being established between vessels at sea and the shore focussed a vast amount of attention on wireless, and during recent years the perfecting of a system by means of which it is possible to transmit speech and music through countless miles of space, has given the movement the impetus it deserves. Although most great inventions are the result of years of work on the part of a mere handful of experimenters, they almost invariably react to the benefit of the multitude, and in no instance is this fact so clearly pronounced as in connection with wireless. So rapidly have the latest developments been commercialised that already the lives of millions of persons have been brightened by means of wireless entertainments. Australian citizens have been as advantageously placed as those in other parts of the world, in this respect, and are now having the pleasures of modern civilisation carried direct into their homes. Farmers, squatters, and all other dwellers in remote rural districts find their present isolation entirely eliminated and are able to keep in direct touch with the life of the large cities for the greater portion of every 24 hours. So much has been said lately regarding wireless telephony and the broadcasting movement, that a certain amount of confusion and doubt exists in the minds of many regarding just what has been and will be done. The position is, however, a very clear and simple one when regarded from the point of view of the person wishing to avail himself of the opportunities offered by broadcasting. As is generally known, it is possible to transmit speech and music through the ether by means of wireless telephony. If a sending station is erected and from it such items are transmitted, they are carried with the speed of light in all directions on electromagnetic waves. If, therefore, a receiving station is erected within range of the sending station, the music and speech transmitted may be received and clearly heard. It matters not how many receiving stations are erected, all can secure the music, the volume not being diminished as the number of receivers increases. If a station is erected one transmission is effected, the action is termed "broadcasting." From this simple explanation, it will be clearly realised that in such a system of regular transmissions lie boundless possibilities for the entertainment of large numbers of people, particularly the dwellers in the more remote parts of the country. Such a system is to be used in Brisbane within a short space of time. The State Government is now building a high power wireless station, and special programmes are being organised. These will include morning and evening news services, cable services, market reports, stock exchange quotations, weather forecasts, sporting information, lectures, special information for the man on the land, and last, but by no means least, high-class musical entertainments. Broadcasting on these lines should strongly develop in (Start Photo Caption) MR. J. W. ROBINSON. (End Photo Caption) Queensland, but it is only by studying the interests of the public that such can be the case. Mr. W. Robinson said: "The main aim of the station, when it is established, will be to give service to the community. No efforts will be spared to obtain and broadcast all information, which will be of great.use to the public, and the musical programmes which will be transmitted will be of a high-class nature. A high standard throughout will be maintained. Those responsible for the operation of a broadcasting station carry on their shoulders a great responsibility to the public. When it is remembered that the matter spoken, sung, or played in a broadcasting studio is carried into the homes of thousands and thousands of people, it will easily be seen that it is quite essential that great care be maintained. A high moral standard, and a good tone, must be insisted on, and it will be the aim of the Brisbane station, while catering for the wants of the public, to also keep this high class standard of working strictly in mind."

JRW at conference promoting placement of receivers in schools for educational purposes

WIRELESS IN SCHOOLS. USE BY DEPARTMENT. An important proposal, associated with the decision of the Government to broadcast from the State radio station market and other news by day and concert programmes at night to the country, was discussed at a conference held yesterday. The members of the conference comprised the Minister for Education (Mr. F. T. Brennan), the Under-Secretary for Education (Mr. B. J. McKenna), the director of the Queensland Producers' Association (Mr. L. R. Macgregor), and the manager of the State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson). The question discussed was that receiving sets should be established at schools in country districts, and be placed in charge of a competent person. By this means at allotted hours of the day instructional items issued by the Education Department, could be broadcasted for the benefit of the children, and even general news received for the settlers. It was made plain that any such scheme would be so arranged as not to interfere with the general routine of school work. The proposal will come before Cabinet on Tuesday next.

1925 02

1925 02 01

Another brief bio of JWR with new titbits (the AWA aspects previously announced)

BROADCASTING. The State Station. READY BY WINTER. It is announced by Amalgamated Wireless Limited that arrangements have been completed with the Queensland Government for the erection of a 5KW "Class A" broadcasting station at Brisbane. Work will be commenced at an early date, and it is anticipated that the station will be in operation for the coming winter. In many respects, it will be a replica of the three broadcasting stations — 2FC Sydney, 3LO Melbourne, and 6WF Perth — already constructed by the company. The whole of the transmitting apparatus is being manufactured at the radio-electric works in Sydney. Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the State Radio Service, greets visitors with a pair of keen Australian eyes behind big American horn-rimmed glasses. But this is the only Americanism about him. He is a hustler, but hustling is just as much an attribute of the Australian character as of the American. A former Sydney Pressman, he has lost none of his interest in affairs, which means all human activities. He gained his wireless training while on the "Sydney Morning Herald," attending the Marconi school after his day's work was done. He also made a special study of telephony. Back in 1915, when he was just being initiated into the mysteries of wireless, the then very youthful Robinson joined up with the A.I.F., and found himself some months later with thousands of other Aussies at Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt. One day a call came for 25 men for immediate active service. Hundreds "hopped out," including "Robbie," and with visions of a great run across the ocean to France in a fast destroyer, the little party left the camp in high glee. A tedious ride in a slow railway train, a 10 miles march, and that night found the noble band of 25 in the first line of defence on the canal! And this was their address for many months. It was no picnic, but it showed that young Robinson was not a chap to stand still, even though he had to drop three stripes to get on the move. Small wonder, then, that he should make his mark in the wireless world, and be the first manager of the State Radio Service in Queensland.

JRW promotes a wireless future, with great benefits for city-dwellers and country folk

BROADCASTING. The manager of the State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) looks forward to a "wireless" boom. Broadcasting undoubtedly has caught the popular fancy. In Britain a powerful and well-conducted organisation controls this service, and is evidently intent on making the most of it. One of the writers of a book which was recently reviewed in "The Telegraph," spoke of the difficulties in the way of satisfying all tastes in regard to programmes. and he also allowed his imagination to play on the future of broadcasting. Now we agree that in regard to the programmes it is difficult to suit all tastes. But the varied tastes must be satisfied if they are in any degree worthy of being satisfied. The main advantage of broadcasting, however, is that persons in distant places may enjoy in some respects the advantages of the dwellers in large cities. Broadcasting is going to be of great advantage, for instance, to us in Australia, especially to those of us who live in the country districts. Sometimes it is alleged that the drift from the country to the city is caused in part by the lack of advantages and pleasures in the country. We are told to make country life more attractive. By means of wireless and broadcasting many advantages of the city can be brought to the country. There is great opportunity for "broadcasting" in Queensland because of the sparseness of our population. In that way the new science — for so it may be called — may be of great use to the State.

Further promotional work by JWR, tempered as over marketing by the Telegraph journalist

RADIO TOPICS. Boosting 4QG Station. By "LISTENER" Written for "The Telegraph." The manager of the State Radio Station to be (Mr. Robinson) is making good use of the opportunities that come his way for thoroughly boosting the Government's latest enterprise. He is reported to have said that 4QG will be the most powerful broadcasting station in the world, that its studios will be better than anything in Australia, and as good as anything in the world; but he has not yet told us that the programmes will be the best in the world. It all savours of American publicity methods. And the Yanks do not always deliver the goods. However, Mr. Robinson is full of optimism, good intentions, and enthusiasm, and if all the "goods" mentioned in his publicity matter are not delivered, one feels sure it will not be for want of effort on his part. At the same time the people of the State would show discretion by hesitating to install expensive sets for purely entertainment purposes until something more definite is known about the programmes and general service to be given by the new station. The genuine experimenter or person who has come under the magic influence of the science will, of course, continue to purchase components, build his own set, and listen-in for that which is near and far. To him broadcasting is only of secondary importance. The reception of an American station on a homemade low loss set of the latest type is a far greater achievement for a genuine experimenter than the reception of local broadcasting. But the new Government station will undoubtedly add another wave to the enthusiasm which is sweeping over Queensland, and those who start as mere listeners-in will later join the ranks of the experimenters who daily probe still further into the mysteries that still surround the science of wireless. Mr. Robinson has emphasised that the benefits to be gained from wireless in all its forms are now available to those who possess no technical knowledge of the subject. He says the latest type of receivers have been constructed by experts in such a manner as to embody perfection of technical details with absolute simplicity of operation, and even a child may handle a broadcasting receiver and fill the whole house with speech and music. Wireless experimenters, of course, know that is rather a broad and sweeping statement, and they would deny that the manufacturers of sets are now so making them that Intelligence and Knowledge as factors in their successful operation, have been entirely eliminated. Yet it must be admitted that some of the manufactured sets are simple of operation when a few general principles have been learned. But the best results out of a set can only be obtained by the person who has a good knowledge of the subject, both theoretical and practical. Wireless has its two schools of thought — the one patriarchal, mysterious; the other progressive, communicative. There are makers and distributors of wireless apparatus who place persistent emphasis upon the intricacy of their special devices, and the secrecy of their distinctive processes. It is characteristic of these people that they do not trust the average member of the public to make more than the most elementary routine adjustment in a wireless set. Substantial changes or additions cannot be undertaken without returning the set to the maker or distributor. Fortunately, however, there is another and more optimistic school of thought in the wireless industry. There are those who, while yielding nothing to their competitors in their desire for profit, yet deliberately attempt to construct their business upon the basis of an intelligent community of interest. These people are as anxious to explain difficulties as are their opposites to deepen mysteries. With such sets and some elementary knowledge of the science of wireless will the people of this State be best equipped to enjoy the State Radio station when it is established.

JWR announces allocation of callsign and frequency for 4QG by PMGD, low wavelength being a departure for A class longwave (AWA would have not been happy with this)

4QG. The Call Sign. State Wireless. 4QG will be the call sign of the Queensland wireless broadcasting station. The manager of the State Radio Station (J. W. Robinson) stated this morning that the Federal Government had definitely granted the Queensland Government a license for the establishment of an A class wireless brondcasting station. The call sign of the station would be 4QG, and it would have a wave length of 385 metres, whilst the power would be 5,000 watts. It is stated that a low wave length for a high powered station is a new departure for Australia.

As previous but Daily Standard makes clear that the licence has been issued for a period of 5 years only

STATE WIRELESS. Commonwealth Grants Licence. Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of the State Radio Service) said today that the negotiations between the Federal and Queensland Governments concerning the issue of the A class broadcasting licence to the State Government had been completed, and the licence granted. The sign of the station would be 4QG, the power 5000 watts, the wave length 385 metres, and the period of the licence five years, terminating on January 29, 1930. A low-wave length for a high-powered station is a new departure in Australia.

JWR off to Sydney "on business" (likely meet AWA to sort out construction of a low wave transmitter)

STATE WIRELESS. MANAGER GOING SOUTH. THE FINAL TOUCHES. The manager of the State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) will leave Brisbane for Sydney on Thursday on business connected with the installation of a State broadcasting station in Brisbane. He stated this morning that the arrangements he intended to make in the south would put the final touches to his scheme of construction.

JWR reported as stating that the 4QG aerial would be of the umbrella type (but this did not eventuate, probably due to roof architecture and/or better technical advice received

RADIO TOPICS. Written for "The Telegraph." By "LISTENER" . . . The aerial to be erected for 4QG, the State station, will be of the umbrella type. Mr. Robinson (State manager) tomorrow leaves for Sydney, where he will conduct certain business in connection with the equipment of the station.

A promotional piece on the future of wireless generally morphs into a full plan for 4QG programming

MARVEL OF THE AGE. Advantages of Wireless. Too Great to Ignore. PEER INTO THE FUTURE. "It is safe to say that within a very short space of time the man who does not possess a wireless set will be placed at a distinct disadvantage in regard to the rest of his fellow men. Wireless is certainly the marvel of the age, and those who ignore it will more quickly realise its advantages than those who make use of it." The above statement was made yesterday by the manager of the Queensland State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson), when asked by a representative of "The Daily Standard" to express his views regarding the future of wireless generally, and in particular, the broadcasting movement. "The man who can accurately foretell just what even the very near future will bring forth as far as wireless is concerned," Mr. Robinson said, "would, indeed, be very wise. Each day brings forward some new marvel, and who can say just what the world will witness during the next two or three years? It is not so very long ago that a prophecy was made to the effect that it would one day be possible to transmit the human voice by wireless from Australia to England or vice versa. "At the time it was regarded more in the light of a dream than as a serious attempt to describe future possibilities. Today, however, the human voice has been transmitted from England to Australia, and also from Australia to England, and what is more important still, this huge distance has been spanned with the use of very very low power. "It seems almost fantastic to say that in a few years Australians may speak to friends and business relations in England merely by lifting the telephone receivers from the hooks in their homes or offices, and asking for a number on the other side of the world. Yet so marvellous have been the wireless developments of the past (Start Photo Caption) Mr. J. W. ROBINSON. (End Photo Caption) two or three years that it is almost safe to assume that such will be the case in the future." Field of Broadcasting. "As far as broadcasting is concerned," Mr. Robinson continued, "Australia has already felt the benefit of the application of this most modern branch of wireless communication, and it will not be long before Queensland residents are placed just as advantageously as dwellers in the other States. "Broadcasting appeals strongly to the imagination of even the city or the suburban dweller, but its strongest appeal is undoubtedly made to the man in the country districts. We are at all times doing our utmost to urge men to go on the land and yet we are faced with the fact that conditions do not make it altogether tasteful for quite a number of people to spend their lives in distant country centres. Broadcasting should do much towards assisting country settlement because it goes a long way towards relieving isolation. "Just consider for a moment the happy position in which the country dweller, who has installed a wireless set in his home, will find himself when the Government broadcasting station is operating in Brisbane. While seated at his lunch the whole of the morning's market reports will be read to him. Stock exchange quotations will be given, and late news items will be carried with the speed of light, direct to his table. During the afternoon his womenfolk will be entertained by wireless music and by lectures useful to the ladles. His children while at school will receive portions of their education by wireless, and thus the voices of many great educationalists, who could not possibly visit all country centres will be heard in many outback schools. Bedtime Tales for Kiddies. "During the early part of the evening, the kiddies will be entertained by music and bedtime stories, and it is safe to definitely state that this portion of the day's programme will make just as vigorous an appeal to the youth of Queensland as it has already made to the youth of other portions of Australia. When the 'kiddies' have at last been moved off to bed, the older members of the family will congregate around the receiver, and latest market reports, late cables, local news items, sporting results, and other information will occupy the space of about half an hour. A short pause will then take place, and afterwards a high-class musical entertainment, broadcast direct from the heart of the commercial and social centre of the State, will 'do its bit' towards making the evening more enjoyable. Special Reports. "When interesting sports are being held special arrangements will be made to broadcast the results, and thus the country dwellers will receive news of those events just as quickly as those who live in the cities. Special weather information will be supplied from official sources, and this will be broadcast for the benefit of the man on the land. Sermons in the Home. "Several churches in the Brisbane area are now being linked up to the Government station, and those who, owing to their being compelled to live in lonely centres, are unable to attend divine service, will sit around loud speakers in their own homes and hear the voices of great preachers, the singing of large congregations, and the pealing of organs. "The matters to which I have referred," continued Mr. Robinson, "are not fantastic dreams. They are accomplished facts in other parts of Australia, and, within the space of another two or three months, they will have become accomplished facts in Queensland."

JWR arrives in Sydney for business meetings

PERSONAL. . . . Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the Queensland State radio service, came to Sydney yesterday on technical business in connection with the Queensland station.

1925 02 15

JWR provides a statement to his former employer the SMH while in Sydney "on official business" (clearly mainly AWA)

WIRELESS. GOVERNMENT SCHEME. LAUNCHED IN QUEENSLAND. The manner in which wireless services are being organised in Queensland by the State Government was mentioned yesterday by Mr. J. W. Robinson, general manager of the Queensland Radio Service, who is at present in Sydney on official business. Mr. Robinson pointed out that in Queensland, the Government had taken out the only "A" grade broadcasting license for the State, and was erecting a modern high-power broadcasting station and studios. The roof of the State Insurance building, Brisbane, a high and modern structure, was being used as a site for the station, and offices, studios, control rooms, operating rooms, laboratories, and a small workshop were all being grouped under the one roof of this building. High-class services were being organised, and the use of already existing Government offices and institutions was being made for the supplying of information. Mr. Robinson stated that the station was being erected by Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited, and would be handed over to the Government, and controlled by the Queensland radio service's own engineers. It was expected that it would be in operation during the winter months. The call sign would be 4.Q.G., and the power 5000 watts. Transmission would be effected on a wave length of 385 metres.

Read Press commences publication of Qld Radio News in anticipation of a wireless boom in the lead up to 4QG commencing transmission

"QUEENSLAND RADIO NEWS." We have received from the proprietors, the Read Press, Ltd., Vol. 1, No. 1, of the "Queensland Radio News" the first wireless magazine to be published in the State, and the official organ of the Queensland Division of the Wireless Institute of Australia and the Radio Society of Queensland. The "Radio News" is an attractive little publication, of excellent "make up," and full of interesting information for the wireless enthusiast. Articles of value to beginners are included in the magazine, which will be published monthly. The contents of the initial issue include an interview with Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the State Government Broadcasting station, 4Q.G., on "What Broadcasting Should Bring Forth in Queensland."

The QRN article by JRW on the proposed 4QG service; Review of QRN itself; Funding for funding of 4CM broadcasts falls off; Complaints about Brisbane licence fees despite no A class station in operation

RADIO TOPICS. 4QG's Proposed Service. An Ambitious Programme. Written for "The Telegraph" By "LISTENER" In the first issue of the "Queensland Radio News," Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the Queensland Government station, 4QG, outlines the scope of the service which it is proposed to provide from the station when it commences operations. He says:— "At midday news items will be broadcast, and will be received by the man in the country districts, many, many hours before his newspapers reach him. Weather forecasts and Stock Exchange information will also be conveyed to him, and lastly, but by no means least, the morning's market reports will be transmitted. Just pause and think what the last sentence means. The man on the land will, while seated at his midday meal, switch on his set and hear just what price his produce has been sold at in Roma street that morning. Surely the receipt of such accurate and speedy information will be well worth the license fee alone. "During the afternoon musical programmes will be transmitted, and the members of the fairer sex may find afternoon tea much sweeter and much more refreshing if taken to the tune of wireless music. Late afternoon news will follow and later market information. "But perhaps one of the most interesting of all sessions will be the kiddies' hour. Just before the little one's bedtime arrives wonderful stories will be broadcast from the station, nursery rhymes, will be sung and played, and the juvenile members of the family will be wished off to bed with a cheery 'goodnight' from 'the Sandman.' This session in other parts of Australia has proved a decided success, and I am sure that in Queensland it will be just as popular. "At night, high-class musical entertainments will be broadcast, the programmes ranging from grand opera nights to comedy and jazz entertainments. "Every Sunday night some church service will be transmitted, and those whose homes in the country prevent them from attending divine service, or more particularly still those who are unfortunately laid aside with sickness, will have the singing and sermons carried direct into their own homes. "The man on the land will be catered for by the transmission of the market reports to which I have already referred, but in addition to this, special arrangements will be made with the Council of Agriculture whereby much valuable information will be broadcast at certain regular hours. Arrangements may also be completed for the education of children in country districts per medium of the Government station. The proposed service is an ambitious one for Queensland; and all will hope that it will be established on the lines outlined by Mr. Robinson. One of the difficulties, but not insurmountable, will be that of obtaining the necessary artists to contribute the entertaining programmes, without which no service would be complete. "THE RADIO NEWS." "The Queensland Radio News," the first number of which has just been issued, and is obtainable at all dealers gratis, is a valuable addition to the Australian magazines which are devoted to the wireless art. The publishers recognised that a wireless magazine was needed which would cater for the Queensland amateurs, one that would contain interesting information for all in this State who have been attracted by the mysteries of the modern method of communication and entertainment over short and long distances. The first number contains an interesting article by Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of 4QG, entitled, "What Broadcasting Should Bring Forth in Queensland." "Aerial" contributes a chapter on "The Theory of Radio Communication," Mr. Arthur E. Dillon, secretary of the radio engineers, tells how to locate faults, there is an interesting description of experimental station 4AZ (Frank Sharpe, Clayfield), the doings of the clubs are chronicled, and there are many personal pars about Brisbane amateurs. The magazine is well produced, edited, and printed, and should command a ready sale among the amateurs. A LOCAL LULL. Locally, there are signs of a lull in broadcasting activities. There are rumours that 4CM is to discontinue operations because the Broadcasting Committee has not sufficient funds to keep it going. During the several weeks the station has been operating, many excellent programmes have been prepared, and transmitted, and it would be worse than a pity if the station were closed down before the State station is opened. But a lot of money is required even to operate such a comparatively small station and no funds are obtainable from the license fees which Queensland amateurs are paying without receiving an A class service in return. It is now six months since the new regulations providing for increased license fees were introduced. Queensland was done an injustice in being made to pay the same fees as other States where A class stations existed.

1925 03

JWR states that 4QG would be ready in 3 months, could start quickly with a low power set but that would be unwise - best laid plans . . .

State Radio Station. Ready in Three Months Organisation Completed. "A large amount of valuable organisation work has been completed, and a number of definite decisions have been made regarding the types of auxiliary apparatus to be used in connection with the State radio service," said the manager of the State radio station (Mr. J. W. Robinson) this morning. Mr. Robinson said it was expected that the actual work of erecting the studio on the top of the State Insurance Building would be entered upon within the next few days. He thought it would be about three months, that was towards the end of May or the beginning of June, before the station would be in operation. It would be an easy matter to start operations with a temporary studio and a low power set, but that would be an unwise step, as the service would be inferior, and the public correspondingly dissatisfied. It would be far better to defer the commencement for a few months and start off efficiently on a full power basis and with a regular service.

Questions asked as to apparent delay in establishment of 4QG; Large volume of cheap imported sets and components arrive in Brisbane ahead of the anticipated wireless boom

RADIO TOPICS. The State Station Why the Delay? Written for "The Telegraph." By "LISTENER." There seems to be some delay in the commencement of the erection of the studios and operating rooms on top of the State Insurance Building, which central site has been selected for the State "A" class broadcasting station (4QG) by the manager, Mr. J. Robinson. It is understood that the plans were prepared some weeks ago and responsibility for the delay presumably rests with the State Works Department. When questioned last week as to whether the manager's expectations of having the station working within three months would be realised, the Premier (Mr. W. N. Gillies) said it would depend on the progress made by the Works Department after the building operations are commenced. However, it would seem that as the work is to be done under the day labour system, which is regarded by some people as being notoriously slow, several months will probably elapse before the studio and operating rooms are ready for the installation of the plant. It is understood that the Amalgamated Wireless Company of Australia, who were the successful tenderers for the wireless plant and equipment, have all the apparatus ready for delivery from their Sydney works. The installation of wireless apparatus in the State schools was another phase of 4QG's proposed activities, a question which was said to be receiving the very earnest consideration of Mr. F. T. Brennan during the time he was Minister for Education. Last week when the subject was mentioned to the new Minister (Mr. T. Wilson) he, however, stated that it had not yet come under his notice. The Minister, no doubt, will go into the matter in the near future; but it is interesting to read in the English cablegrams that unfavourable reports had been made in London on the experiment of allowing the use of sets in schools during school hours, and that permission to use the apparatus has been confined to the last half-hour on Fridays. In the absence of details there is nothing to serve as a guide to the reasons for arriving at such a decision. . . . . In anticipation of a boom in radio during the coming winter and subsequent to the establishment of the State Station, Brisbane radio dealers are importing large quantities of apparatus. The ready made set now occupies a prominent position in their shops, and many of them are exceedingly neat in design and construction. Whether they are effective receivers is, of course, quite another thing. Quite a large percentage of these receivers, one is pleased to note, are of Australian manufacture. Intending purchasers would do well to be careful about the sets they buy, and, most things being equal, give preference to the Australian, set which has been built to suit local broadcasting conditions. Generally speaking, the components sold in the Brisbane stores are of the very best quality, but for the amateur whose limited spending money does not permit of the purchase of the best type of apparatus, inferior quality lines are available at some stores. Japan seems to be entering into the market for the cheaper grades of apparatus, and ships which have recently arrived in Brisbane from the East have brought a few large packages of wireless goods for disposal here. However, it should be always observed by intending experimenters and listeners that if the very best results in long distance and broadcasting reception are desired the very best of apparatus is required. The best is cheapest in the end.

Qld Radio News has another feature on 4QG; State Works Dept states that construction is proceeding; Unfair licence fees; Radio boom creates new business and new sections within Department stores in Brisbane

RADIO TOPICS. By "LISTENER." Written for "The Telegraph." . . . . The second number of the "Queensland Radio News,", which is now obtainable gratis front any of the radio dealers, contains 48 pages, which are crammed with interesting articles. There are further particulars of 4QG, "Australia's most modern station," which among its many special features will have several new studio devices installed; . . . . THE STATE STATION. The announcement last week that the State Works Department would make an early commencement with the erection of the studio and operating rooms for station 4Q3 (sic, 4QG), and that the work would probably be completed in time for the installation of the apparatus during the latter end of July removed any doubts as to the intention of the Government to go on with the scheme. Listeners may now look forward to hearing the station in August or September, by which time the license fee will have been reduced from 35s. to 30s., a reduction which will prove very acceptable. In the matter of the license fee, Queensland amateurs have received most unfair treatment from the Commonwealth Government since last July, in being asked to pay a broadcast listener's fee of 35s. for an "A" class broadcasting service that does not exist. THE RADIO BOOM The prospective radio boom has not only induced new retail firms to establish themselves in the radio business here in Brisbane, but it has also led to several of the big department stores engaging in the business. There was never a better assortment of' good quality lines at reasonably low prices available in Brisbane that there is at the present time. Large parcels of accessories have been ordered to arrive in Brisbane within the next few weeks and there is going to be keen competition in all lines except those for which the prices are fixed by the proprietary firms. These lines must always be the same price at all retail houses.

1925 04

Wireless pirates fined, further raids predicted once 4QG starts; Another Brisbane B class rumour

RADIO TOPICS. By LISTENER. Written for "The Telegraph." . . . Two wireless pirates were heavily fined in Melbourne recently. The first defendant who admitted having a four-valve set was fined £5, with £2 2s. costs. For having been in possesslon of a crystal get with an indoor aerial, the second defendant was fined £2, with £2 2s. costs. No doubt there will be a big raid on Brisbane's "pirates" when the State "A" class broadcasting station commences operations. . . . . It is understood that a "B" class broadcasting station license has been applied for by a Brisbane company, and that an announcement of the commencement of operations will be made shortly. It is known that the promoters have been looking round the city for a suitable site for the transmitting station, a site which would ensure freedom from traffic noises. The studio will probably be located in the centre of the city.

Expectation rises in the leadup to 4QG commencement; foreshadows changes at VIB to eliminate interference to 4QG

WIRELESS. BY "LOUD SPEAKER" The Queensland Government Radio Service Station, 4QG, is to be well in the air by the end of June, and I am certain many Queensland enthusiasts will agree with me when I say that a good thing is worth waiting for. Of course, we are all anxious to get the most we can of everything at the one time, and we are a fearfully impatient crowd of chaps, we "radio-bugs," but after all is said and done we are not so very hard to please, and as a rule we are quite happy when we achieve our desires. Imagine ourselves sitting in a theatre where a play is to be introduced. We wait for the curtain to rise, and get tired of our own over-eagerness to see all at once all that is good, for we know what a pleasure is in store for us. So we are the same over-eager crowd waiting for 4QG. We are not used to anything so good as what 4QG promises to be, hence our impatience. A visit to the scene of activities of the preparation and construction of the new station will convince one that Mr. J. W. Robinson and his staff, are working at high pressure to make 4QG a station of utmost efficiency, and one to be proud of — not an experiment. . . . I have it on good author-ity that may be Pinkenba will not be a source of worry to 4Q.G. listeners-in.

Statement that preliminary work has commenced on 4QG but several months before commencement; Inquiry service to be extablished by 4QG

RADIO TOPICS. Written for "The Telegraph." By "LISTENER." . . . 4QG STATION. Preliminary work for the establishment of the State wireless station on top of the State Insurance building, has now been commenced, but it is expected that several months will elapse before the station is heard on the air. It has been announced that an inquiry bureau will be conducted as part of the activities. The bureau will be located on the same building, and from it will be obtainable information regarding the station's broadcasting service. It will also sell sets to those who wish to join the army of listeners-in.

WIAQ plans musical broadcasts over their upgraded station 4AE prior to the advent of 4QG

WIRELESS NOTES AND NEWS. BY "ANODE." . . . WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA (QUEENSLAND DIVISION). It is anticipated that a short transmission will be given from the institute station 4AE on Tuesday evening next. The wavelength will be in the vicinity of 250 metres. Considerable experimenting has been done with the transmitting set, which has been entirely built by members, and as a result the output has been increased nearly four times that of the old aerial, and the energy input is almost the same. This means that the set is now working more efficiently than before. It is hoped to have a studio established at an early date, in order to give a few musical transmissions until the advent of 4QG. There are many crystal and single valve owners who miss the melodious voice of 4CM, and, as most enthusiasts are compelled to start with one valve, the interest in the science will be stimulated by these transmissions.

4SP arrives in Brisbane from Melbourne? to commence as Chief Engineer 4QG

STATE RADIO. CHIEF ENGINEER. Mr. F. W. Stevens, who has been appointed chief engineer of the State Radio Station, has arrived in Brisbane and taken up duty. Mr. Stevens commenced his wireless career in the Postmaster-General's Department, and during the war served on transports. He then had tropical service at coastal radio stations, and was afterwards attached to the meteorological station at Willis Island, off the North Queensland coast. He was one of the pioneers of broadcasting in Australia, being first connected with 2FC at Farmer's, Sydney, as assistant engineer, and afterwards joined 3LO Melbourne, at which station he was when he received the Queensland appointment.

As previous, different bio

STATE RADIO. NEW ENGINEER. Mr. F. W. Stevens, who has been appointed chief engineer of the State radio station, has arrived in Brisbane and taken up duty. Mr. Stevens commenced his wireless career in the Postmaster-General's Department, and during the war served on transports. He then had tropical service at coastal radio stations, and was afterwards attached to the meteorological station at Willis Island, off the North Queensland coast. He was one of the pioneers of broadcasting in Australia being first connected with 2FC at Farmers, Sydney, as assistant engineer, and afterwards joined 3LO Melbourne, at which station he was when he received the Queensland appointment. (Start Photo Caption) MR. F. W. STEVENS. (End Photo Caption)

RADIO TOPICS. Written for "The Telegraph." By "LISTENER." . . . A visitor to Melbourne recently, one who knows nothing about wireless, was surprised when entering the city by train to see poles of all descriptions sticking up from almost every house. "What on earth are all those poles for?" he questioned, to be informed that Melbourne had got the wireless craze very bad, and that almost every person one met was an enthusiast. Hundreds of pounds are being spent weekly in Melbourne for sets and components. That is what radio dealers anticipate will happen in Queensland when 4QG commences operations, an act which the pessimistically inclined are of opinion will not take place for many months, so slow do the preliminary arrangements seem to be progressing.

4SP as best man in marriage of JWR to Florence Burch

ITEMS ABOUT PEOPLE. . . . The marriage of Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of the State Radio Station) to Miss Florence Burch, of St. Kilda, Melbourne, was quietly celebrated at St. Peter's Church of England, West End, this morning. The bride was given away by the secretary to the Premier (Mr. L. H. Pike), and the best man was Mr. F. W. Stevens (chief engineer, State Radio Station). Mr. Robinson was lately a journalist.

Anticipation builds for commencement of 4QG

WIRELESS. BY "LOUD SPEAKER" Once more enthusiasts in Queensland are about to settle down to an enjoyable season of radio experimenting, transmitting, and listening-in. The winter months are upon us, and with their presence we can almost fully bid goodbye to that great annoyance static. With conditions mostly in favor of good experiments in transmission and reception some interesting and most valuable work should be carried out by our enthusiasts. A few suggestions should not go amiss at this time to the leading experimental bodies and experimenters in general. What about a relay test from Brisbane to one of the most northern towns in Queensland? It could easily be arranged by some club committee. Many amateurs have stated that they find that between Brisbane and Toowoomba, there is an objectionable screening; now with the increase of radio activity in the two cities I should think it would afford considerable pleasure to a party of experimenters to carry out a test of this peculiar instance and report on it to say some leading radio club. This winter should be a good one in the Queensland radio field, for we will have the stimulant of 4QG. This should make everyone in the radio sphere of our State happy.. It is remarkable how many radio sets are in use throughout the State, especially so when it is remembered that for so many years we have been without a really efficient broadcasting station. Amateurs will agree that a man who has once made radio his hobby will never wish for anything better as such. The man who does not know a radio set is missing much pleasure. My advice to the non-owner enthusiast is — buy a set, or the parts, and get to and prepare for Queensland's best radio winter to date.

Another brief bio of 4SP with further titbits

PERSONAL and Anecdotal. . . . Mr. F. W. Stevens, who has been appointed chief engineer of the Queensland radio station, is a young man who has had a big experience in wireless. In 1921 he came into prominence by volunteering, with two others, to man the Willis Island meteorological and wireless station which was established the previous year by Captain J. K. Davis, the Australian Director of Navigation. Mr. Stevens and his companions spent six months on Willis Island, which is about 20 acres in extent. Mr. Stevens set out to earn his living in the Postmaster-General's department in Victoria, and when the clarion call to war was sounded he was accepted for service with the Naval Transport Corps. After several exciting voyages he was transferred to the Royal Australian Naval Radio Service, and was sent to Samarai (New Guinea), where he remained till the armistice. When the radio service was transferred to the Postmaster-General's Department, Mr. Stevens returned to Melbourne, where he was attached to the coastal radio stations. He joined Farmer's broadcasting service, when that station commenced operations, and when station 3LO was opened he was transferred to Melbourne to take charge of the technical operations.

1925 05

Daily Standard offers congratulations to JWR on his marriage

WIRELESS. BY "LOUD SPEAKER" . . . Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager State radio service, has seen fit to undertake the responsibility of controlling more than a huge wireless station, and we all wish him best of success and happiness in his future life. To Mrs. Robinson, also, we extend our best wishes.

3LO conducts preliminary tests on mediumwave preparing for permanent shift from longwave, but JWR/4QG decided months earlier that mediumwave was the best solution for 4QG

3LO ON 400 METRES. PRELIMINARY TEST MADE. Transmission Tonight. A preliminary test in transmission on a wave length of about 415 metres was made from 3LO on Wednesday night a few minutes before midnight. The tests were continued throughout the night, and they are being held to gain data to be used in constructing the high-powered Brisbane broadcasting station and in reducing the wave length of 3LO to its new wave of 371 metres. Arrangements have been made by Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Limited to mensure the strength of the signals in Sydney, and careful notes on the operation of the transmitter in Melbourne are being kept by the engineers engaged on the tests. Much secrecy is being observed in the work, but it is understood that the test last night was not entirely satisfactory, mishaps having occurred both at the transmitting station at Braybrook and at the receiving station in Sydney. Amateurs in Melbourne who heard the test, report that the strength of the signals from Braybrook was disappointing, but it is believed that the power used was much below normal, and the energy radiated from the aerial was not being fully employed. Improvement would be a matter of relatively simple adjustment. The major part of the test was carried out by means of the Morse code, the station being operated under the experimental call 3ME. Though the first tests have been interrupted by accident, no anxiety is felt that the service will not be greatly improved when permanent shortwave apparatus is installed at Braybrook. Arrangements were made for further tests, to be held early this morning, and they will be repeated late tonight and early tomorrow morning. Amateurs desiring to hear the transmission will have no difficulty in "tuning-in" the station, as it is operating on a wave length just below that of 3AR. No information is yet available to indicate when the permanent change in wave length will be made at 3LO.

JRW visits Maryborough prior to expected receiver tests there in June

STATE RADIO. TESTS AT MARYBOROUGH. The manager of the State Radio Station (Mr. J. W. Robinson) will leave Brisbane to-morrow for Mary-borough, where he will make arrange-ments for wireless reception in country areas, from the State station which is now in course of erection in Brisbane. The tests will be made in June next with Sydney.

As previous

STATE WIRELESS. MANAGER'S TOUR. COMING TO MARYBOROUGH. BRISBANE, Tuesday. The manager of the State radio service, Mr. J. W. Robinson, will leave for Maryborough tomorrow night, and will make preliminary arrangements in connection with the reception in the country of wireless messages and concerts broadcast from the State station, now in the course of erection.

JRW to meet with Maryborough experimenters

STATE WIRELESS. As the result of the statement published in yesterday's issue, that Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the State Wireless Broadcasting Station, was to visit Maryborough today in connection with the linking of this city with the metropolitan station. Mr. Robt. Watson yesterday got in touch with fellow enthusiasts and arranged with them to hold a meeting tonight to meet Mr. Robinson. Mr. Watson yesterday communicated with Mr. Robinson by wire, and that gentleman, in a reply, expressed a desire to meet Maryborough experimenters. The Mayor (Alderman C. H. Adam) will preside at tonight's meeting to be held in the Council Chambers at 8 o'clock. All citizens interested are cordially invited to be present.

Debate between Wooloowin and South Brisbane Radio Clubs on topic should 4QG be controlled by Sate or Business

CONTROL OF RADIO STATION. STATE OR PRIVATE COMPANY? "That this meeting is of the opinion that the interests of Queensland listeners-in would be better served if station 4QG is controlled by a board of business men instead of by the State Government," will be the subject of a debate between the Wooloowin and South Brisbane Radio Clubs on June 4. Wooloowin will speak in the affirmative and South Brisbane in the negative. Mr. W. Finney (ex-Radio Inspector for Queensland) has been asked to adjudicate.

Licensed Brisbane B class not yet transmitting

WIRELESS. BY LOUD SPEAKER . . . . Radio Manufacturers, Ltd., have not yet commenced transmitting, and are, we understand, waiting for their large set to be completed.

JWR reverts to promotion mode in the face of a possible competitor in 4MB Brisbane

State Radio. Broadcasting Arrangements. An Elaborate Service. The manager of the Queensland radio service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) referred yesterday to the arrangements which have been made by the Queensland radio service in connection with the establishment of broadcasting on a large scale in Brisbane. "Work in connection with the Government broadcasting station 4QG," he stated, "is now in full swing, and the station buildings which are being erected on the roof of the State Insurance Buildings, at the corner of George and Elizabeth streets, are now assuming definite shape. It is not yet possible to state just when they will be completed, but the work is being treated as urgent, and is being rushed accordingly. Mr. Robinson detailed just exactly what arrangements have been made in regard to the organisation of the broadcasting service, and just what class of programmes it is hoped to transmit from station 4QG. "I would like to point out first and foremost," he said, "that the Government station is being erected purely for the purpose of serving the whole community. The State Government of Queensland is erecting the Government broadcasting station here, because it wishes to place the benefits of this modern form of education and amusement within the reach of every citizen. The operations of station 4QG will be controlled in a manner which will result in the whole community being served. The station is the people's property, and will be used to serve the people's interests. SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS. "Some splendid service arrangements," Mr. Robinson continued, "have been made, and when a start is made to broadcast, Queensland should have a service which, right from the commencement, will be just as good, if not better, than the services given by stations which have already been running for nearly two years. If I outline the manner in which the station will work, perhaps the public will gain some idea of just what a tremendous advantage the Government station will confer on them. From one o'clock to half past one every day from Mondays to Fridays, morning news services, morning market reports, weather information, morning stock exchange information and morning cable news will be broadcast. This in itself, will prove of tremendous value, especially to country residents. The farmer will, while seated at his own lunch table, be able to hear by wireless the actual market reports relating to that very morning's sales in Roma street. Special arrangements are being made between the Queensland Radio Service and the Council ot Agriculture for the supply of this information. The farmers own market representatives on the council will collect the market information, and will actually speak by wireless to the farmers themselves each day. In short, the farmers' own representative will, each midday, chat to the farmers themselves regarding the state of the markets in Brisbane. Every afternoon between three and four o'clock it is hoped that a musical programme will be provided. The lady folk will, therefore be able to entertain their friends with a musical programme at afternoon tea time. Special talks to the ladles will be a feature of this session. BEDTIME STORY SESSION. But, what will, perhaps, be the most popular feature of the day will be the children's bedtime story session which will be held from half past six to seven o'clock every night. During this session the "sandman" will entertain the little ones, and if the experiences of broadcasting stations in other parts of the world are repeated in Queensland, a tremendous interest should be sustained in this particular period of transmission. At the conclusion of the bedtime story session, the farmers' own representative will again visit the station and will give a review of the day's markets for the benefit of those who did not happen to listen in at lunchtime, and will also give later market reports. Late news and cable services will also be provided as well as any late sporting results. CONCERTS AND LECTURES. At the commencement of operations, the night session will occupy from 8 o'clock to 10 o'clock, and during its progress it is hoped to provide high-class musical entertainments. In order that all tastes may be catered for, various nights will be set apart for various forms of entertainment. Thus, on certain nights jazz programmes will be given, on other nights light popular programmes, on others classical programmes, and so on. Lectures on interesting subjects by prominent authorities will also be a feature of the transmissions from the station. The various Government departments, which number among their staffs experts in various directions will co-operate with the Queensland Radio Service, and will provide interesting lectures for the public. In addition to the items provided in this manner in the studios attached to the station, quite a number of special lines have been connected to outside points. A number of churches in the Brisbane area will be linked up with the station. Collecting panels will be placed in these churches, and it is intended that the whole of the services will be broadcast. The Queensland Radio Service has secured the sole rights of the broadcasting of the Brisbane Municipal Concert Band from Wickham Park, Arrangements are now in progress to broadcast the orchestra at the Tivoli Theatre and other houses of amusement in the city. PARLIAMENT BY WIRELESS. Parliament House is being linked up with the station, and on certain occasions it is hoped to broadcast debates and functions. It is intended to place a broadcasting line in the Premier's own office, so that in the event of any announcement on a matter of public interest being necessary, the Premier will be able to speak direct to the people of Queensland. The Tourist Bureau will co-operate with the Queensland Radio Service, and the benefits of Queensland as a place for settlement, and also as a holiday resort should be advertised throughout the length and breadth of Australia. The Brisbane Stock Exchange has now completed arrangements with the Queensland Radio Service for the supply of quotations and sales, and this information will also be given by wireless. Special attention has been given to the provision of weather forecasts, and some splendid arrangements which should result in the farmers being supplied with accurate, speedy and reliable weather information during two or three periods each day have been completed. CATERING FOR MOTORISTS. Motorists will also be specially catered for and arrangements have been made to broadcast on every Friday evening a special road bulletin provided by the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland. This will be done in an endeavour to use wireless as a means for making the weekends more pleasant. The Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Club is also being linked up with the station, and any functions in commemoration of the A.I.F. will be broadcast. "These," Mr. Robinson added, "are only some of the many features which will be included in the broadcasting programmes. The cost of a license works out to less than 1¼d. per day, and surely the securing of such a services for such a sum is a model in cheapness." TESTS OF RECEIVERS AT MARYBOROUGH AND TOOWOOMBA. The State Government has arranged to hold a series of tests of wireless sets suitable for the reception of broadcast programmes in Queensland. These will be held at Toowoomba on June 16, 17, and 18, and at Maryborough on June 23, 24, and 25. The Court Houses in both these towns will be used for the tests, and reception from Sydney stations will be carried out. The object of the Government in arranging these tests is to ascertain just which types of receivers will give most satisfaction. During the past two or three months numerous offers for the supply of wireless sets to the Government either for retrading purposes or for installation in Government institutions, have been made by various dealers and manufacturers. The Maryborough and Toowoomba tests have been arranged so that all traders desirous of offering sets for sale to the Government may have an opportunity of demonstrating the capabilities of the receivers which they wish to sell to the officers of the Queensland Radio Service. The Government is providing aerial accommodation, and is also providing "A" batteries at both Maryborough and Toowoomba. The manager of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) stated this morning that any person desirous of offering for sale to the Government receivers and who is also desirous of demonstrating the capabilities of those receivers should communicate with him on or before Monday, June 15, and should state as near as possible exactly how many types of receivers they desire to submit.

4SP commences duties with 4QG

Mr. F. W. Stevens, who has been appointed chief engineer of the Queensland State radio station has entered upon his duties in Brisbane. He commenced his wireless career in the Postmaster-General's Department, and during the war served on transports. Then he had tropical service at coastal radio stations, and afterwards was attached to the meteorological station at Willis Island, off the North Queensland coast. He was a pioneer of broadcasting in Australia, being first connected with 2FC in Sydney, as assistant engineer. Afterwards he joined 3LO, Melbourne.

1925 06

Report of Debate on subject of control of 4QG between two radio clubs

INTERCLUB DEBATE. CONTROL OF STATION 4QG. A very interesting time was spent on Thursday night at the Guild Hall, Wooloowin, when the interclub debate between the Wooloowin Radio Club and the South Brisbane Radio Club took place. Various metropolitan clubs were represented, and there was a good general attendance. Mr. Kington welcomed the visitors on behalf of the Wooloowin Club, and Mr. A. G. Meyers responded on behalf of the South Brisbane Club. The subject of the debate was "Should station 4QG be controlled by a business men's committee rather than be run as a State department?" The following speakers spoke in the affirmative for the Wooloowin Club. Messrs. H. Kington, C. J. Grant, and H. A. Jiear. In the negative for the South Brisbane Club were Messrs. F. Thompson, W. L. Barnes, and A. G. Meyers. Mr. W. Finney acted as adjudicator, and gave his decision in favour of the negative side. A hearty vote of thanks was given to Mr. Finney for his services. The next meeting of the Wooloowin Club will take place on Thursday next, when Mr. J. P. Love will lecture on A batteries. All interested are invited to attend at the club room in Lissen Grove, Wooloowin.

State Government to establish a B class station at Rockhampton

WIRELESS. BY LOUD SPEAKER . . . The Queensland Government is establishing a "B" class station at Rockhampton. This will have a wavelength of 323 metres, and ½ k.w. power, and will be used as a relay station.

Report on receiver tests in Toowoomba by JWR and FWS

WIRELESS RECEIVERS. TESTS IN TOOWOOMBA. Queensland Radio Service. INTERVIEW WITH MANAGER. At the present time the Queensland Radio Service, which the Government Department created to control broadcasting in Queensland, is conducting tests of wireless receivers in Toowoomba. The General Manager, Mr. J. W. Robinson, is in charge and is accompanied by Mr. F. W. Stevens, chief engineer. When questioned regarding the tests Mr. Robinson said that they were in no way connected with the actual establishment of the broadcasting station itself but were connected with the selection of receivers suitable for use in listening to programmes from the Government station. "The position is very simple," he said." "The Government may in the near future require certain supplies of wireless receiving sets Quite a number of traders have offered to supply these sets to the Government. Before any actual purchases are made, however, it has been considered better to hold a test, and the present tests are the ones to which I refer. All traders have been invited to submit sets, and quite a number have availed themselves of the opportunity. These dealers are being asked to demonstrate the capability of their sets and so furnish myself and the officers of my department with some idea of the capabilities of the sets which the traders are offering for sale to the Government." The traders, who have submitted sets to be tested are:— Western Electric Co., Amalgamated Wireless Ltd., Queensland Pastoral Supplies, J. B. Chandler and Co., Norman Bell and Co., Ltd., David Jones Ltd., Wireless House, Brisbane, Home Radio Service, Amico Ltd., Continental Radio, Laurence and Hansen, Trackson Bros., United Distributors, C. G. O'Brien, and Colville Moore, Sydney. Mr. Robinson stated he had been deluged for inquiries for sets from enthusiasts all over Queensland, but before he could recommend any he must be satisfied what the sets could do. After the tests had been carried out he would be able to speak with authority regarding their capabilities. Of course an inquirer could buy either through the Queensland Radio Service or direct from the traders. He would sell sets for the traders and the commission received would go to increase the general efficiency of the service. Thus the people using the sets would reap the benefits. The Government's policy was not to make a profit and any surplus would be devoted to improving the service. In connection with the Brisbane station a Radio Information Bureau is to be established and any inquiries regarding wireless will be dealt with by this office. This should prove a great boon, particularly to amateurs. It was pointed out that local enthusiasts had sometimes experienced interference, it was thought, from the sea. Mr. Robinson said that this was probably the Pinkenba Station, known as VIB, which works traffic to ships and which at the present time, is operating with an old apparatus called the "old spark system of radio." This would cause interference. The Pinkenba station, he added, is to be fitted with the modern incontinuous wave system of signalling and that will eliminate all interference. Any listener therefore, to the Government broadcasting station will not be subjected to interference. When asked to give an outline of the work which is being done by his department, Mr. Robinson furnished some interesting details in connection with the construction of the modern high power wireless telephony station, which is now proceeding in Brisbane. He said: "The State Government of Queensland has taken over the only A grade broadcasting license for this State and is now proceeding with the establishment of a most modern permanent, and reliable broadcasting service. A large 5 kilowatt broadcasting station is now being erected in Brisbane and from it, at regular hours daily, news services, complete and reliable market reports, weather information, and last but not by no means least, high class musical entertainments will be transmitted by wireless telephony. "The State Insurance Building at the corner of George and Elizabeth streets has been selected as the site for the station and the whole of its large roof is being utilised for the erection of the necessary buildings. These are now well under course of construction and should be completed at an early date. They comprise administrative offices, a large reception room, two specially built and fitted studios, a large instrument room, laboratories, and an electrical workshop. The whole of the transmitting equipment was manufactured in Sydney and is now ready for installation as soon as the station buildings have reached a stage when it will be possible to house the gear. When the apparatus is fitted and assembled a commencement will be made with broadcasting operations. The whole station has been carefully designed and planned out, all the apparatus is of the most modern type, and when a commencement is made, Queensland should be able to boast that it owns the most complete and up-to-date broadcasting station in Australia. "Perhaps if I tell you just what hours the station will operate and just what sort of matter will be broadcast," continued Mr. Robinson, "a better idea of the value of broadcasting to the residents of Queensland may be gained. From Mondays to Fridays the station will work from one o'clock to half-past one each day and during this half hour, morning news, cable information, morning market reports, morning stock exchange advice, and weather informa-

3LO commences permanent transmissions on mediumwave

HERE AND THERE. It is announced officially by the Broadcasting Co. of Australia that 3LO (Melbourne) will commence transmitting its programmes on the new 371 metres wave length on July 1.

Announcement of decision to establish a temporary station for 4QG

STATE RADIO. DELAYS IN ERECTION. GOVERNMENT'S DECISION. The delays which have occurred in the construction of the State radio premises on the roof of the Government Insurance Building have led to a decision by the Government to establish immediately a temporary broadcasting station on a power of 500 watts, and to provide a broadcasting service on such power until the big station is ready to commence operations, probably in December next. The Premier (Mr. Gillies) said yesterday that considerable delay had been occasioned in connection with the building of the Government broadcasting station. The State Government was establishing wireless broadcasting in Queensland on a large, thorough, and modern scale. Had it been decided to erect an inferior station the work doubtless would have been completed long before now, but the thoroughness with which the Government was undertaking the erection of 4QG has resulted in certain delays being caused. It was not likely that the main station would be ready until December next. To prevent disappointment to many hundreds of wireless enthusiasts throughout Queensland the Government now had decided to establish a temporary station on a power of 500 watts and to proceed immediately with a broadcasting service from that station. This service though temporary, would be of high standard. It should serve the needs of the people for another three or four months and when the main station was ready it would be transferred across to it and the full service would be carried on. BY END OF JULY. It was ascertained from the manager of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) that work in connection with the establishment of the temporary service would be proceeded with immediately, and an endeavour would be made to have the temporary station in operation before the end of July. A large room on the second floor of the Executive Buildings would be used as a studio and transmission probably would be effected from a station erected in the court yard of the Executive Buildings. The wave length would be 385 metres, and the call sign would be that of the Queensland Government 4QG. The temporary station should serve a radius of about 250 miles to 300 miles in the day time and 300 miles to 400 miles at night time. It probably would work on three nights from 8 o'clock to 10 o'clock but afterwards a nightly service would be provided. The programmes will consist of studio items, collections from outside points including church services and band concerts from Wickham Park. BUILDERS' LABOURERS' STRIKE. The strike of builders' labourers on the State Radio Service buildings remains unsettled. The matter now has been referred by the union to the Building Trades Group and the Trades Hall Disputes Committee for negotiation with the Minister for Public Works (Mr. Kirwan) for a settlement. The Disputes Committee will meet Mr Kirwan today.

1925 07

Another report of decision to establish the low power station, licensing A/B issues

RADIO TOPICS. CONDUCTED BY "LISTENER." EARLY BROADCASTING A PLEASING ANNOUNCEMENT. The announcement by the Premier of Queensland on Monday that a temporary broadcasting station, working on a power of 500 watts, will be immediately equipped to provide programmes until such time as the big station on the roof of the State Insurance building is completed seems to indicate that permission has been obtained from the Postmaster-General to work a station of the "B" class type. It also confirmed the opinion held by most amateurs that the "A" class station could not be completed and equipped to permit of a service being established before at least the end of this year. In view of the fact that the wireless telegraphy regulations provide that in Queensland the licensee of a class "A" station shall operate it with a power of not less than 5,000 watts, and that when the license is issued the licensee must give an undertaking to commence a reliable broadcasting service within six months, or such extended time not exceeding six months as the Postmaster-General may decide, it is believed that the State Government, after placing the full facts of the position before the Commonwealth authorities, asked for an extension of time, and suggested that a temporary license to operate a "B" class station should be issued. Both requests seem to have been granted, with the result that work on the "A" class Station will proceed (when the workmen, who are now on strike, decide to pick up their tools again), and in the meantime a broadcasting service, will be instituted on low power. The wireless regulations do not provide for the payment of any revenue from license fees to a "B" class station, or station operating under 5,000 watts, and therefore it is doubtful if the State Government will receive any monetary return for the service it proposes to provide during the five months during which, it is anticipated, the temporary station will be operating. This, of course, is not a matter with which the amateur is concerned, excepting that it suggests the possibility of a small and low-quality broadcasting service in the absence of self-earning revenue by the station with which to meet the expense of engaging artists, operating costs, and copyright fees which is an additional item lately tacked on to the overhead charges as a result of a High Court judgement. But Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of the Queensland Radio Service) may be expected to provide the best service he possibly can with the amount of money placed at his disposal. He has already outlined the nature of the service which he proposes to institute when the "A" class station is established, and it is indeed a most ambitious and comprehensive one. He will, no doubt, endeavour to provide bright and attractive programmes from 4QG at the very outset of its operations, and the power to be used will enable the station to be heard with ease over a radius of about 300 to 400 miles at night time.

Progress report of establishment of temporary station, 500 W transmitter tested by AWA in Sydney

Broadcasting. The State Service Work at Temporary Station. The manager of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) referred this morning to the work in connection with the establishing of a temporary station in Brisbane. "The arrangements which were put in hand some few days ago," he said, "are progressing very satisfactorily. A large room on the second floor of the Executive Building, in George Street, has been secured for use as a studio, and has been furnished and draped accordingly. The whole of the sound amplifying equipment has arrived and has been fitted, and the necessary microphones have come to hand. Two large masts, which will be erected on the roof of the Executive Building, have been made, and will be placed in position during the next few days. Between them the aerial wires will be suspended. A temporary building has been erected in the courtyard of the building, and the electric power lines have been connected to it. In this structure the transmitter will be housed. The transmitting set, which is of a power of half a kilowatt, was tested out in Sydney yesterday, and was found quite satisfactory. Arrangements have been made to ship it to Brlsbane by Saturday's steamer, and a start will be made to install it immediately it is delivered to the station. This work should occupy about eight or 10 days. Unless something unforeseen happens the service should be in operation before the end of the month." "The State Government," Mr. Robinson continued, "was granted its broadcasting license at the end of January last, and will therefore be acting strictly within the time limits provided by the regulations if the station commences operations by the end of the present month. The temporary station will provide an A grade service, and the Postmaster-General has signified his approval of the Government's A grade service being commenced on a power of 500 watts. Similar action has been taken in the cases of other holders of A grade broadcasting licenses. In referring to the power of the station, Mr. Robinson stated that listeners in and around Brisbane would doubtless find that the strength of the speech and music received from the station on 500 watts will be almost as great as will be the case when the big station on the State insurance building is finished, and a start is made with transmission on 5,000 watts. "It does not follow," he said, "that because the power of the temporary station is 500 watts its signal strength will only be as one tenth of a 5,000 watt station. The increased power will certainly give a somewhat stronger signal strength, but not to the same extent that it will give increased range. Of course listeners some two or three hundred miles from Brisbane will doubtless notice a big increase in signal strength when an increase is made in power, but city and suburban wireless enthusiasts will doubtless find the 500 watt station quite loud enough to suit their requirements." "The call sign of the station," Mr. Robinson added, "will be 4QG and its wave length will be 385 metres."

Emil Robert Voigt of the future 2KY commends the Qld Government for its action, though sees its objects as limited, discusses plans for 2KY network

CALL FOR UNITED ACTION. LABOR'S WIRELESS POLICY. A LEAD WANTED. (BY E. R. VOIGT.) IN the midst of a series of rapid and important wireless developments, both within the Trade Union centres and within the State Labor Governments — developments that in the near future are destined vitally to affect the welfare and organisation of the working-class — the Labor Movement of Australia stands uncertainly with no wireless policy to guide it, or to co-ordinate its activities. In Queensland, the State Labor Government is proceeding with the construction of a 5000-watt broadcasting station, which will monopolise "A" class broadcasting throughout Queensland. In conjunction with this broadcasting station, it is understood that the Queensland Labor Government contemplates the establishment of wireless reception facilities in various departments of governmental activity. So far as can be gathered, the plans of the Queensland Government are not very comprehensive. Its broadcasting station will in the main be devoted to the provision of public entertainment, much the same as Farmer's and Broadcasters, in Sydney. Publicity Engine But although its plans may at the present time be somewhat vague, and not very far-reaching, there is no doubt whatever that with the phenomenally rapid development of wireless broadcasting and reception, the Queensland State Radio Service will in a very short time be extended to all departments of Governmental activity, and will cover every important section of the State. When this happens, the Government will have at its disposal a great engine of publicity. Each Cabinet Minister will have comfortably installed at his elbow a means of lightning communication and publicity. We may feel no qualms while this immense power is in the hands of a Labor Government, but when at the turn of an election this power falls into the hands of the enemies of the workers the gravity of the situation can hardly be over-estimated. In Hands of Trust The Queensland Labor Government is to be commended for its action. It is noted, however, with some misgiving, that, unlike the Sydney Labor Broadcasting Station, the construction of the Queensland Government Station is in the hands of the Wireless Trust, with all the conditions and restrictions which the Trust attaches thereto. In New South Wales, wireless development within the Labor Movement is taking place along lines better calculated to stabilise the power of wireless publicity and communication in the hands of the workers. N.S.W.'s Second Line The first step has been taken by the Trade Unions, and already a high-power broadcasting station is under course of construction that will provide a centre of industrial and political activity within the State, and will be a most valuable second line of defence should the Parliamentary see-saw again place Nationalism in office. Although neither the framework nor the details of a wireless plan of the N.S.W. Labor Government are known (a striking commentary of the unpreparedness of the Movement in regard to wireless development) it is safe to assume that these plans will be much more comprehensive and much more far-reaching than those of the Queensland Government. In the first place, the high-power broadcasting station projected by the N.S.W. Labor Government will not be an "A" class station, and consequently, unlike the Queensland station, it will not be forced to provide music, jazz and other entertainments for the people. The N.S.W. station will be devoted to serious business, and it is expected that its development and ramifications will extend far beyond those of the orthodox "entertaining" broadcasting stations. Chain of Sub-Stations The establishment in New South Wales of a high-power Labor Broadcasting Station, as well as an equally powerful State Government Broadcasting Station, each of which must inevitably be linked up in the near future with a chain of substations, spreading throughout the State, will undoubtedly give great impetus to the already rapidly-developing use of wireless receivers among the masses. Wireless distributing and manufacturing concerns already know this, and are preparing for it. It is up to the Labor Movement of N.S.W. to know it, and to prepare for it also. No Common Plan And in face of all these developments, destined in the very near future to become the crux of working-class industrial and political activity; in the face also of the mass of restrictions with which the opponents of Labor seek to obstruct the development of wireless in the service of working-class organisation, the Labor Movement of Australia has no wireless policy to guide it. Our Trade Union centres can establish their wireless stations without conforming to any common plan. The stations, when erected, may be efficient or inefficient. We may fall into the hands of the Trust, or out of it. The price we pay may be reasonable or unreasonable. Our wireless service may or may not technically correspond with those developing in other State Trade Union centres. We are bereft of any common plan to guide us. As a preliminary step, there should be a conference between representatives of the State A.L.P., the Parliamentary Caucus, the Trade Unions, and the sponsors of the Trades Hall Broadcasting Station for the purpose of outlining a provisional policy of Labor wireless development.

Radio Telegraphists' Institute responds to statement by Voigt that the construction of the station is in the hands of the "Wireless Trust"

RADIO CONTROL. Sir,— Re a statement by Mr. E. R. Voigt, "that the construction of the Queensland Government station is in the hands of the Wireless Trust, etc." Mr. Voigt and the public should know that the construction of the Queensland station is in the hands of Amalgamated Wireless (Aust.), Ltd. This company is controlled by the Federal Government, who hold the controlling number of shares, and, further, their directors are a majority upon the board of directors. The Queensland Government, in common with the proposed Labor broadcasting station, will be under exactly the same restrictions, i.e., they will pay royalty upon all patents used in the course of construction or operation, as is done in any other business, but in all probability there will be a little saving in this direction, as the Government-controlled Australian company will, wherever possible, put in equipment designed by Australian engineers. Any information required by the great Labor Movement with regard to wireless will be supplied gratuitously by the Radio Telegraphists' Institute of Australasia from professional wireless men of proved standing and ability in the Industry, and the Labor Movement will be wise to gets its information from this source,— Yours, etc., S. TOOMBS, General Secretary Radio Telegraphists' Institute. 79 Pitt Street

Further details of the temporary station, 25 landlines to Brisbane venues including the Premier's office

BROADCASTING. Queensland Station. SPECIAL SERVICE FOR THE PREMIER. The Queensland Government State Broadcasting Service will commence broadcasting services on a wave length of 385 metres in about three weeks. This will be from a temporary station, employing a power of only 500 watts, pending the completion, in about three months, of the permanent station, which will be equipped with the latest broadcast transmitting apparatus, and will employ a power of at least 5 kilowatts. The new plant is being constructed In Sydney by the Amalgamated Wireless Company. The call number of the new Queensland broadcasting station, and also the temporary one, will be 4QG. The temporary station will have an afternoon session from 1 o'clock to 1.30 o'clock, and the evening session will be from 8 o'clock to 10 o'clock. Mr. J. W. Robinson, the manager of the Queensland Government Radio Service, stated yesterday that the new Government station would be situate in the centre of Brisbane, on the roof ot the State Insurance offices - a building of seven stories, with a flat roof. An addition was being made to the building specially for the radio service. Approximately 25 outside halls and churches will be linked up with special lines to enable various services, functions, and entertainments to be broadcasted, the State Parliament being included. A special line was also being installed in the office of the Premier, so that in the event of his having any public statement to make, it would be broadcasted without his moving away from his own table. Prior to the commencement of all sessions a high toned buzzer will be switched-in near the microphone, and its note will be transmitted for three minutes. The transmitter and control apparatus will not be touched during the transmission of this signal, and the buzzer's position in regard to the microphone will not be altered. The signal given will, therefore, be of absolutely constant intensity, and should enable all listeners accurately to adjust their sets.

Wireless retailers install roof-top aerials to allow demonstrations of 4QG reception; brief peep at temporary station

BRISBANE NOTES. With a view to demonstrating sets when 4QG is on the air, most of the retail houses in Brisbane have now erected aerials over their premises. McWhirters', in the Valley, have one of the best in the city. . . . A peep behind the scenes at the Executive Buildings, shows that the work of installing the apparatus for 4QG's temporary station is well advanced. Poles have been erected over the courtyard and, the cage aerial is complete and ready for erection. The transmitting room on the floor of the courtyard and the apparatus installed, and the studio with its drapings is ready.

4QG claims a record time for station establishment

Wireless. ACHIEVEMENT IN QUEENSLAND. What is claimed to be a world’s record in the erection and installation of an A class wireless broadcasting station is the achievement by the Queensland Government radio service staff. On June 29 the manager, Mr. J. Robinson, was instructed to proceed with a temporary station, and on July 27 broadcasting from the station will begin. The previous record for a station of practically similar power was six weeks, for a station in South Africa. The station will be officialy opened by the Premier (Mr. Gillies) on the night of July 27, at 8 o’clock. After a speech by Mr. Gillies there will be up till 10 o'clock a musical program. On the following day the opening of the State Parliament, including the Governor’s speech, will be broadcast.

4AE broadcasts to cease with the advent of 4QG

WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND DIVISION. The transmissions which have been given with general consistence for a considerable number of years have now ceased. The broadcast of an entertainment by the West End Salvation Army Band on Tuesday was the final attempt at providing an evening's pleasure or profit for the many who are not in a position to procure a more expensive set, and some who are. When one considers that the great amount of time and effort that has been put into the construction and working of a station such as 4AE has been done voluntarily, without anticipation of reward, one cannot but express appreciation. That it has been done consistently for years in the face of many difficulties proves that the members of the institute have an interest in the science beyond the ordinary. On account of the lowering of 3LO's wave length to 371 metres, it was necessary, in order to obviate interference to alter the WL of 4AE. This was raised to approximately 400 metres, and kept well clear of 3LO. With the advent of 4QG the activites of the division will become entirely experimental. The allotted amateur band is 150 to 250 metres, but application is being made for certain bands for experimental work as low as 2 metres. The call sign also will be altered to 4WI to secure uniformity with the divisions in other States.

Manager of Igranic spells out the challenges awaiting 4QG and provides advice to new listeners

Mr. P. H. Pettyfer, the special representative of the Igranic Electric Company, Ltd., of London and Bedford, manufacturers of the world famous Igranic radio parts, who is spending a week or two in Brisbane, interviewed by a "Daily Standard" representative, said: "Having had the opportunity of studying the trend of events in Britain and the United States, I am tremendously impressed with the potentialities of broadcasting in Australia, and particularly in this magnificent State of Queensland. There can be no question that the forthcoming inauguration of the State broadcasting service will be of prime importance to the development of the country, and a boon to settlers in the outback districts, providing, as it no doubt will, a complete, efficient, and up-to-date service of market reports, news, entertainment, and items of educational and social value at present out of reach of the resident in the back blocks, and at the same time give many thousands of the population an opportunity of learning some thing of the science of radio — a science so fascinating that it has gripped the imagination of every civilised country in the world. "But you will have your difficulties to contend with in the pioneer work of getting a broadcasting service firmly and efficiently established. Not the least of these difficulties will be the discovery of suitable talent to provide the programmes. It is fairly well established that the successful concert artist has not always the right kind of voice for radio transmission, and whilst he or she may be in the foremost rank on the concert stage it is often found that pecularities in pitch or temperament may render the individual's voice unsuitable for the microphone. Then, again, it will be very difficult to provide programmes that will meet with the approval of every listener-in, and he would be an exceedingly able judge who could say at the outset which type of programme will suit the majority. It can only be determined by trial and constructive criticism from the public for whose benefit the service is provided, and it should not take long to determine what items are received in the greater favor, and are most suitable for the conditions of the country. The producers will require the latest market reports to enable them to judge when is the best time to forward their produce to the markets, the investor will demand closing prices on 'change, the sports loving man will look forward to getting the latest results from his re- (Start Photo Caption) Mr. P. H. PETTYFER, Of the lgranic works, at present visiting Brisbane. (End Photo Caption) ceiving set, and we must not forget jazz music, for the flappers, and some entertainment for the kiddies. And the music loving owners of receivers will look, for their niche in the scheme of things, so that altogether you see the lot of the State Radio manager will not be an enviable one at the start. However, I am sure Mr. Robinson, the manager of the State station, will survive the trials and tribulations of the pioneer. Initially, too, there will doubtless be complaints of fading from some of the far flung outposts, albeit fading is just as likely to occur within 25 miles of the broadcasting station as it is over a thousand miles away. This magnificent climate will also be a source of some little trouble to the radio enthusiast as static interference is generally more insistent in tropical and sub-tropical climates than it is in the colder climate, of the old country. CAN OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES. "With a little determination and goodwill all those little difficulties can be overcome and an undertaking that is not fraught with problems is not worth taking on. Doubtless, as the service grows, it will be found desirable and necessary to establish a chain of stations throughout the State, so that everybody will have the opportunity of listening without going to the expense of purchasing costly long distance receivers, but until this time arrives there are many excellent sets available at moderate prices capable of giving good reproduction at 1000 miles or more. BUY THE BEST SETS. "I would like you to tell your readers not to be influenced too much by the price of radio goods, whether they be purchasing a complete receiver or are buying parts to construct a set for themselves. What I mean to convey is that a little extra outlay at the beginning in purchasing high quality sets and parts will be more than repaid by the achievements of pleasing results. A "cheap article is generally the dearest in the long run, and the vast amount of entertainment and amusement to be got out of radio will be enhanced by the satisfaction given by quality goods. The cheap and nasty variety seldom last long, and rarely, if ever, give good results with the inevitable consequence that one gets exasperated to the point of throwing the rubbish away, and going to the double expenditure of getting good parts, whereas the first outlay could have been avoided."

Several photos of 4QG staff and performers for the station opening

SOME OF THE ARTISTS AND OFFICIALS FOR QUEENSLAND'S FIRST BROADCASTING CONCERT. (Photo Captions) MR. J. W. ROBINSON, Manager of the Queensland Radio Service. MR. F. W. STEVENS, Chief Engineer. MISS CLARICE COX (Contralto). MR. NORMAN A. COOLING, Bass, also announcer at 4QG. MISS RUTH PORTRATE (Soprano).

Comprehensive report by the Telegraph of the opening of 4QG, also description of station

State Broadcasting. 4QG Station Opened. The Premier's Speech. The last link in the chain of wireless broadcasting stations throughout Australia was established last night when station 4QG, owned and operated by the Queensland Government, commenced an "A" class service. Broadcasting stations are now operating in all the capital cities of the Commonwealth. Through hundreds of miles of space the transmitting instruments last night flung the words, "Hello, hello, station 4QG, Brisbane, Queensland radio service. Standby for tune-in signal." Then for a period of three minutes the high note of a buzzer came in through the receiving instruments and listeners were thus enabled to adjust their tuning units so as to enjoy the broadcasted programme at the maximum efficiency of their sets. A small group of guests assembled in a room at the Executive Buildings sat round a six-valve self-contained receiving instrument. A few rooms away — at the studio of the station — the Premier of Queensland (Mr. W. N. Gillies) stood before a microphone, speaking the official opening words. Guests unversed in the wireless method of communication marvelled at the thought of sound being conveyed from one part of the building to another without any physical connection between the sending and receiving instruments. But their astonishment grew when they learned that the Premier's message was travelling to the far-flung borders of the State at the rate of 186,000 miles a second, to be caught up on a piece of wire stretched between two gum trees on some lonely farm, or to find its way into the home of a citizen in Cairns or Camooweal. Three weeks ago 4QG was not. Today it is. A record has been established in Australia, if not in the world, in the erection of a broadcasting station, and the institution of a service in the shortest possible time. In an incredible short space of time a temporary service has been given to the people of this State, a service that promises to be more varied, entertaining, informative, and educational, than any other service in Australia. Following the Government's decision to establish a temporary station pending the completion of the big station on top of the State Insurance Building, the necessary apparatus was ordered from Amalgamated Wireless Company, Limited, of Sydney. Early in the month fears were entertained that the public would again be disappointed because of the fact that the transmitting gear had been placed on the steamer Kanowna for shipment to Brisbane, and the ship had been hung up in Sydney, because of trouble with the seamen. But successful efforts to have the plant removed from the ship were made, and it was placed in a special truck, attached to a passenger train, and sent off with all despatch to Brisbane. The actual time taken in the erection of the gear was about two weeks, and the manager of the station (Mr. J. W. Robinson) is quite proud of the achievement. STATION DESCRIBED. The temporary studio of 4QG is on the third floor of the Executive Building. Its walls are draped with heavy curtains for acoustic purposes, its floors are covered with thick mats to eliminate the noise of walking. It is equipped with a Stecke Duo Art pianola and an Aeolian Vocalion. There are easy chairs for waiting artists. On one side of the room is the control panel in front of which the engineer stands with telephones glued to ears, listening to the quality of the tones coming from the microphone, and effecting the necessary adjustments from time to time. As the notes come through the microphone they are amplified at the control panel and passed on to the transmitting instruments in a cabin on the floor of the square. There are three units to the transmitting apparatus — the rectifying, oscillating, and modulating units. Each performs an important function. Each is a beautiful piece of work, and is the product of Australian artisanship. Power for the transmitter is obtained from the city supply, a rotary converter being used at the station to obtain the right voltage. The aerial is what is called a T squirrel type. It is what is known as a 500 watt station, half of what the big station will be when it is put into operation. But the power is sufficient to carry the programmes to every part of Queensland. However, to pick them up in distant places would necessitate the use of a powerful multi-valve receiving set. In Brisbane the programmes may be enjoyed by those using simple and inexpensive crystal sets, which may be bought for three or four pounds. Last night's initial transmission, having regard for all the circumstances, was considered to be fairly satisfactory, but it was admitted that improvements could, and would, be effected. The most objectionable feature was the loud hum of the converter, which on some receivers could be heard right above the voice of the announcer, Mr. N. A. Cooling, who promises to become a good announcer when he has spoken before the microphone a little bit more. Several adjustments will be made today to secure better transmission. At the outset of the programme it was announced that the management had hoped to broadcast some selections from the Tivoli Operatic Orchestra, but the necessary arrangements had not been completed in time. During the next few days, however, it was hoped to broadcast the orchestra. Contributors to the first programme included the Misses Clarice Cox, Ruth Portrate, Mr. Norman A. Cooling, Mr. Arthur Sharman, and Mr. Scott MacCallum. Selections were also given on the Aeolian Vocalian and the Steck duo art pianola. PREMIER'S SPEECH. The Premier, in opening the station, said it was very pleasing to him to be able to announce to the public that the Queensland wireless broadcasting station was now officially opened, and that from that night onwards the station would be operating in the interests of the public. Its programme, he said, would be so varied that it would provide opportunities for listening to educational addresses, musical and vocal entertainments, religious services, and business and weather reports, and information. "The launching of the broadcasting movement in Queensland should eventually help to bring about a new era for the man on the land," said the Premier, "for it will tend to remove that isolation which is at present felt by those residing in the outposts of our great State. "It is important that so modern a discovery as wireless broadcasting should not be confined to any section of the people; it should be controlled and administered in such a way as to ensure its remaining the property of the people, and always at the service of the people. I am glad to say that Queensland has set an example to the rest of Australia in this respect, and we have reason to be proud of the fact that this is the first broadcasting station of its kind to be owned and controlled by any Government. The Queensland State Government considered that wireless should be owned by the people and operated solely for the people's benefit and not for the purpose of commercial gain. It considered that wireless was so potential a force for good that it decided it would be against all the ethics of right government to permit of its operation and functioning for the purpose of private profit making. The Queensland Government therefore, gave immediate effect to its beliefs in this direction by securing the only A Grade License allotted to Queensland under the Federal broadcasting regulations, and it is this service which is now about to be established. Certain unavoidable delays have occurred, but when it was found that a considerable time would elapse before the large station could be completed, my Government decided to erect a temporary station. This it has done in a remarkably short space of time. No effort has been omitted to ensure the service being a successful one, but it is hoped that the public will not be ungenerous if, in the initial operations, unexpected difficulties arise in what, after all, is an institution which, in some respects is only just emerging from the experimental stage. These difficulties are more pronounced in the northern parts of Australia than in the south; it is hoped, however, that the difficulties will be overcome with experience. Much pioneering work has yet to be done, and great advances in the science of wireless broadcasting will certainly be made within in the next few years. LICENSES NECESSARY. "I should like to point out that every person who listens in is by Commonwealth law compelled to take out a license. These licenses may be secured at any post office in much the same manner as a postal note is secured at the present time, merely by the filling in of a form and the handing over of the necessary fee. It is obviously unfair for any person to attempt to evade payment, for the State Government has decided that all revenue received by the State as its share of license fees shall be paid into a fund for the improvement of the service. The man who takes out a license will, therefore, know that he is helping to build up his own programme. PLEASURES OF RADIO. In officially declaring open the Queensland Government broadcasting station, I trust that many happy hours of enjoyment will be given to the children of this sunny land, and that the public as a whole, especially those in the far away spaces of our territory, will, through the medium of this institution, be brought into closer contact with many of the educational and other influences that will tend towards the uplifting and the prosperity of the State." PREMIER'S NERVOUSNESS. The Premier commenced his speech before the microphone in a nervous, jerky manner, and spoke much too quickly at first, but when he had settled down properly the words were delivered more slowly and deliberately; and were better heard at the receiving end. It was a strange experience for Mr. Gillies to be speaking to an unseen audience of some hundreds of people whose plaudits he could not hear. The staff at 4QG consists of Messrs. J. W. Robinson (manager), F. W. Stevens (chief engineer), L. L. Sheil, and Miss M. E. Macfarlane. GUESTS AT OPENING. The guests at the official opening included the Premier and Mrs. Gillies, Mr. Justice Brennan and Mrs. Brennan, the Under Secretary, Chief Secretary's Department (Mr. T. A. Ferry), and Mrs. Ferry, Mr. L. H. Pike (secretary to the Premier), W. Franklin (private secretary to the Premier), Mr. E. H. Bourne (chief engineer Queensland Post and Telegraphs Department), Mr. Robert Joyce and Mrs. Joyce, Mrs. J. W. Robinson and Mrs. F. W. Stevens. (Start Photo Caption) The oscillator panel, which generates the wireless waves. The tuning apparatus is shown mounted on the top of the panels.(End Photo Caption) (Start Photo Caption)The modulator panel. Its function is to impinge the electric currents from the microphone on the wireless waves.(End Photo Caption)

Brisbane Courier surveys reception of the opening of 4QG and states disappointing quality; brief description of station

WHAT LISTENERS-IN HEARD. The preliminary apology last evening by 4QG — the State A class temporary broadcasting station — that the work of preparing the station had had to be hurried, and asking for forbearance — paved the way for a disappointment to wireless listeners-in. The "Courier" made special arrangements to test the reception at three different portions of Brisbane. One of the listeners-in was "Anode," who conducts the "Courier" wireless columns. In each instance the verdict was the same — hum of the generator too obtrusive, and microphone distortion of the human voices (giving them a very hoarse sound) so pronounced as to partly spoil the Premier's speech, and completely spoil the singing with the exception of that of Mr. Norman A. Cooling, whose numbers were sung after a 10-minute interval (from 9.1 to 9.11), when there was a slight improvement in the microphone transmission. The instrumental music was fair to good. "Fading" was experienced twice — once very pronounced — and on one occasion the tuning was too broad; indeed, throughout the evening it was not so fine as when tests were made on Sunday. At one time on Sunday afternoon the modulation was remarkably good, with a noticeable absence of the hum of the generator. The announcer's voice was not nearly so clear last night as on the preceding evening, when testing was in progress, and when the modulation was satisfactory. No doubt, with the experience of last night as a guide, the necessary improvements will be effected. STATION DESCRIBED. The offices and studio of the Queensland Radio Service are situated on the second floor of the Executive Building. One of the large departmental rooms is being utilised as a studio. The room is draped with heavy curtains, and has heavy carpets on the floor to deaden any extraneous noises. The amplifying panel is situated in the studio, and it is controlled by the chief engineer (Mr. F. W. Stevens), who listens in and regulates the music, speech, &c., passing through the microphone to the amplifying panel. The studio is connected by 'phone to the transmitting room, situated in the courtyard, where Mr. S. M. Newman is in charge for the time being. He also listens-in, through the wave meter, to the item being broadcast, and thus checks the modulation. The three cage-like structures, which form the chief part of the transmitting apparatus, consist of a rectifying unit, an oscillating unit, and a modulating unit. The power is obtained through a rotary converter from the electric light mains, the 440 volt direct current being converted to 240 volts alternating current. The 12½ voltage required for the filaments of the transmitting valves is secured through a step-down transformer, whilst the 2500 voltage high tension is supplied through a stepup transformer. The whole of the apparatus, with the exception of some of the valves, has been manufactured in Australia by Amalgamated Wireless (A'asia), Ltd. The aerial system, mounted between two poles on the top of the building, is of the squirrel cage T type. The station will broadcast concerts nightly, as mentioned previously in the "Courier."

Final session of parliament commences and is broadcast by 4QG, Mr. Theodore now in opposition

STATE PARLIAMENT. FINAL SESSION. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. FORTHCOMING LEGISLATION. SIXTEEN AMENDING BILLS. BRISBANE, July 28. The third session of the 23rd Parliament of Queensland was opened by the Governor, Sir Matthew Nathan, with the usual ceremony in brilliant sunshine today. The Chamber of the Legislative Assembly, in which the ceremony took place, never held a larger gathering than assembled there today. An absolutely new feature was the appearance of a wireless broadcasting apparatus on the table, and the Governor's Speech was distributed throughout the State to possessors of listening in apparatus. The whole of the members of the Cabinet were present. Mr. Moore, the Leader of the Opposition, was in his place, and was well supported by his Party. The members of the "Rump" Party — Messrs. Taylor (Leader), W. Barnes, G. Barnes, and Kelso — sat on the Government cross benches. The ex-Premier, Mr. Theodore, who arrived just before starting time, wedged himself in between Messrs. Taylor and W. Barnes, much to the amusement of other Parliamentarians. . . .

A late and error-full report in the Hobart Mercury of the temporary station but which spells out the reason for the delays with Big 4QG - strikes; AWA modifies a transmitter for service at temporary 4QG

Radio Notes. (Notes by "Anode.") . . . QUEENSLAND BROADCASTING STATION. Our Queensland Radio correspondent says that the Government has decided to erect a temporary broadcasting station in George-street, Brisbane, as it has been found impossible to get the main station ready until December owing to strikes. This, again, will only be possible if no more strikes take place; there have been three already. The temporary station should be heard, in Hobart on a good night, as it will use a power of ½ kilowatt. The Amalgamated Wireless Co.'s engineers have modified a Heising modulated set for this purpose, and hope that it will be in operation before the beginning of next month. It will be necessary to carry out a large number of tests before the station can be in full working trim, as hasty transmission is generally a failure. Hobart people had a taste of this when 7ZL first opened up, but now that they have got into the running of things they are logged there quite well on occasion. The call of the new station will be 4QG, and he will use a wave of 385 metres. Only three days in the week will there be transmission — Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays — from 8 till 10 p.m., eastern Australian time. The station is to be managed by Mr. F, W. Robertson (sic), who was assistant manager at 2FC recently, and the post of chief engineer is to be taken by Mr. Stevens, of 3LO. The main station is going ahead slowly. The Brisbane listeners are troubled with a roar in the same way as are the Launceston people.

1925 08

4QG publishing monthly general programme summaries and weekly detailed summaries

ADVANCE PROGRAMME. The State radio station (4QG) has issued its first monthly bulletin, containing details of the week's programme. From now on a general outline of the broadcasting programmes will be published at the end of each month, and a detailed bulletin each week. Following are the general programmes for the next fortnight:— WEEK ENDING AUGUST 8. Sunday.— Church service broadcast direct from the Albert-street Methodist Church, preacher Rev. Dr. G. E. Rowe. Monday.— Tivoli Operatic Orchestra, studio concert, featuring Miss Ruth Portrate (soprano), Mr. G. McGrath (banjoist). Miss Audrey Iliff (contralto), studio instrumentalists, Mr. Norman A. Cooling (baritone), Mr. Scott MacCallum (violinist), Mr. A. Sharman (pianist). Tuesday.— Popular concert, Mr. J. B. Cloiree (baritone), station 4QG trio, Mr. G. Williamson (tenor), lecturette ("Photography"), Miss Maye Hughes. Wednesday.— Queensland radio news night; Popular concert, organised by the editor, "Queensland Radio News," and arranged by Mr. Erich John and Mr. L. Read, featuring numerous popular Brisbane vocalists, quartettes, and special instrumental items. Thursday.— Palings' recital: The third of the 1925 series of recitals organised by W. H. Palings and Co., Ltd., will (by arrangement) be broadcast direct from the Albert Hall, Brisbane. Friday.— Popular concert: Miss Naida Conrad (soprano), Tivoli Operatic Orchestra. Lecturette, "Brisbane as a Tourist Centre," by Mr. T, G. Troedson (director Government Intelligence and Tourist Bureau. Saturday.— Aeolian Night: A special programme arranged by the Aeolian Co., and including lecturettes on music specially interpreted, Steck Duo Art Pianola excerpts, leading vocalist and instrumentalists assisting. . . . .

JWR admits that 4QG temporary transmissions had room for improvement, requests forbearance while systems properly tuned

"Room for Improvement" STATION MANAGER'S ADMISSION. "We candidly admit that our transmissions have not been of the best and that there is a big room for improvement," said Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of 4QG, when the letter was referred to him this morning by "Listener" of the "Telegraph's" Wednesday radio column. . "All we say is: Give us a chance to get the temporary station in proper working order. No doubt it would have been good policy on our part to have waited for a month before commencing operations so that thorough tests could have been carried out with the instruments, which are of the very best and modern type made by Amalgamated Wireless Ltd. But the people were clamouring for the inauguration of a service without any delay, and we decided to commence broadcasting on the announced date, although some of the instruments had only arrived in Brisbane three days previously, and the tests had been hurriedly carried out. But I would point out to those who are not already conversant with the fact through reading the wireless periodicals that in the inauguration of broadcasting stations in all the other capitals, and in England and America, there have always been initial difficulties to overcome, and it has taken weeks, and sometimes months, to perfect the transmissions. In the case of 2FC (Sydney) it took about six weeks after the station commenced operations to thoroughly adjust the transmitting apparatus and to give listeners a satisfactory service. In the case of 3LO (Melbourne) it took about two and a half months. Recently when the station changed its wave length there was a period during which letters poured in to the press in criticism of the transmissions. During the whole of this week we have been effecting improvements, but we are now satisfied that fully 50 per cent of the trouble which some amateurs are inclined to attribute to faulty modulation, &c., is due to the temporary studio which we are using at the Executive Buildings. A certain amount of drapings were used for the initial transmissions, but we now intend to introduce further drapings to eliminate the echoing effects in the microphone. Referring to the statement that the tuning of the station was broad, Mr. Robinson said most of the reports seemed to indicate that the tuning of 4QG was exceptionally fine and sharp, and where interference with another station was experienced it was the fault of the receiver. All amateurs did not possess a knowledge of receiving circuits, and did not know the difference between a circuit in which the aerial was directly coupled to the grid, and a coupled circuit. But there was a big difference between the two in the matter of selectivity, and ever since his arrival in Brisbane he had emphasised the advisability of amateurs using coupled circuits whereby they could tune out unwanted stations. Mr. Robinson demonstrated a wavemeter which is used at 4QG, whereby the wave length of the transmitter is accurately set to 385 meters, and sharp tuning is ensured. Mr. Robinson added that he did not think it fair for people to rush into print with letters of criticism of the station until those in charge had been given at least two or three weeks to adjust the apparatus, and to see what they could do. Efforts in the direction of improving the station and in an endeavour to eliminate the hum from the motor generator were being made from day to day. Many encouraging reports had been received from listeners, and Friday night's transmission after improvements had been made that day, was said by some to have been very good, the programme from the Tivoli orchestra coming through with distinct clearness.

Emil Robert Voigt of future 2KY in Brisbane to make enquiries about 4QG

WIRELESS INQUIRIES. VOIGT IN BRISBANE. BRISBANE, Tuesday. Mr. E. R. Voigt, Private Secretary to Mr. A. C. Willis, M.L.C., arrived in Brisbane by the mail train last evening to make inquiries regarding the Queensland Government's wireless broadcasting station. Another Sydney visitor is Mr. Cecil Murphy, M.L.A., who, accompanied by his bride of a few days, arrived in Brisbane on a holiday visit to Mrs. Murphy's sister.

Emil Robert Voigt returns to Sydney

MR. VOIGT RETURNS. BRISBANE. Wednesday. Mr. E. R. Voigt, Private Secretary to Mr. A. C. Willis, M.L.C., leaves by the mail train tomorrow for Sydney. While in Brisbane, Mr. Voigt has acquired much useful information and made a most favorable impression in industrial circles. Among other matters, he has been investigating Queensland's State wireless project.

JWR quick to promote Qld matters

QUEENSLAND-MADE VIOLIN. FROM LOCAL WOOD. Music played on a violin made locally from Queensland woods was an attraction at the Forestry display at the Exhibition on Wednesday. The violin was made by Constable A. Ronlund, of Sandgate, and the wood used was Queensland blush coondoo (sideroxylon), inlaid with Queensland ebony. The coondoo trees, which were obtained from the Cooran tableland, were specially selected and felled by the maker, and the timber was cut from the trees and seasoned by him. The instrument has a full clear tone, and the music was favourably commented on. The value of the wood for violin making is amply demonstrated by the music produced. Arrangements have been made with the manager of the State Government radio service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) to have music from this Queensland produced violin broadcasted from the State Government wireless station at an early date.

Limited reception in Sydney of 4QG points to some significant reduction in potential output power from temporary 4QG

WIRELESS. (BY ALAN BURROWS.) . . . NOTES AND NEWS. There are few reports to hand yet of receptions from Queensland's new broadcasting station, 4GQ (sic), and many have wondered why this is so, as 3LO, Melbourne, can be picked up so readily. It should be remembered, however, that in addition to the slight difference in distance, 4GQ (sic) is using only as yet, a power of 500 watts, in comparison with 3LO's 5000. And although further removed from Broadcaster's wave length than 3LO, there is still interference from this station to be reckoned with when listening for 4GQ (sic), whose wave length is 385 metres.

The "Daily Standard" with its take on the 4QG censorship

LONDON CAPITALIST PRESS ALARMED. "URGENT NEED FOR STRICT CONTROL OF NEWS." (AUSTRALIAN CABLE SERVICE). London, Thursday. The London "Daily Mail" says that there is no foundation for the mischievous message broadcasted by the Queensland Government's Brisbane station, that the British Government has resolved to resort to arms for the purpose of upholding financial interests in the Orient, and that all available warships and troops are mobilising," "This shows clearly," says the "Mail," "what a danger wireless could become in the hands of thoughtless and unscrupulous people. We are not aware how the fantastic rumor arose or, who was responsible for broadcasting the message, which is nonsensical on the face thereof, but it is obvious that such inadvertences are capable of starting panics, and doing immense harm. The Brisbane incident shows urgent need for keeping strict control of broadcasted news. There is small chance of false news being broadcasted in England, where the recognised newsagencies supply news similar to that supplied by the newspapers which insist on accuracy. Inasmuch as the wireless telephone has now almost a worldwide range all countries should come into line to avoid appalling possibilities of trouble from inaccurate news." (This matter is dealt with in both the leading article, and a special, appearing on page 10 of this issue.)

The "Daily Standard" was not impressed with 4QG's kowtow to the Federal Government, but, then their licence to publish was not as risk as was that of ̩QG's licence to transmit

"ANTI-BRITISH PROPAGANDA," THE State Radio Service yesterday made an explanation to listeners-in, which amounted to an apology for having, on the previous day, broadcast portion of a message dealing with the situation in China, culled from "The Daily Standard" news service. The views expressed in the message, it was explained, were "not the views of the Queensland Radio Service." The political agents of capitalism have also taken the matter up, and on the false premises that "anti-capitalist" is synonymous with "anti-British," they are flogging their joss with a will. It should be pointed out that originally the Queensland Radio Service approached "The Dally Standard" with a request that its news service should be made available for daily broadcasting purposes. This was readily agreed to and at midday each day news proofs are forwarded to the station. On Wednesday, amongst the items sent was one from a special Eastern correspondent dealing with political events in China. This was broadcast and now it transpires that, as it does not conform to the views of the Queensland Radio Service an explanation is due to listeners-in. It is important to note here that the Queensland Radio Service (owned and controlled by a Labor Government) has views on international politics, and if anything gets through that does not conform to its views — without any question as to fact or otherwise — the people of Queensland are due an apologetic explanation. If among the news broadcasted in future a message gets through indicating that some leading citizen has said nasty words to a policeman, we may expect the Queensland Radio Service to subsequently explain that such conduct does not meet its views on etiquette. It would appear, however, that on the plea that the particular message referred to was "anti-British," the station was forced by somebody to make its "explanation." It is easy to divine who the somebody is. The question as it appears to us is whether this item, as a piece of news, was untrue in substance and in fact. Now, if the Queensland Radio Service is going to have views of inter-national politics, we invite it to make a survey of the most authoritative newspapers in the world, and if it has any knowledge of the workings of imperialism it will learn that our correspondent simply stated, as a result of his own observation on the spot, what has been, for months past, stated by correspondents of papers with the international standing of the "Manchester Guardian," on the capitalist side, and the London "Daily Herald," on the Labor side. The "Manchester Guardian" of June 19, 1925, said:— For a century the Powers have been interested in China mainly as a place in which different nations competed in predatory violence or intrigue. Our correspondent amplified that making special reference to Britain's part — and we have yet to learn that Britain is not one of the Powers. The Pekin correspondent of the same paper wrote:— "Thirty thousand students and workers paraded past the Legation quarters on Monday shouting denunciations of the British and Japanese and flying innumerable banners. Most of the denunciations were reserved for the British, who were also the target for many of the banners, one of which tried to depict the scene at the Amritsar shootings. The Queensland Radio Service would probably find, especially if it consulted the "Courier" and Colonel Cameron and Mr. Bruce — that a message of that kind was anti-British and refuse to broadcast, or, if it slipped through one day, would apologise the next. But the "Manchester Guardian," commenting on the scenes, stated:— "In an outbreak of this kind the immediate cause may be simple, but when violence has begun all the pent-up passions of history and race, which may or may not be connected with that cause, burnt into flame. In a world where the confusion caused by foreign intrigue and the anomalous privileges enjoyed by great Powers interested primarily in their own aims is complicated by civil war a single incident may act a match to a great body of passion. The black type is ours, but the lines emphasise the warning contained in the message received by us from our own correspondent. In using the word "Britain," after having carefully named the Conservative Government of that country, it must be clear to all that our correspondent was referring to British exploiters and their political agents, backed by a Government that openly encourages the "diplomatic" mamoeuvres being made for the imperialist parcelling of China. There is no antagonism or hostility to the British people, but there is to the exploiters who are making an industrial hell or china. The people of Queensland are entitled to know what is likely to be the outcome of this ex-ploitation. They are entitled to be warned against the probability of a tremendous conflagration in the East. They should know the truth, despite the political views of the Queensland Radio Service. Our correspondent said that Britain had larger interests in China than any of the other Powers, and again in this case "Britain" plainly meant Bri-tish capitalists. That statement is cor-roborated by a correspondent of the London "Daily Herald," who stated: Forty-six per cent of China's cot-ton spindles are owned by British, American, Japanese, French, and Italian capitalists. Thirty-five per cent are entirely British-owned. British capitalists control 40 per cent of Chinese foreign trade and ship-ping, and 25 per cent of Chinese railways. And here — again from the London press — is the dark side of the picture and the cause of the warning issued by our correspondent:— "Out of 83,000 workers in the Shanghai mills, 13,000 are under 14 years of age. Many of these are under eight years of age. The recognised hours of labor are day and night shifts of 12 hours' duration for seven days a week. The wages of cotton and silk adult workers vary from 9d to 1s 6d per day; those of children from 3d to 1s 2d per day. Railwaymen, engineers, carpenters, and blacksmiths receive from 10s to 25s per week." The people of Queensland may be too young to know those things, but when the Chinese revolt against these conditions, and their revolt gets "out of hand," the people of Queensland may be asked to lay down their lives to maintain the exploiting grip of predatory British capitalists upon the Chinese people. The "Standard's" news service is of immense value to the people in this regard. It avoids the carefully-censored and prepared capitalist propaganda emanating from China, and if the truth is to be suppressed in the interests of capitalism, or because it may conflict with the opinions of the Queensland Radio Service, the sooner the people of this country know about it the better. The "Standard's" value as a newspaper, particularly in regard to Eastern affairs — and these are the centre of world attention to-day — is unequalled in Australia. Its touch with China and Japan is untainted by capitalist interference. The instructions to our correspondents are to tell the truth and shame the devil, the devil in this case being the Powers that are facing one another in the scramble for China. We leave it to our readers to judge for themselves if an apology or an "explanation" is necessary from us for this great work for humanity in which we are engaged.

This report is largely tongue-in-cheek, but for 4QG, deadly serious. JWR learns within the first month of transmission by 4QG that censorship is the price to be paid for the portion received of listener licence fees 4QG narrowly avoids losing its licence and JWR's personal friendship with James Joseph Malone is put to a test

WIRELESS CENSORSHIP. Sensational Escape of Truth. On Eternal Ether Waves. Capitalist Scramble in China. Disclosed to an Amazed Universe. "GROSSLY IMPROPER," SAYS MR. BRUCE. A dreadful thing has happened. The fact that events in China are steadily moving towards a world war, that will probably develop into a race war, thanks to reckless manoeuvres of foreign big business, has been broadcast by wireless. After desperate efforts have been made, by Government official of Powers protecting foreign vested interests in China, to prevent the truth about the sordid capitalist scramble for China's wealth becoming known to the workers of the world, the blessed thing has got out. Not only has it got into the press, per medium of a special correspondent of "The Daily Standard," but it has been flung forth recklessly on the ether waves, for the whole universe to hear. Think of the sensation that has been created, for instance, on the planet Mars, by the announcement that "the Conservative Government which controls the destinies of the British nation is determined on playing a lone hand in the Orient"! Confusion along the Milky Way is sure to become worse confounded by Jack Armitage's report that "every available ship of war and all troops are rapidly beingmobilised, and that a demand has been made that British financial interests must be protected regardless of what the newly-created Chinese Customs Commission shall decree." Along Einstein's now famous bent straight line the news has gone forth that "Britain has larger interests in China than any of the other Powers, and that evidently she is determined to push them at all costs." The result will be that every nation along that endless route through and round the boundless spaces, from here back to here, will be up in arms against the British race. Worst of all, the horrible truth about the merciless exploitation and bludgeoning of the unfortunate Chinese will go on wandering around the Universe for all eternity. Nothing can stop it now — not even the Bruce-Page Deportation Act. It is sure to get back to the Chinese themselves. Then goodness knows what will happen! All this because 4QG, the Queensland Radio Service, owned and controlled by a terrible Labor Government, inadvertently passed on to listeners-in at 1 p.m. on Wednesday last, the fact that the shameless Labor paper, "The Daily Standard," had received a despatch from a tactless special correspondent in China, giving news that had been most assiduously suppressed in Hongkong and Shanghai. Something will have to be done. The thing is grossly improper, and steps will have to be taken. Mr. Bruce says so. Anyway, the Brisbane "Courier" and Colonel Cameron demand that this sort of thing shall cease. The idea of "Standard" news being disseminated by.wireless, anyway! And now you know why 4QG yesterday had to apologise three times to listeners-in from here to the star Canopus, and beyond, and consider itself lucky that It did not have to advertise the apology in the "Courier" at 10s an inch or thereabouts. How It Happened. In accordance with a regular practice adopted since the State radio service has been broadcasting the "Standard" just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday supplied a number of proofs containing news to 4QG for broadcasting as the officials thought fit. Among these proofs was one containing an exclusive despatch appearing in that day's "Standard" by Mr. J. A. Armitage, one of our special correspondents in the East, and from this proof the announcer of 4QG quite innocently read to his 5000 listeners the following intensely interesting and informative passage:— "The Conservative Government which controls the destinies of the British nation is determined on playing a lone hand in the Orient. The Washington Treaty has really never been put into effect by any of the signatories, but Britain's present attitude, if persisted in, will have the effect of entirely nullifying it. Britain has larger interests in China than any of the other Powers, and evidently she is determined to push them at all costs. It is now evident that the British Government has decided to resort to arms in an attempt to uphold her financial interests. Every available ship of war and all troops are rapidly being mobilised, and a demand has been made that British financial Interests must be protected regardless of what the newly-created Customs Commission shall decree. "In plain words, Britain imagines she is strong enough to call a showdown. This would compel the other Powers to take sides. The array would probably be Britain, France, Italy, and some minor Powers arrayed against China, Russia, and possibly Germany. As I have pointed out in another article, Japan and the United States are uncertain factors, the only thing that seems sure is that they will take opposite sides in the conflict which is undoubtedly being precipitated by Great Britain. The coming war in the Orient will be a real world war. Asia has the largest part of the world's natural wealth, and not a nation will stand out. Whatever the original lineup, it must eventually develop into a race war." Those "Standard" readers who have been following the articles of our Far Eastern correspondent during the last two or three years know that not only is this of first-class interest to all Australians, but it is utterly consistent with the disclosures which have been made in previous articles, regarding foreign capitalist manoeuvres in China, and the racial hatred and rebellion that they are breeding. Of course Australian supporters of this unbridled capitalism do not like the facts to be explained. It is bad enough that the Labor press should publish despatches which capitalist papers would not touch, but when the fact that the Labor press does publish such real news and is broadcast by wireless it is time for the agents of Big Business to sit up and take notice. Tory Wrath. Thus we find the "Courier" (which incidentally, has not been invited to have its news broadcast by the State wireless), on Thursday morning snorting in true "Courier" style about amazing "anti-British propaganda," the source of which it pretended not to know. And so, too, we found Colonel Cameron, a capitalist party man, in the Federal Parliament, raising the matter, and asking if the Federal Government had power to censor broadcast matter, and, if so, would steps be taken to prevent "that sort of thing." The Prime Minister (Mr. Bruce) replied he had no knowledge that the matter referred to had been broadcast, but, if such was the case, it was very improper. Steps would be taken to prevent statements of that character being disseminated by means of wireless from any station in Australia. Broadcasting companies were only permitted to carry on under licence from the Postmaster-General, who had power to censor any undesirable matter. Mr. Bruce subsequently stated advices were received from the Brisbane broadcasting station that a mistake had been made in sending out the matter complained of, which was founded on extracts from a local newspaper. In subsequent programmes an intimation had been made that the statements to which attention had been called did not represent the views of the conductors of the broadcasting station. Further investigations, Mr. Bruce added; were being made to trace the origin of the statements and the manner in which they appeared in the local newspaper. It was possible that they were part of a letter not distinguished as such in broadcasting. 4QG Apologises. Meanwhile, it appears, there was a flutter in high places in Brisbane, and in consequence the following remarkable "explanation" was broadcast at all sessions of 4QG (owned and controlled by the Queensland Labor Government) yesterday:— "During our midday session yesterday when broadcasting the News Service as supplied by "The Daily Standard" a statement which was received by "The Daily Standard" from a correspondent in China, and which dealt with China's internal troubles and the correspondent's views of Britain's attitude towards them, was broadcast. We wish to take this opportunity to point out that the statement in question was not intended in any way whatever to convey to listeners the views of the Queensland Radio Service. Our station was transmitting and our News Service arrived late from "The Daily Standard" office. In order to prevent our staff having to close down while we carefully sorted the news and thus keep listeners waiting, our midday News Service was hastily handled. This resulted in the statement to which we have referred escaping the rigid censorship which we impost on news. The particular statement which was broadcast was the view of some newspaper correspondent in China with whom we are not acquainted, and to whose views we do not subscribe. We have felt it our duty to make this explanation lest the impression be created that the views expressed in the statement were those of ours." The "Standard's" comments on this will be found in our leading article today.

1925 09

4SP stakes his claim to being the youngest chief engineer of a radio station in Australia

Youngest chief engineer. A couple of weeks ago we published a short article on Mr. E. G. Beard, Chief Engineer, United Distributors Ltd., and claiming that at 28 years of age Mr. Beard was the youngest man in the Commonwealth to hold down such a responsible position. We quite overlooked the fact that Mr. F. W. Stevens, Chief Engineer of the Queensland Radio Service is only 27 years of age. Perhaps if we substitute the words “one of the youngest,” etc., in our remark on Mr. Beard, justice will be done.

4SP gives effect to Australia's first broadcast of a Catholic church service

SPECIAL SERVICE. ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL. For the first time in Australia church services from a Roman Catholic church were broadcast yesterday, Station 4QG, Brisbane (Queensland Government Radio Service), having the distinction of effecting the transmission. Some time ago, by courtesy of Archbishop Duhig, Station 4QG was linked by land lines with St. Stephen's cathedral, and arrangements were made for the installation of portable transmitting apparatus in the church. It was decided to select yesterday's services for broadcasting, and special arrangements were made to ensure good transmission. During last week some careful tests were carried out by the chief engineer, of 4QG (Mr. F. W. Stevens), and suitable positions for the placing of microphones were selected. Ordinarily only one microphone is used, but yesterday two microphones were placed in the church, one in the pulpit and the other in the choir. An operator was placed in the organ loft, and from his position there controlled both instruments, switching on first one and the other in order to ensure an even service. The morning service comprised a Pontifical High Mass, the sermon being preached by Archbishop Duhig, and was broadcast successfully. The evening service was also transmitted clearly, the sermon being preached by Rev. W. J. Lockington. Referring to the transmission last night, the manager of 4QG (Mr. J. W. Robinson) said that the broadcasting was a big success, and had excited a good deal of interest. The singing of the choirs was faithfully reproduced, as also were the sermons during both morning and evening services. The evening service on Tuesday next, he added, would also be broadcast by 4QG.

Public Works annual report estimates cost of big 4QG at £8500

BRISBANE BROADCASTING. According to the annual report of the Department of Public Works, which was presented in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, the estimated cost of the Brisbane Broadcasting Station (4QG) is £8500. This is being erected on the roof of the State Insurance Building at comer of George and Elizabeth sheets. The accommodation consists of a vestibule or entrance hall, from which are entered the offices for the staff. A large reception-room with cloakroom, two studios 26ft by 17ft. and 18ft. by 14ft. respectively, behind the studios, is the station or operating room, containing electrical apparatus for broadcasting. There is also a laboratory and workshop. The building will be ventilated mechanically, and provision is being made to heat the air during the winter months. The walls are being constructed of reinforced concrete, and special effort is being made to sound-proof the studios.

Appointments of Bardin and MacCullum

STATE RADIO APPOINTMENTS. The Executive Council yesterday approved of the appointment of Mr. Harold Scott MacCallum as the musi-cal director, of the Queensland Radio Service. Mr. W. F. Bardin, of Townsville, has been appointed as-sistant engineer of the radio ser-vice.

1925 10

JWR reports on the delays and progress with big 4QG

STATE RADIO STATION. Since the resumption of the construction of the Queensland Government Radio Station, including the studio, on the Insurance Building nearly two months ago, good progress has been made, but so far no definite forecast of the date on which the big station will be in operation has been officially ventured. However, it will not be this year, but it may be in January next. Questioned yesterday respecting the construction of the station, the manager of the State Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) said that very good progress had been made recently, and that only one more section of concreting remained to be done and the walls would be completed. He understood that all the roofing timber was ready, and would be placed in position soon. The building of the steel towers was commenced some time ago, and most of the solid work of their foundations, reaching to two or three floors below was finished. He was ready to instal the mechanism so soon as the roof was over the station part of the structure, and he thought a start with the installation of the high-power transmitter would be entered upon before the end of' the year. He hoped from the start to transmit today programmes from the perminent station, commencing at midday. The building is being constructed by the Department of Public Works.

JWR learns more of the limitations of the A class licence; Censorship; Portable wireless

SPEECHES BARRED. A BROADCAST VETO. The action of the Commonwealth authorities in prohibiting the broadcasting, through the State station, of Labour propaganda in the form of the speeches made at the opening of the Labour campaign on Thursday night, appears to have caused concern in State Government circles. The manager of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) has made available the whole of the facts in connection with the position. "A few days ago," he said, "the organiser of the Labour Party approached me and asked if it would be possible to broadcast the three most important speeches delivered in the Elite Theatre on the night when the Labour campaign was opened, The matter of the broadcasting was, however, of a political nature, and I referred the whole question to the Premier (Mr. Gillies). The Premier, in a memorandum forwarded to me on Wednesday, said that he approved of the broadcasting, but strictly instructed me to afford similar facilities to all political parties, and he added that he desired me to comply with the Federal regulations. I, therefore, proceeded with the installation of portable transmitting apparatus, and at 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon was advised by the chief engineer that everything was in good order for the broadcasting. I arrived at the station at 7.30, and was advised by the Radio Inspector, Brisbane, that a telegram had been received from the Chief Manager, Wireless and Telegraphs, stating that the Federal authorities could not grant permission to broadcast the speeches. After communicating with the Premier I cancelled the arrangements and proceeded with the broadcasting of a concert from the studio." Later it was found that the line over which the speeches were to have been broadcast had been cut. The Premier has instructed Mr. Robinson to report to the Commonwealth authorities the fact that the wires were cut, with a view of ascertaining who was responsible for the act.

Commencement of 4QG impacts growth of photography sales, inter alia

HERE AND THERE. An illustration of the hold radio is taking upon the public is shown in a story Brisbane listeners-in are still laughing over. A gentleman went into a store the other day to buy a pair of shoes. As the shop assistant bent over to lace them, he asked, "How will you have the shoes laced, sir; in series or in parallel?" As a hobby photography has suffered a severe setback by the arrival of radio in Queensland. One or two Brisbane firms had the foresight to see that trade in photographic goods would be menaced by the demand for radio parts, and they added radio departments to their stores. These departments are now returning good business. Radio is now the world's most fascinating hobby, and millions of young and old have adopted it as their own. Inquiries by "Listener" show that the diminution in the strength of 4QG during the last few nights is due to a mechanical fault which is being rectified. How many have wondered if it was their sets that were at fault? Last Sunday was a big day at 4QG. The band contests in the afternoon were carried via land line from the Botanical Gardens and broadcast to an audience which must have numbered 6,000 or 7,000 listeners. It was a delightful programme, and the management of the station is to be commended on the enterprise displayed. The evening church service and the concert were also good. There has been a good demand for broadcasting licenses of late, and it Is understood the number of licensed listeners in Queensland is now over 5,000. Brisbane dealers report an ever increasing demand for components. The majority of Brisbane's new listeners-in have built their own instruments. But how some of them squeal! The Prime Minister's fine speech at the Exhibition Hall on Monday night was broadcasted all over Southern Queensland by station 4QG. No doubt the speech of the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Charlton) will also be sent out upon the air.

In response to many listener requests to see the 4QG studios, 4QG sets up a studio in the Albert Hall and conducts a nights broadcasting there

BROADCASTING. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 MIDDAY SESSION. 12.55 p.m. — Tune-in signal. 1 p.m. — Market reports, Stock Exchange, weather information, news service. Close down. NIGHT SESSION. Tonight's programme will be transmitted from the Albert Hall. The management of station 4QG has organised and arranged a demonstration of how broadcasting is effected. The stage of the Albert Hall will be set as a studio, and the microphones and control panels will be in view. The artists and staff will be seen in action by the audience, which will be accommodated in the body of the hall. Those present will therefore be provided with a double attraction. They will witness the actual broadcasting, and will also hear the concert. The night's programme will be relayed from the Albert Hall and broadcast by 4QG. 7.55 p.m. — Tune-in signal. 8 p.m. — Introductory lecturette, "Broadcasting — how it is effected." Station 4QG instrumental quartette, descriptive fantasia, "Gipsy Life" (Charles Le Thiere); Mr. Scott Mac-Callum (violin), Mrs. Hilda Woolmer (piano), Mr. H. C. Marshall (flute), Miss Mabel Warren ('cello); tenor solo, "Marcheta" (Scherzinger), Slgnor Corti; violin solo. "Caprice Viennois" (Kreisler), Mr. H. Scott MacCallum; contralto solo, "Mighty Like a Rose" (Nevin), Miss Irene Elphinstone, pianoforte solo, "Concert Etude in D Flat" (Liszt), Mr. Arthur Sharman; mezzo soprano solo, "My Ain Folk" (Lemmon), Miss Mary Robertson; station 4QG instrumental quartette, "Three Valses Piquantes" (Peel); contralto solo, "When My Ships Come Sailing Home" (Dorel), Miss Vera Parker); station 4QG instrumental quartette (a) "Admiration" (Jackson), (b) "A Japanese Sunset" (Deppen); station 4QG instrumental quartette (a) "Badinage" - (Victor Herbert), (b) "Pizzicati" from the ballet "Sylvia" (Dellbes); tenor solo, "At Dawning" (Dadman), Signor Corti; (Dellbes); tenor solo, "At Dawning" (Dadman), Signor Corti; violin solo, "Serenade" from "Less Millions D'Arlequin" (Drigo-Auer), Mr. H. Scott MacCallum; contralto solo, "Christina's Lament" ( Dvorak), Miss Irene Elphinstone; station 4QG Instrumental Quartette, "Two Hungarian Dances" (Brahms); soprano solo, "Less than the Dust" (Woodforde-Finden), Miss Mary Robertson; contralto solo, "Angels Guard Thee" (Goddard), Miss Vera Parker (with violin obligato by Mr. H. Scott MacCallum); station 4QG Instrumental Quartette, march, "Military Spirit" (Van Blon); news service. Close down. TONIGHT's DEMONSTRATION. A novel wireless demonstration will be provided at the Albert Hall tonight by the management of Station 4QG (Queensland Radio Service). The stage of the hall will be set as a studio, and a concert will be provided on it, and will be broadcast. The microphones and control panels will be placed on the stage, and the artists, announcer, and operators will be seen at work by those in the body of the hall. Since broadcasting commenced in Brisbane some two or three months ago, the management of 4QG has received numerous requests from persons desirous of visiting the studios during transmission hours. It has been impossible to accede to those requests, for the reason that it would be impossible to transmit a programme if the studios were open to the public. In order to cater for the people who have made these requests, tonight's demonstration has been arranged. The audience will be accommodated in the body of the hall, and will be provided with a double attraction. They will witness the work necessary in connection with the broadcasting of the concert, and will also hear the programme. A small admission charge will be made to cover expenses

Radio Manufacturers (licensee 4MB cmcl) sponsors a stunt of "broadcasting" music from a plane over Brisbane

AEROPLANE CONCERT. BROADCAST FROM THE AIR RADIO FIRM'S ENTERPRISE. A unique wifeless concert was provided the Brisbane public yesterday afternoon. An aeroplane demonstrated the wonderful possibilities of wireless. In order to stimulate public interest in wireless, a spectacular aerial "stunt" was promoted by Radio Manufacturers, Ltd., of Queen Street, Brisbane. Captain Tracey, accompanied by Mr. Glanmore Jones, manager of the firm, and Mr. J. W. Robinson, of the State Radio Station 4QG., were in the 'plane, which circled over the Domain shortly after 4 o'clock. When "The Telegraph" representative arrived at the aerodrome shortly before 3 o'clock, Captain Tracey and his assistants were busy fixing the "aerial" to the aeroplane. Though the start was fixed for 3 p.m. and the wireless concert for 3.30 p.m., a delay occurred, and it was not until just before 4 o'clock that Mr. Robinson had picked up 4QG, transmitting the Tivoli Theatre orchestra music, which was heard quite distinctly about 100 feet away. While the engine of the plane was being "warmed up" about 4 p.m., the jazz music of the Tivoli was clearly heard. Mr. Robinson expressed himself as greatly pleased with the success of the experiment undertaken by Radio Manufactures Limited. While over Victoria Bridge Captain Tracey shut off his engine, glided downward towards the Domain, so that those in the vicinity could hear the music. Several persons who were in the Domain reported having heard the music that was broadcast. Leaflets were subsequently distributed about over the city about 5 o'clock, from the air, and the boy or girl finding a leaflet signed by Mr. Glanmore Jones before October 19 will be presented with a crystal set with all accessories.

Report of the demonstration of 4QG studio at Albert Hall

RADIO TOPICS. CONDUCTED BY "LISTENER". 4QG'S DEMONSTRATION LISTENERS MEET ARTISTS. The demonstration of broadcasting under conditions similar to those at the studio of 4QG, which was given in the Albert Hall last Friday night proved of great interest to a very large audience. Mr. Robinson (manager of 4QG) first of all delivered a most informative lecturette on the fundamental principles of wireless broadcasting. Delivered as it was in simple language, even the person with but an elementary knowledge of wireless was made to understand how the sound waves shaking the diaphram of the microphone are converted into perfect electrical counterfeits of the original sounds, and are then passed through a magnifier, and on to transmitting instruments. It was pleasing to listeners to be able to meet many of 4QG's artists in the flesh. The announcer (Mr. N. Cooling) whose 4QG Brisbain, the Queensland Radio Service, has become very familiar to all Queenslanders who obtain their entertainment from the air, was accorded a very fine reception, and there was applause for others whom listeners were glad to see and welcome. It was an opportunity to show appreciation of the efforts of 4QG's artists which listeners were glad to take. A very fine programme was given, and this was carried over a land line to 4QG's temporary station at the Executive Buildings, from which it was broadcasted to thousands of listeners-in. Altogether a most enjoyable evening was spent by all, and listeners came away from the Albert Hall possessing a very fair idea of what is happening every night in the broadcasting studio of 4QG, and the transmitting station.

1925 11

2KY officially commences, makes much of the benefits of a B class licence due to the lesser restrictions on broadcast items

FIRST LABOR WIRELESS STATION OPENED. ALL AUSTRALIAN ACHIEVEMENT. THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA IN PROCESS. BROADCASTING THE TRUTH. "I HAVE MUCH PLEASURE in asking the Vice-President of the Executive Council, Mr. A. C. Willis, to set in motion 2KY, the first broadcasting wireless station controlled throughout the world by organised Labor." THIS WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT made by Mr. J. Beasley, President of the Trades and Labor Council, on the occasion of the official opening ceremony of the Trades Hall Wireless Broadcasting Station at the Sydney Trades Hall on Saturday evening. THE ORGANISING STAFF had worked with the will that only whole-souled enthusiasts can apply, and so satisfied were they that all anxiety as to the installation being a complete success was allayed, and the results fully justified their confidence in the result. So great was the crowd which assembled that the accommodation in the large room set apart on three floors as well as in the corridors, where loud speakers were installed, was taxed to accommodate the listeners. When KY tuned up, and the first announcement was made, the great building resounded with cheers in recognition of the wonderful accomplishment effected. A slight burring sound somewhat smothered the first sounds emitted, but this was only momentary, and for the succeeding two hours the voices were clearly and distinctly heard, and the sentiments expressed found a responsive echo in the minds of the legions of listeners who were privileged to be associated with this unique wireless triumph. Everyone Smiles. Many hundreds passed through the transmitting theatre, and were surprised at the completeness of the delicate mechanism, and the absence of any confusion. The engineer, Mr. Baird (sic), was beaming with smiles from the initial tuning in, and his satisfaction was shared by Mr. E. R. Voigt, the organiser of 2KY; Mr. Gilbert Sinclair, secretary to the wireless committee, and all those associated with the most modern means of communication known to science. Right to Work. Mr. A. C. Willis gave the initial address, which was broadcasted, in which he stated:— It is with a particular pleasure that I have accepted this pleasant duty, for it associates two great factors each of which will react on the other, and together will have a profound effect upon the development of the human race. These two factors are Labor and Radio. "The great Labor movement is, and must continue to be the main avenue through which society is evolving towards the co-operative Commonwealth, where the whole resources of the nation will be devoted to the welfare of the whole community instead of to the individual profit of the few, and where every man and woman born into this world shall have the elementary right to work and to live. "In the accomplishment of its great task, Labor must of necessity take advantage of every important social development. Without question, the greatest, the most rapid, and the most potentially powerful development of this age of miracles is radio. Within two short years radio has made a deeper impression on the social life of Australia than any other invention, within such a short period in its history. Radio is fast annihilating distance. It is playing an important part in welding together the social life not only of the Commonwealth of Australia, but of the whole world. Every day and every night Australian amateurs are conversing with radio friends in America, Britain, Europe and elsewhere. Beneath this close contact racial barriers are bound sooner or later to disappear. It is difficult indeed to overestimate the great part radio is destined to play in breaking down those racial enmities fostered for their own purposes by the makers of wars, and in placing the peoples of the world upon a peaceful footing one with another. Final Stages. "In spite of the fact that radio in Australia is hampered and restricted in its development by a Nationalist Federal Government, acting, we believe, in concert with big vested monopolies, the Labor movement of New South Wales, by its far-sighted and vigorous action in establishing this splendid high-power broadcasting station in Sydney, has broadened the horizon for the listeners-in of this and other States of the Commonwealth, and has opened out new possibilities in the use of radio broadcasting, which will be watched with interest by the great Labor movements in every civilised country. "Since the Trades Unions of New South Wales have clearly indicated through the establishment of 2KY their keen interest and appreciation of the social and organisational advantages of radio, it is but natural that the Labor Government of the State should be thinking and working along similar lines. "It is already public knowledge that the Government of New South Wales has for some time had under consideration the establishment of a high-power Central Government Station in Sydney, and the erection in provincial and country centres throughout the State of a series of relay broadcasting stations. "This plan is now in its final stages, and the radio listening-in public may with confidence look forward in the near future to a chain of State broadcasting stations that will not only facilitate the business of the State, and the operation of its industries but that will do much to transform the whole social life of the community. "The State Broadcasting Service will have a particular effect upon the life of the community in the country areas. The advent of labor-saving machinery, and particularly the facilities for social life and entertainment afforded by the great cities, has resulted in an exodus from the land to the cities. All Australian. "This steady stream from country to town has become a problem which affects the well-being of both town and country and which is engaging the attention of the Governments of most highly industrialised countries. Unemployment has become such a settled factor in the life of all towns and industrialized centres that the migration from country to town only serves to intensify the unemployment situation." Mr. Willis also referred to the effect radio broadcasting would have on the primary industries, which no country could afford to neglect, and as a consequence a better understanding would arise between the workers on the land and in the cities. Expressing his appreciation of the technical ability and efficiency of those Australian engineers who had undertaken the construction, Mr. Willis said, "I do think there has ever been constructed in the Commonwealth a broadcasting station which is so largely all-Australian, and the people of Australia can justly take pride in this achievement." Congratulations he extended to Mr. Gilbert Sinclair, Mr. Beard, chief engineer of United Distributors, and Mr. E. R. Voigt, in whose brain the idea of a Labor broadcasting station first germinated. Mr. J. Beasley, president of the Trades and Labor Council, in his message, said Labor now has two great engines of propaganda in having established their own newspaper, and now having their own wireless station. These stages marked one of the most advanced steps taken by any Labor body right throughout the world. The Labor Council are most anxious to add to the social comforts of workers' home, he added. News Service Mr. E. R. Voigt, in his message, traced the origin of wireless discovery to the present installation. Dealing with this, he said: "I may say the Trades Union Movement of New South Wales is not content to regard radio in that very restricted light. We intend to use radio in the fullest possible way within the four corners of the law. And we intend to use all our power to secure a widening of the present drastic regulations, to free radio in Australia from its fetters, and to secure its many social advantages to the greatest possible number of the people. "2KY will make no effort to compete with the existing "A" class stations, in the provision of music and entertainment. The music and entertainment provided by the Labor station will only be incidental to its main programme. That main programme will concern itself with every vital question that may affect the community generally, or the organised workers in particular." "2KY will co-operate with the 'Labor Daily.' It will supply a daily news service that for the first time will place the workers' side of any great question before that unorganised section of the community which in the ordinary course must frame its view and opinions from the matter and comment that is served up to it daily by a powerful Press — a Press that is hostile to the workers on every important issue. 2KY will show the other side of the picture. "During the coming week and forward until election day, 2KY will send forth each evening a statement on matters of public interest from those of its leaders who are carrying on the fight in the Federal election campaign. "Not many days ago, the wireless authorities prohibited the Premier of Queensland from broadcasting a political pronouncement over the Queensland State Radio Station. So low down in the scale of human degradation is politics considered by some of those who are now asking for our votes that the pronouncement of the highest statesman was considered unfit to rank with the jazz, betting, and veiled advertising stunts which are broadcast day after day, without let or hindrance from all the 'A' class broad-casting stations in the Commonwealth. Debates in Air. "But 2KY is not an 'A' class station (which just means that it takes no part in the plunder abstracted annually from the unfortunate listeners-in) and is therefore not subject to just the same restrictions. We shall give news, make pronouncements, and arrange debates upon any matters which may affect the welfare of the body politic. No doubt this will be regarded as pure Bolshevism. "During the present election campaign, we shall invite the most prominent representatives of the Nationalist Party to meet us in debate on the air. In the past Labor always has been, and still is, at an overwhelming disadvantage in its lack of Press, compared with its opponents, for the expression of its views. A New Era. Mr. T. S. Gurr, General Manager, "Labor Daily," said their daily newspaper in conjunction with this installation of wireless was the beginning of a new era for the Labor movement. Thought, especially combined thought, was the greatest factor in the progress of humanity. What was desired earnestly was what would be achieved. Messrs. J. S. Garden (sec., Trades and Labor Council), Rudolph (Manager, United Radio Distributors), A. Teece (Acting Sec., Miners' Union), Hastie (Trades Hall Association), and representatives of all the industrial sections also delivered congratulatory and informative messages.

A. C. Willis responds to suggestions by Bruce that 2KY wishes to participate in A class revenue

LABOR'S BROADCASTING. REPLY TO MR. BRUCE. Mr. A. C. Willis yesterday replied to the Prime Minister's criticism of his remarks at the opening of the Trades Hall wireless station. "Mr. Bruce is in error," said Mr. Willis. "I have never claimed, nor have those who are conducting the new Labor broadcasting station, that 2KY desires any share in the heavy license fees imposed upon the unfortunate listening-in public. "I join issue, however, with Mr. Bruce when he infers that 2KY is not as much entitled to such a share as any of the monopolist stations. 2KY is not designed to be used solely for political purposes. And when it comes to politics, the existing monopolist stations do not restrict themselves to one statement by each of the three party leaders during the life of Parliament. "On the contrary, each 'A' class station, with the sole exception of the Queensland State station, broadcasts daily a regular stream of political propaganda in the guise of news, directed against the Labor Party and the trade unions. "The fact is that the political aspect of 2KY is not the reason why the Labor station is denied any revenue from the license fees. The real reason is because the Nationalist Government has permitted monopolies in a public service. If 2KY copied the jazz, betting, and entertainment, item for item, of the 'A' class stations, Mr. Bruce would still refuse to allocate any revenue from the wireless licenses. "The difference between 2KY and the 'A' class stations is that the former conducts its political propaganda frankly and openly, while the latter conduct theirs in the form of 'news.' "

Malone and Robinson push for unlicensed listeners to take out licences prior to commencement of prosecutions; traders push for a wavelength change for 4QG to enable reception of close interstate stations with cheaper receivers

Wireless "Pirates." Prevalence in Brisbane Action to be Taken. It is believed there are at least three to four thousand wireless broadcasting listeners in Queensland who have not yet paid their annual license fees. The Commonwealth Postal Department, which is responsible for the administration of radio matters, and the collection of license fees, and the Queensland State Radio Service (4QG), which depends upon the receipt of a certain proportion of the fees paid for the maintenance of its services, both regard this studied non-payment of fees by an increasingly large number of listeners-in, in a very serious light indeed. Action is therefore to be taken immediately to protect the interests of the Queensland broadcasting station by preventing, in large measure the pirating of programmes by unlicensed users of sets. But before Summons Court proceedings are instituted, an appeal is to be made to the sporting instincts of the delinquent listeners. By means of circulars and Press notices their attention will be drawn to the necessity of license fees being paid if the present service is to be maintained and improved. An appeal to their British sense of fairness will be made; they will be reminded that it is unreasonable to expect a few to provide the means by which all are afforded the opportunity of enjoying the nightly broadcasted programmes from 4QG. Since the commencement of broadcasting from the temporary station in the Executive Building, new licenses have been issued at the rate of about 100 per month, but at the present time the total number of license holders in the whole of the State falls far short of 2,000. The 100 new licenses does not tally with the number of new sets, or the quantity of components for the home manufacture of sets, which are being sold each month by Brisbane and southern dealers to listeners in this State. Hundreds of aerials of all makes and designs may be counted in any one suburb of Brisbane. This open defiance of the Commonwealth wireless regulations relating to the taking out of licenses is inviting a visit from one of the State radio inspectors and an appearance in the Summons Court. If heed is not taken of the appeal which is to be issued, the authorities say they will necessarily have to make an example of a few "pirates." When Mr. J. Malone, chief manager of Telegraphs and Wireless for the Commonwealth, was in Brisbane this week, he received a deputation representative of the wireless trading firms of this State. They discussed with him the desirability or otherwise of an alteration of the wave lengths of 4QG (Brisbane), 2BL (Sydney), and 3LO (Melbourne), and three are within a few metres of one another. It was pointed out that even under the present low power conditions worked by 4QG, it was difficult, except on the super selective sets, to tune out 4QG when it was desired to bring in 2BL and 3LO. Mr. Malone promised to give consideration to the problem, but he pointed out that with the establishment of more high powered stations, say at Toowoomba, Rockhampton, and Townsville in Queensland, which was a possibility within the next five years, it was either a question of sharper tuning on both sending and transmitting sets, or contentment by listeners with the local station. Distance would, of course, always lend enchantment to reception, but under equal conditions the best results from a quality point of view would always be obtained from the nearest broadcasting station. The local stations could only expand and make their programmes more attractive by receiving the loyal support of local wireless amateurs and listeners. Members of the trade referred to the quality of the programmes transmitted from 4QG, but it was pointed out by Mr. J. W. Robinson that an improvement could only be made when an increased revenue was received from license fees. This statement led to a discussion on the subject, and the decision to launch an offensive against unlicensed listeners, first by propaganda, and secondly by law court proceeding if the first were unsuccessful.

JWR announces the broadcast of a march of bands through Brisbane city streets

MARCH HEARD BY RADIO. A UNIQUE TRANSMISSION. Thousands heard the march of the bands through the streets of the city last night by radio. In Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, listeners saw through the mind's eye the torchlight procession, the crowds that lined the route, the amusing incidents, the colour or it all. 4QG wireless broadcasting station provided the means to see arid hear. It was a unique experience for many of the new radio enthusiasts. The skirl of the kiltie's pipes and the martial music of the brass bands could be heard approaching from the distance — now faintly heard, but growing louder as the point where the microphone was installed was approached. Then the music came in with full force as the instrumentalists blew their double F notes right under the microphone and the tramp of marching feet could be plainly heard. The music grew fainter and fainter as the bands increased their distance until finally nothing of their playing but the dimly heard rattle of the drum came to the ears of the interested listeners, and finally none but the street noises came through the air. A running descriptive account of the march was given by Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of 4QG.

Big 4QG to be ready in January 1926; 4SP acts as manager 4QG during absence of JWR

State Radio. The Permanent Station To be Ready in January. It is expected that the new permanent station of the Queensland Radio Service, now under construction on the roof of the State Insurance Building in George Street, will be ready for broadcasting in January. The manager of the service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) will leave Brisbane tomorrow for Sydney, where he will inspect, under test conditions, the five-kilowatt transmitter, which is to be installed in the new station. He will also make arrangements for the shipment of the mechanism to Brisbane within the next two or three weeks. Mr. Robinson will be away from Brisbane for about a week. Mr. F. W. Stevens, (chief engineer) will act as manager during his absence.

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4SP, as acting manager 4QG, oversights broadcast of the "Kookaburra" song by Ethel Osborn

BIRD SONG BY WIRELESS. "THE KOOKABURRA" Numerous were the inquiries received yesterday by the acting manager of 4QG (Mr. F. W. Stevens) regarding, the mysterious musical item to be broadcast at 8.45 last night. So close was the secret kept, however, that the staff of 4QG were not aware of the arrangement until the last moment. It was intended as a surprise even for them. Miss Ethel Osborn's first wireless appearance took place in Sydney, some two years ago. 4QG's manager, (Mr. J. W. Robinson), at present in Sydney in connection with big 4QG, and the chief engineer, and at the moment acting manager (Mr. F. W. Stevens) were both associated with this first appearance by wireless of Queensland's noted singer. Last night Miss Osborn rendered with great success her beautiful "Kookaburra" song. She also sang "The Pipes of Pan" from "The Arcadians." Both her numbers transmitted clearly, and were much enjoyed by listeners.

As previous, more detail

BIRD SONG BY WIRELESS. Numerous were the inquiries received yesterday by the acting manager of 4QG (Mr. F. W. Stevens) regarding the mysterious musical item to be broadcast at 8.45 p.m. last night. So closely was the secret kept, however, that even the staff of 4QG were not aware of the arrangement until the last moment. It was intended as a surprise, and it was a most pleasant one for the thousands of listeners-in. Even when Mr. Giles, on behalf of the Austral Choir, proceeded to give a neat radio lecturette on Queensland's "songbird," Miss Ethel Osborn — her career and her prospects — few realised that he was about to introduce the brilliant singer herself. Miss Ethel Osborn's first wireless appearance took place in Sydney some two years ago. It is interesting to note that 4QG's manager (Mr. J. W. Robinson), who is at present in Sydney in connection with big 4QG, and the chief engineer, and the acting manager (Mr. F. W. Stevens) were both associated with this first appearance by wireless of Queensland's wonder singer. Listener's comments poured into 4QG last night after Miss Osborn rendered so wonderfully her beautiful "Kookaburra" song. The reproduction of both her numbers was splendid and most assuredly satisfied the high state of expectancy into which 4QG's listeners had worked themselves.

JWR in Sydney to inspect the new AWA 5 kW transmitter

WIRELESS. (BY ALAN BURROWS.) . . . Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the Queensland Radio Service — more popularly known as 4QG — has been visiting Sydney for an inspection of the 5-kilowatt transmitter now in course of construction by Amalgamated Wireless (Aust.), Ltd. This transmitter will shortly be installed at 4QG, in place of the 500-watt outfit which the station is now using. Sydney listeners should then find this station as easily received as 3LO is at present, or has been until more recently.

4QG aerial towers start to take shape; wireless dealers warned to ensure their stocks are adequate

THE NEW STATION. Gradually the towers take shape, and day by day one can see further additions to the wonderful masts now in the course of erection on the State Insurance building for the State radio station. It struck me that their position, when erected to full height, will be a landmark for miles around. There is no doubt that as they near completion the effect of the community will be evident in increased wireless sales. It, therefore behoves all radio dealers and manufacturers to look to their stocks and see that their reply to inquiries is not, "Sorry we have none in stock just now — expecting them shortly."

After such a long delay for big 4QG, almost a "Proof of Life" photograph (Wasn't the transmitter completed early 1925, maybe the original placed elsewhere?)

News in Pictures — The Daily Mail Photographic Page. . . . (Start Photo Caption) HIGH POWER BROADCASTING.— This new 5 K.W. broadcasting station transmitter is in course of manufacture at the radio-electric works of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd. It will be installed at an early date at 4QG, Queensland Government radio station. (End Photo Caption)

Review of 1925 and forecast for 1926, much involving 4QG

RADIO TOPICS. CONDUCTED BY "LISTENER." A Retrospect. PROGRESS DURING 1925. The year which is now drawing to a close saw considerable progress made in radio in Queensland; the new year promises still greater progress. . . . But the main feature of the year was the inauguration of broadcasting in this State, something to which enthusiasts had looked forward to for many months before it became an accomplished fact, although 4CM had broadcasted many enjoyable programmes, from time to time. 4QG, owned and worked by the Queensland Government, commenced operations from a temporary station in August. Difficulties were at first experienced, but these were soon overcome, and for a little over four months the station has provided varied programmes, which have proved generally acceptable. The local broadcasting has created considerable interest in radio, and thousands of new listeners have been created by its activities. Now what of the new year? Bigger and better things are expected when 4QG's new and permanent station, now being erected on top of the State Insurance Building, is completed. The manager of the station (Mr. J. W. Robinson) has promised the introduction of broadcasting on a larger scale than the service at present provided, and he has promised to instal the most modern of high-power transmitting sets, a set which will probably be heard all over the world." He has further said that "from the station at various hours of the day and night high-class musical entertainments, educational Items, news items, sporting information, and commercial and weather intelligence will be broadcast. During the afternoon musical programmes will be transmitted and the members of the fairer sex may find afternoon tea much sweeter and much more refreshing of taken to the tune of wireless music." It would therefore, seem that if the management has its way the new high-powered station will be one of the best, if not the best in the Australian States, all of which now have broadcasting stations.

1926

1926 01

1926 01 01

JWR expounds on ease of reception once big 4QG commences; problems with temporary 4QG

HERE AND THERE. 4QG'S NEW STATION. Mr. Robinson (manager of 4QG) says that whatever disabilities listeners-in may experience under present conditions, it should be difficult to find ground for complaint when the new station is opened. A new feature of the permanent station will be a special session for farmers. The station will have an effective radius of 1,000 miles, but it will be audible over a much greater distance by listeners who are skilful in tuning in, land who possess multi-valve sets. Mr. Robinson is hopeful that the number of licenses in Queensland will be increased from approximately 4,000 to 10,000 within a comparatively short time after the new station is established. NEW LICENSES. The appeal made by the manager of station 4QG a few weeks ago to all listeners asking them to take out licenses immediately, had a very good effect The list of licensees has been added to by some hundreds, and it should soon be possible to provide that better service promised by the management when more revenue was forthcoming. Of the 27s. 6d. collected by the Postal Department station 4QG receives 25s., and assuming that there are now approximately 4,000 licensees in Queensland, the revenue of the station is now £5,000 a year from that source alone. In addition, the station receives revenue from advertisements which are broadcasted. BRISBANE PIRATES. There must still be some hundreds of unlicensed listeners in Brisbane. Every week new listeners raise their aerials on high, and instal sets, mostly of the crystal type, with which excellent results are obtainable from 4QG. The practice among many seems to be to first instal a set, see if it will work, and then if one is sufficiently interested in listening-in go and take out a license at the post office. Others instal sets and steal the programmes; and they will continue to do so until effective action is taken to make them receive the programmes honestly. . . . . 4QG STRIKES TROUBLE. On both Sunday and Monday nights there were breakdowns at station 4QG. It is understood that the cause was due to faults which developed in the generator, which is only of a makeshift character. The temporary cessations of local broadcasting started amateurs searching for southern stations, and in consequence there was a very loud chorus of squeals and howls from sets in which regeneration was being used for amplification purposes. There is going to be some great fun this coming winter when the new listeners begin reaching out for distant stations on regenerative sets. It was regrettable that there should have been breakdowns because of the work upon which amateurs are immediately thrown in an endeavour to ascertain whether their own sets are at fault.

Comprehensive progress report on the installation of big 4QG

BROADCASTING. STATION 4QG, BRISBANE. TREMENDOUS UNDERTAKING. Only a visit to the roof of the State Insurance Building can convey some idea of the magnitude of the work which is proceeding in connection with the construction of the new Radio Station 4QG. The whole of the large area of roof has been taken up with the buildings, and the two steel towers which are now visible from almost every part of the Brisbane district occupy two of the corners. When completed, station 4QG will become the headquarters of the Queensland Radio Service, the department which holds and administers the only "A" grade broadcasting licence which is allotted to this State under the Federal wireless regulations. On the roof of the State Insurance Building, administrative offices, artists' reception rooms, studios, laboratories, workshops, and the main instrument room have been constructed, and the whole undertaking is now rapidly nearing completion. The rear portion of the building, which comprises the workshops and the large instrument room, has been completed, and work is now proceeding in connection with the installation of the high-power transmitting apparatus which arrived from Sydney some few days ago. When completed station 4QG should be the most modern in the Southern Hemisphere. THE BUILDING. Viewed from the street level the buildings which have been.erected do not seem very large, but on stepping from the elevator which conveys a visitor to the roof, one is first struck with the magnitude of the structure. The building itself is of concrete, and from the lift a small entrance hall leads to the main vestibule situated right at the front of the building. From this vestibule entrance is effected to the various offices in which the staff is accommodated. A doorway from the centre of the vestibule leads to the main reception hall of the station. This hall is the finest room in the building, and is built in the form of a double cross. It is 56ft long by 56ft wide, and is capped by a large dome held in position by pillars. The reception hall is now in an unfinished state, but a gang of men are hard at work on it, and the big dome, which will add greatly to the appearance of the hall, in now in the hands of the plasterers. From the main inception hall two studios, one larger than the other, open off, and it is in these that the various items of speech and music which are to be broadcast will be said, sung, or played. The construction of the studios is elaborate. In broadcasting it is necessary to exclude external sound, and also to prevent internal sounds from echoing. Care has been taken to exclude external sound by the building of double concrete walls with an air space between them. The floors are packed with sawdust, and ceilings are similarly packed. Each studio has double sound-proof doors. MECHANICS SECTION. Close to the studios a hall leads off to the station proper. From one side of this hall the workshops, laboratories, and motor rooms are entered, and on the other side of it entrance is gained to the main instrument room. In this room the transmitting gear is being assembled. The instrument room is now complete, and is therefore free from the attentions of constructional hands, but is a scene of great activity in connection with the apparatus. The gear arrived from Sydney in more than 100 cases, and the whole installation is in more than 3000 separate parts. Naturally, the complete assembly of the plant is a matter of more than one or two days' work. The aerial is being constructed, and when ready will, doubtless, be erected on the towers in order to be out of the way. An elaborate earth screen is being arranged at the station, and small masts which will support it are being erected on the roof. CONSTRUCTIONAL DIFFICULTIES. The constructional work in connection with the station has been slow, but when the many difficulties which have had to be faced are remembered this fact is not surprising. All the gear has had to be hauled from the ground level, and lack of space prevented a crane being erected. A small hoist used in connection with a temporary scaffolding had to be employed. When the huge quantities of sand, coke, timber, and other material necessary for the work are taken into consideration, it will be seen that the task has been by no means a small one. THE TOWERS. The construction of the towers was also a difficult matter and almost as much work was necessary below them as appears on top. Foundations had to be prepared, and it was necessary to go through to the sixth floor of the building in order to anchor the bases. This meant drilling through concrete, locating steel girders and bolting foundations on to them. The task has been accomplished in so thorough a manner that the visitor to the building finds it very hard to trace any signs of the work below the surface of the roof. SUBSIDIARY WORK. In addition to the main constructional work much subsidiary work has had to be done. Special power lines have had to be connected to the building, taken up the lift well, and led into the station, special telephone cables prepared, and special plumbing connections made in connection with the sanitary system. WIRELESS ENTHUSIASTS. The men employed on the station are extraordinarily enthusiastic and are proud of the work. It is the foreman's main regret that.the building is "too far out of the way for everyone to see it." Many of the men are owners of wireless sets and are enthusiastic listeners to the temporary 4QG now in operation. They regard big 4QG as work which is going to give them pleasure in the evenings, and are all equally keen about their own share in its construction. It is understood that when the station has been completed facilities will be made for its inspection by members of the public at certain hours, and a visit to it will be quite well worth the time of anyone interested in radio.

Photos of the towers of big 4QG

STATE BROADCASTING. (Start Photo Caption) The aerial towers for 4QG's new wireless station, on the top of the State Insurance Building, have been completed. The picture shows two workmen putting the finishing touches to the work over 200 feet above the street level. (End Photo Caption) (Start Photo Caption) Part or the eastern side of the State Insurance Building, showing the two towers. (End Photo Caption)

4SP gives a lecture on the Willis Island Coastal station over 4QG (all staff in multi-disciplinary roles)

BROADCASTING. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12. . . . NIGHT SESSION. 8 p.m.— Tune-in to the Tivoli Theatre. 8.5 p.m.— From the studio: Soprano solo, "Magdalene at Michael's Gate" (Lehmann), Miss Mabel Malouf; cornet solo, Caprico "Zelda" (Code), Mr. J. W. Burgomeister; contralto solo, "When My Ships Come Sailing Home" (Dorel), Miss Vera Parker; instrumental number, "Dainty Daffodils" (Mills), the Studio Quartette; Aeolian selection, soprano solos, (a) "The Robin's Song" (White-Perkins), (b) "Lo, Here the Gentle Lark" (Shakespeare-Bishop), Miss Evelyn Scotney; radioveu, "I'm Gonna Bring a Watermelon," by "The Sparklers"; lecturette, "Station C.G.I," by Mr. F. W. Stevens, chief engineer of the Queensland radio service;

Journalist points out that all stations are subject to breakdowns; VIB no longer a source of interference to broadcasts

Here and There. BREAKDOWNS AT STATIONS. All broadcasting stations have their occasional breakdowns. The same week as trouble was being experienced at 4QG, there were several breakdowns at 3LO (Melbourne). The result was that many sets were pulled to pieces in an endeavour to find a fault. The owners of the sets never thought that the station was at fault. The trouble at 3LO was caused by the master oscillator refusing to oscillate. In the system employed at 3LO, radio frequency oscillations are generated by a comparatively low powered oscillator which may be modulated more easily than a high power oscillator. The oscillations are then amplified by means of a radio frequency amplifier. This means that the wave length of the station will not vary, unless the wave length of the oscillator varies. If this system were not used, the wave length would alter every time the aerial moved. VIB (BRISBANE RADIO). It is rumoured that station VIB (Brisbane Radio) may be shifted from Pinkenba to another site in the near future. Since a valve transmitter was installed broadcast listeners in Brisbane have been free of the interruption which VIB was wont to cause in the old days of spark transmission. How one used to curse VIB when its raucous noise would obliterate the programmes broadcasted by station 4CM, and other experimental stations which kept us entertained and interested until 4QG got going. Station VIB has accomplished a great deal of splendid work since its establishment some years ago, but it modestly refrains from talking about its performances in transmission and reception. A perusal of the log book during the wartime period would make interesting reading.

1926 01 15

Further progress report on the construction of big 4QG

State Broadcasting. No Afternoon Sessions. Assembling New Plant. It is learned that the afternoon transmission from 4QG State wireless broadcasting station will be discontinued as from the end of this week, but the 1 o'clock daily transmissions of market reports will be continued as usual. This action has been necessitated by the amount ot work entailed in the assembling of the high power plant at the new station on top of the State Insurance Building. The manager (Mr. Robinson) and his engineers find that they are unable to devote time to the afternoon transmissions and complete the installation of the new machinery within reasonable time. One has only to visit the transmitting room at 4QG's new station to realise that the assembling staff has a tremendously large amount of work to accomplish before the apparatus will be ready for operation. The engineers are working night and day sorting out the various parts in readiness for putting them together. At the commencement they had some thing like 3,500 separate pieces to deal with. After the instruments were thoroughly tested in Sydney they were completely dismantled. They came to Brisbane in over 80 cases. In their assembled state they could not have been put into the building. It is the intention of the management, when the new station is opened to provide afternoon sessions every day, children's sessions, and farmers' sessions every evening, and the usual night sessions. No announcement can be made at the present moment as to the date of the opening.

Another detailed progress report on Big 4QG by Telegraph journalist

RADIO TOPICS. CONDUCTED BY "LISTENER" STATION 4QG. A TOUR OF INSPECTION. What impresses the visitor to the new wireless station for 4QG, on top of the State Insurance Building, is the magnitude of the work, the thoroughness with which it is being done, and the indications that the studio, when finished, will provide facilities in keeping with the requirements of a most modern broadcasting station, and at the same time be of architectural beauty. "Listener" was afforded the privilege of looking over the station last weekend, the manager of 4QG, Mr. Robinson, accompanying him. After an inspection of what has been done, one does not doubt the assertion that the studio buildings will be the best in Australia. The plant will certainly be as modern and as powerful as any other plant in Australia, and whether the service shall be better or not than the services provided in the south will depend, of course, on the amount of revenue placed at the disposal of the management of 4QG. Just at this stage it may be opportune to remind unlicensed llsteners-in that it is up to them to assist in the effort to improve the programmes by paying their moderately low-priced license fee at the post office, thus placing more revenue in the coffers of 4QG, permitting the engagement of more and better artists. When you look at the wireless station premises on top of the seven storied State Insurance building from the street level, they do not impress you at all. "They don't seem up to much" the man in the street would remark. But take the elevator to the roof / dodge the plasterers at work, and you find that the studio buildings are so large that they take up almost all the roof space. You walk into an entrance hall whence, when the station is in operation, you will gain admittance to the manager's room, inquiry room, and other staff rooms. A doorway from the centre of the vestibule leads to the main reception room which is built in the form of a double cross, and will be a most ornate room when finished. It is 56 feet long by 56 feet wide, and is capped by a large plaster formed dome held in position by pillars. To the right of the reception room, where artists and friends will wait their call from the studio manager, is a large studio, which will be used for band, choir, and orchestral items. In the centre is a smaller studio for use by soloists and small parties. Immediately behind the studio is the instrument room, where the engineers and their assistants are at present assembling the plant. On the gardens side of the building are situate the workrooms of the engineers, storage rooms, and the ventilating machinery room. Giant fans will send fresh air pouring into all the rooms through apertures in the walls; giant fans will suck the impure air out through the ceiling of the rooms. Over all towers the giant steel masts from which a double squirrel cage L type aerial will be swung. Brisbane will awake one of these mornings to see the aerial stretched from tower to tower, 200 feet above the pavement. It may be up in a few days. Just when the station will be opened one is unable to announce at the present moment, but it is understood that the management will not wait until the buildings have been entirely completed to commence operations, but will quietly change over from the temporary station one weekend, and just carry on, the service still being announced as a temporary one pending everything working smoothly. In the history of all new broadcasting stations there has always been an initial period of difficulties. All the southern stations struck trouble at first. The management of 4QG, however, hope to have the pleasure of obtaining smooth-working transmissions from the outset. In the manufacture of the plant by Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., of Sydney, many improvements were effected to the instruments in the light of experience gained from the working of 3LO, 5CL, and 2FC, and thorough tests were conducted before the plant was dismantled for despatch to Brisbane.

Confirmation of discontinuation of afternoon sessions from temporary 4QG; some politically incorrect statements about the need for simple to control sets for the womenfolk

HERE AND THERE. 4QG SESSIONS. As announced in "The Telegraph" last Monday, the afternoon sessions at 4QG are to be discontinued, so that the engineers of the station may devote more time to the assembling of the new plant. It is understood that when the new station is opened, the sessions will be as follows: 1 to 1.5 p.m., market and weather reports for farmers; 3 to 4 p.m., afternoon session for women, musical items, home and fashion talks; 6 to 6.30 p.m., children's session; 7 to 7.30, session for the farmers and men outback; 8 to 10 p.m., evening session, Mondays to Fridays inclusive; 8 to 10.30 p.m., Saturdays; morning, afternoon, and evening sessions, Sundays. With the assistance of the listening-in public, the management hope to make 4QG the best broadcasting station in Australia. SIMPLE SETS. The coming of afternoon sessions for the women folk emphasises the need for the greater manufacture of receivers with not more than one or two controls. If the womenfolk are to obtain the enjoyment which radio can give, sets must be simplified; and the tendency is in that direction. The amateur who wished to impress everybody with the multiplicity of controls on his set is passing, and in his place has come the man who desires to enjoy broadcasting programmes with little more effort than that required in winding and releasing the brake on a talking machine. Amateurs are finding that there is no fun in turning dial after dial in an effort to tune in programmes, the greater portion of which one is losing during the process. There is an over growing demand for sets which will bring in the programmes with the manipulation of one dial, and one or two enterprising Australian firms are following the lead given by many American manufacturers, and are offering the public sets of that description.

Aerial for Big 4QG installed on the new masts

HERE AND THERE. 4QG's NEW AERIAL. The aerial system at 4QG's new station was erected by the staff at the weekend, and it now stands out prominently on the Brisbane skyline. It is an L type squirrel cage type aerial, the horizontal wires being approximately 110 feet long between masts. Good progress was made during the week in the erection of the transmitting apparatus, and the artisans carried the building another stage towards completion. As announced exclusively by "The Telegraph" last week the afternoon sessions were temporarily suspended as from Monday to enable the staff to devote more time to the work at the new station. Yesterday being a holiday at the markets there was no midday transmission, but an enjoyable programme was transmitted last night.

Another allegation of 4QG being used for propaganda purposes but this one clearly vexatious

"Biassed Reports" State Wireless Lectures. Primary Producer Complains. Another allegation that the State Wireless Station is being used for propaganda purposes was made today. During a conference of primary producers, Mr. F. M. Ruskin, of Zillmere, brought up the question of the Council of Agriculture's lecturettes being broadcast from 4QG. He declared that these lecturettes were biassed reports, and he considered that an opportunity should be given the primary producer to put his side of the question. He recalled that a recent lecture stated that Queensland led the world in the distribution of fruit from the grower to the consumer. "I am sure that there are growers here who have received no help at all from the Committee of Direction," he said. "The producer has no opportunity to protect himself from statements that are made by way of propaganda.

JWR responds to the above allegation

"Not for Propaganda" State Radio Service. Director Denies Charges. "Station 4QG Brisbane is not being used for propaganda purposes," declared the Director of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) this morning, replying to an allegation by Mr. F. M. Ruskin, of Zillmere, which was published in "The Telegraph" on Friday. "The fact that some lectures, during the course of which certain views were expressed, were transmitted," said Mr. Robinson, "does not signify that the station is an instrument of propaganda any more than the reporting of those lectures, were they given in public, would signify that the newspaper publishing them in its columns was being used for propaganda purposes. "It would be just as reasonable to say that the station is being used for religious propaganda because church services are broadcast by it. Mr. Ruskin considers that an opportunity should be given certain producers to put their views forward. Neither Mr. Ruskin nor any other producer has yet approached me and asked for such an opportunity. Had he done so and been denied it there would perhaps have been cause for complaint. It is not my duty to either oppose or agree with a lecture. I have to cater for the public and if I consider a lecture to be well prepared and likely to interest a fair percentage of listeners, then I am ready to include it on the programme."

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1926 02 01

Ithaca Orchestral Society to provide part of the programme for the official opening of Big 4QG

ITHACA ORCHESTRA. APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE. A meeting of the committee of the Ithaca Orchestral Society was held on January 29, at the secretary's residence, Mr. F. C. Eade presiding in the absence of the president. A scheme to place the society on a subscribing basis was discussed. The secretary reported that he had written to over 150 likely subscribers, but that the response to date had not been very encouraging. The committee desires to point out that in addition to the pleasure subscribers and patrons of the society will have in listening to their own orchestra, they will also have the added pleasure of knowing that they are assisting a very worthy object. To those who are interested in the progress of the orchestra, the committtee appeals for their financial assistance in the aim not only to get the best, but to give the best. The players have entered the 1926 season enthusiastically, and under the baton of their very able conductor (Mr. A. Kaeser). are confident of achieving success. The committee desires to thank those who in the past year have so willingly and generously assisted their object, and appeals to others interested to show their interest in a practical manner. It is also announced that the orchestra will render a short programme in connection with the opening of the new Queensland wireless station (4QG), which event will take place shortly. The members of the committee present included Messrs. F. C. Eade, H. Sykes, A. Watts, W. G. Sercombe, and L. Dahl. The society practises every Tuesday evening from 7.45 o'clock in Christ Church Hall, Milton, and the conductor invites intending members to came along and interview him on any practice night.

A knowledgeable Brisbane Courier reader correctly asserts that Big 4QG aerial is directional away from intended audience and a Marconi "T" aerial is preferred, JWR responds subsequently

4QG's AERIAL. "Queenslander" writes: About twelve months ago the construction was commenced of a broadcasting station on the roof of the State Insurance Office the object being to serve the public of Queensland with broadcasting (I repeat, "to serve the public of Queensland"). Naturally, as time went on an aerial was erected and completed with the same object — to serve the public of Queensland. (I repeat, to serve the public of Queensland.") This aerial, which was recently completed is of the inverted "L" type with the lead-in at the southeast end of the horizontal aerial. It is generally understood that an aerial has greater radiation (to use nontechnical terms) from the end at which the lead-in is taken. In support of this I will quote, finally, Ward's Pocket Dictionary: Directive Aerial: A bent aerial gives greatest radiation in plane of aerial but in opposite direction to which open or free end points." Secondly, Elmer E. Bucher, in Practical Wireless Telegraphy," states it has been definitely proven by Marconi that a horizontal aerial in which the length of the flat top largely exceeds the height will radiate more strongly in the direction opposite to the free end." Thirdly, I will quote from the "Boy's Wireless Book," which states: "The inverted 'L' aerial is directional in the direction opposite to that in which the disconnected end points." I quote these lo show the matter of directional aerial is not overlooked in practically any text book or wireless book. I therefore cannot understand why the management and technical staff of station 4QG have placed their lead-in at the end which is in no way directional to Queensland. In fact, it would appear that they are catering for New Zealand. I therefore suggest, if an inverted "L" type aerial is to be used, that it at least be made directional for Queensland, so that the Queensland listeners may derive full benefit from their own broadcasting station; in fact, in view of the construction of aerial masts, the writer is of the opinion that a "T" aerial will give more satisfactory radiation, and suggests that at least this be tried.

4QG receives very limited funding from licence fees due to low number of licences taken out and the failure to meet power conditions for an A class station

HERE AND THERE. 4QG'S NEW STATION. Progress was made last month with the work of installing the new plant at 4QG, and it is expected that tests will soon be commenced. LICENSE FEES. 4QG only received £1,785 from license fees during the past 18 months, but the number of new licenses taken out recently should enable the Post and Telegraph Department to hand over a more substantial cheque when the next distribution takes place. During the same period other stations received amounts as follow: 2FC (Sydney), £53,530 7s. 9d.; 2BL (Sydney), £22,941 11s. 8d.; 3LO (Melbourne) £31,078 2s. 4d.; 3AR (Melbourne) £13,422 2s. 2d.; 5CL (Adelaide), £8,408 18s.; 6WF (Perth ), £7,673. The total amount received in license fees during the period was £179,717 18s. 5d., of which amount Victoria con-tributed £61,881 8s. 10d.

A Daily Standard journalist subtly raising similar questions about the 4QG aerial

Many so-called wireless experts are commencing to weigh up their "fors" and "againsts" of the prospects of the opening of new 4QG as a first-class station. It is really interesting to hear some of the ideas expressed by people who have developed wireless learning over the last few months. When a new station gets to work it is nearly always found that it cannot get through properly in certain directions, or to certain areas. Exactly what makes reception bad in certain areas from a given station no one yet quite knows, that there are certain well-recognised factors such as screening by high hills, particularly if, they contain metallic ores. Probably the design of the transmitting aerial has more effect upon the question than as at present fully recognised. Take, for instance, the case of 2LO (London). Here was an instance where the aerial defect appears to have been responsible for when the aerial was altered conditions became better at once. Aerial alterations, too, were responsible for great improvements in the range of the Manchester station. And it is from these overseas experiences we obtain our lessons. Daventry has at present the distinction of being the greatest broadcasting station in the world. This will be a horrid blow to England's Trans-Atlantic cousins, who simply hate to have to admit that there is a biggest anything outside the confines of their own great country. Already plans have been mooted for the erection in the States of a 50 kilowatt station, and now that Daventry is an established fact it will probably not be long before the American giant becomes an established fact also. The greatest American station so far is KDKA, whose output is frequently in the neighborhood of 15 kilowatts on the short waves. Those who are familiar with KDKA and know the volume with which he comes in on a favorable night may well wonder what the reception of a 50 kilowatt station even at 3000 miles or so would be like. Personally, I often wonder whether it is really wise to concentrate on big central stations rather than to erect chains of small stations all over the country. The drawbacks to a big station using great power are twofold. In the first place it must exercise a considerable blotting out effect over a widish band of wave lengths. Secondly, in order to make crystal reception good at great ranges it is necessary to modulate the carrier wave very deeply. Though this does very well for the "cryataliser," it is apt to make the valve man tear his hair, for it produces in his telephones or loudspeaker a harshness which is exceedingly difficult to get rid of. With smaller stations the modulation is usually much better from the valve man's point of view, and it is the "crystal-gazer" whose hair suffers if he lives on the fringe of the effective range of the station.

First announcement of expected official commencement date of 19 April for Big 4QG, subject to unforeseen circumstances

RADIO TOPICS. CONDUCTED BY "LISTENER." 4QG'S NEW STATION OPENING ABOUT APRIL 19. "Listener" is able to announce that in all probability 4QG's new station on top of the State Insurance Building will be officially opened on Monday evening, April 19. Official arrangements have been made to open the station that night, but unforeseen circumstances may cause a postponement. All of the instruments have now been assembled; the screening system has still to be erected. One of the studios is nearly ready. Radiation tests will shortly commence from what should be Australia's best broadcasting station.

Photos of staff responsible for temporary 4QG

THE STAFF RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF TEMPORARY 4QG. (Photo caption) Standing, Left to Right: Mr. L. Shield (Accountant); Mr. W. Borden (sic, Bardin) (Ass. Engineer); Mr. F. W. Stevens (Engineer); Mr. N. Cooling (Announcer); Mr. H. Scott-Macallum (Musical-Director). Sitting, Left to Right: Mr. C. Moran (Cadet Operator); Miss M. E. MacFarlane (Director’s Secretary and Little Miss Brisbane); Mr. J. W. Robinson (Director); Miss C. Archdall (Typiste).

Daily Standard issues a warning for wireless buyers to be aware of shonks in the lead up to opening of Big 4QG

WIRELESS By "LOUD SPEAKER" In recent years the public has had given to it warnings of all natures to prevent or to try to prevent it from falling into the hands of unskilled and, in some cases, unscrupulous "experts" of one degree or another. Persons with the average reasoning will not willingly fall for the schemes or traps put their way by "experts" such as some financiers, herbalists, and "quacks" and born inventors, and many others. Radio has now passed the stage when it was an experiment, and it has been established as one of the world's leading industries, and with it have established themselves dozens of men in every city whose aim is to exploit the industry to the utmost. With the approaching "radio boom" that Brisbane is to experience with the opening shortly of big 4QG, there is bound to be a large picking ground thrown open for the "dud" wireless "expert" to play in. The public is likely to be very much visited by so-called radio experts of the "get your money and clear type," and it is not at all too early to throw out a warning that they should be ready to brush aside the advances of the mat? of much talk and little stability. Radio is a thing that must be studied properly from the point of manufacturing of sets for its reception.

1926 02 15

4SP gives a lecture over 4QG on the Coastal Radio Stations

4QG RADIO SERVICE. TODAY'S PROGRAMMES. . . . NIGHT SESSION. 8 p.m.— Tune-in to the Tivoli Theatre. 8.5 p.m.— From the Studio: Baritone solo, "The Best Pal That I Had" (by request), Mr. Gerald Cashman; group of mouth organ numbers by "The Sandman:; soprano solo, "Love's a Merchant" (Carew), Miss Eileen McLennan; lecturette, "The Coastal Radio Stations," Mr. F. W. Stevens; cornet solo, "Harbour Lights" (Smith), M

Summary of the forthcoming 4QG from JWR's former employer SMH

NEW QUEENSLAND STATION. The new Queensland Government broadcasting station (4QG) is now nearing completion, and it is expected that during the next two or three weeks tests will be made on a power of five kilowatts. The roof of the State Insurance Building, in Brisbane, has been utilised for the offices, reception rooms, studios, laboratories, workshops and instrument rooms and two steel lattice towers, each 100 feet high have been erected at diagonally opposite corners of the building to support the aerial system. All departments of the service will be under the one roof. Direct elevator service from the street lands callers to a small vestibule at the front of the building and from this vestibule the administrative offices are entered. A main door leads to a large reception hall, laid out in the form of a double cross and capped by a very fine dome of moulded plaster. Ladies' and gentlemen's cloak rooms are entered from the reception hall, as also are the two studios. The principal studio is naturally lighted. The instrument room in which is housed a five kilowatt transmitter, is at the rear of the two studios and is separated by double concrete walls in which are set sound proof windows. Casual callers are intended to at the front offices, without gaining a glimpse of the reception halls and studios. Artists pass from the vestibule to the reception hall, where they wait until required in the studios. The whole of the portion of the building that houses the actual transmitting apparatus is isolated by the arranging of its approach in the form of a corridor and thus unauthorised persons cannot gain access to it during transmission hours. The station was designed by the Director of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) and the constructional work carried out by the Department of Public Works, Brisbane. Amalgamated Wireless, Limited, is at present installing the transmitter, and on completion the station will be taken over and operated by the staff of the service. The temporary station is at present working with the low power of 750 watts and is therefore, not heard well in Sydney. When the new station is in operation, however, it should be easily heard in New South Wales.

Major increase in Qld listener licences (= greater revenue for Big 4QG); lectures by 4SP favourably received

HERE AND THERE. QUEENSLAND LISTENERS. There are now between 5,000 and 6,000 license holders in Queensland. A few months ago they did not number a thousand. There must be twice as many licensed listeners. Radio inspectors have been. busy in South Australia in recent months; a raid may be expected in this State at an early date. . . . COASTAL RADIO STATIONS. The lecturette entitled "Coastal Radio Stations," delivered by the chief engineer of 4QG (Mr. F. W. Stevens), on Monday night proved just as interesting as his lecturette on Willis Island, and just as enjoyable. It was a well prepared lecturette; the words were well put together, and there was quite a dramatic touch in the concluding part. Listeners will look forward with pleasurable expectation to the next lecturette to be delivered by Mr. Stevens.

Excellent photo of the Big 4QG towers and State Insurance Building

Magic Wireless By A. W. Watt, Editor "Wireless Weekly" and "Radio" . . . (Start Photo Caption) 4QG. The photograph shows the two steel towers which have been erected on the roof of the Queensland Government Insurance Buildings, Brisbane, to support the aerial system of Broadcasting Station 4QG, owned and operated by the Queensland Radio Service. The towers are each 100ft in height. The roof of the insurance building is 124ft above the street level. The installation is now almost completed. (End Photo Caption)

JWR and Read depart together on a motoring trip to Sydney

PERSONAL. Mr. J. W. Robinson, director of 4QG wireless station, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. L. Read, of the Read Press, intend leaving Brisbane on a motoring trip to Sydney next Thursday. The party will proceed via the Northern Rivers of New South Wales on the southern journey. Mr. Robinson will be joined in Sydney by Mrs. Robinson, who is at present holidaying in Melbourne.

Big 4QG preliminary tests, but not yet put to air, expected shortly

4QG Radio Station. Preliminary Tests Made. Good Progress Reported. The erection of the high power wireless broadcasting apparatus in the new station for the Queensland Radio Service on top of the State Insurance building has been advanced sufficiently to enable certain preliminary tests to be carried out, said the Director (Mr. J. W. Robinson) this morning. "So far nothing has been put on the air," Mr. Robinson continued, "but we hope to be able to do so within a few days. Some test programmes may be broadcasted after the usual schedule evening hours, and to enable those to listen in who so desire, a preliminary announcement will be made of the dates and hours." As announced in the programme published in the first edition, there will be no broadcasting tomorrow afternoon. This is to enable the full staff to concentrate on testing work at the new station. There is a very large and complicated wiring system, every unit of which has to be tested. Artisans are still employed at work in the construction of the studio buildings, which, when completed, will be the best in Australia. As previously announced, the director hopes to have the new station officially opened by the Premier (Mr. W. McCormack) on April 19.

Further announcement of proposed Big 4QG on air tests

LOCAL BROADCASTING. 4QG NEW STATION TESTS. As announced in last Saturday's issue of "The Telegraph" 4QG's new 5,000 watt broadcasting station may be heard on the air testing within the next few weeks. An announcement of the times may be expected in about 12 days time. The tests are not being put on the air for the purpose of inviting criticism of the transmissions; the director will ask for a little forbearance in this respect, requesting listeners to remember that there are always a certain number of adjustments to be made before a new transmitting plant can be made to produce the best results of which it is capable. The installation work is being carried out by.representatives of Amalgamated Wireless Limited, the makers of the transmitting gear. 4QG AND COUNTRY RECEPTION. It is understood it is the intention of the director of 4QG to send members of the engineering staff into the country to test transmissions from the new station, so that adjustments may be made to ensure that the very best results are obtained by rural listeners. It will be remembered that when the State Government was talking of establishing an A class broadcasting station in Brisbane, it announced that one of the reasons that would influence it to do so was the need of bringing the country dweller into closer touch with the city, and of furnishing him with correct information relating to weather, market, general commercial information and news matter. If the new station does not accomplish this service the Government will come in for a great deal of criticism from people living in outside areas. The temporary 500 watt station, which has been in operation over six months, has not provided a service for listeners outside a radius of about twelve miles from the Executive Buildings. This has not been the fault of the instruments so much as it has been the result of the continued use of an aerial system, which, at the outset, proved to have poor radiation qualities. But everybody is hoping for the best when the new station is in operation. OFF FOR A HOLIDAY. Mr. J. W. Robinson (director of 4QG) commences a ten days' vacation tomorrow. He intends to motor to Sydney and back. Mr. Robinson contemplates a strenuous period just prior to the opening of the new station, and he hopes to return from his trip full of energy for the trying period which is always associated with the commencement of broadcasting operations from an hitherto unused new plant. He is going to forget all about wireless during his holiday.

JWR supports the calls to eliminate the loudspeaker nuisance

RADIO TOPICS. CONDUCTED BY "LISTENER" LOUDSPEAKER NUISANCE. DETRIMENTAL TO WIRELESS. Following the reference in last week's notes and correspondence in the Press to the loudspeaker nuisance, the director of 4QG (Mr. J. W. Robinson) devoted ten minutes on Monday night to a little talk on the subject through the air. To use his own words he delivered a hard knock to those who were listening in, with the assistance of a "blaring, blatant", loudspeaker. "What has it got to do with you?" was a question which Mr. Robinson said misusers of loudspeakers might ask. In reply he had to say that it had a lot to do with 4QG. If loudspeakers were so worked that they created a nuisance throughout the whole of the neighbourhood, it would tend to sicken people of wireless, and thereby lessen the number of new licenses taken out, thus reducing the amount of revenue obtained by the station therefrom. With more revenue the station could provide a better service, so it was also in the interests of present listeners to please other people with wireless, and so influence them to engage in it. If loud speakers were to be continued to be used in the manner complained of by writers in the Press, it was going to have the effect of reducing the revenue of the station and the service was going to be so much the poorer. He appealed to the good sense and fair play of users of loudspeakers to prevent them from becoming a nuisance to other people. Most people who used a talking machine did it in such a way that the music filled the room nicely. If they used a gramophone so that it could be heard three or four blocks away seven nights in the week, complaints from people living in the vicinity would soon be made. Therefore, wireless should be so used that people listening to in the home of the owner of the set would hear nice soft music possessing good tonal qualities, music that would send them away feeling well pleased and satisfied with wireless reproduction.

Rare photo of the AWA staff that worked on 4QG

(Start Photo Caption) RADIO STATION EXPERTS. The picture was taken on the top of the new 4QG radio station, on the roof of the State Insurance Building. The figures in the picture are: Left, Mr. R. C. V. Humphery, engineer, employed by Amalgamated Wireless, of Australia, Ltd., which is installing the plant, and Mr. L. S. Jefferies, his assistant. They have been on the job since January 12. (End Photo Caption)

Photo of the Big 4QG transmitter

(Start Photo Caption) 4QG's NEW PLANT. The new plant at Station 4QG, on the roof of the State Insurance Building. It was erected by Messrs. R. C. V. Humphery (wireless engineer) and Mr. L. S. Jefferies (assistant engineer), and is now undergoing tests prior to being handed over by Amalgamated Wireless of Australia, Ltd., to the Government. The apparatus on left is a master oscillator; centre, an oscillator; and on right-variometer. (End Photo Caption)

Brief bio of AWA's R. C. V. Humphrey

ITEMS ABOUT PEOPLE. . . . Mr. R. C. V. Humphrey was born in Surrey, England, in 1896, and arrived in Australia in 1912. He enlisted in the 3rd Battalion A.I.F., and joined the A.W.A. (Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia) in December, 1922. He was for two and a half years a wireless operator on sea going boats. In 1925 he was attached to the engineering department of the A.W.A. He came to Brisbane on January 12 last to instal the new 5KW broadcasting station of 4QG, situated on the roof of the State Insurance Building. Mr. Humphrey studied both wireless and marine engineering in France, and speaks French fluently. He will leave for Sydney soon after the completion of the testing and handing over of the new station to 4QG.

1929

1929 01

4SP interviewed by "Listener" of the Telegraph on development for 1930

Big Changes. Broadcasting Methods. Forecast by Mr. F. W. Stevens. Big changes in the methods of broadcasting and in transmitting plants are forecasted for the end of 1929 or early in 1930 by. Mr. F. W. Stevens, Deputy Director and Chief Engineer of Station 4QG. What improvements, if any, were effected in the engineering and transmitting side of wireless broadcasting in 1928, either in Australia or in other parts of the world? was a question "Listener" put to the deputy director and chief engineer of 4QG (Mr. F. W. Stevens). I am of the opinion that very little improvement has been effected as far as actual broadcasting is concerned, said Mr. Stevens in reply. Much research has been done on the ultra short wave with transocean and other long distance transmissions, but as the short waves at present are not being used for regular broadcast transmissions this side of the question hardly need be considered here. As far as Australia is concerned nothing in any way outstanding has been achieved during the past twelve months. Almost without exception the broadcasting stations, from a technical point of view, are to-day as they were twelve months ago. Of overseas the same might also be said, but in America many stations have been closed down with the object of providing more channels for the more popular stations. In England and on the Continent very little has been achieved, so that one might say very little has been accomplished on the technical side of broadcasting during the past twelve months. BROADCASTING DEVELOPMENTS. What improvements in transmitting plants or in methods of broadcasting do you think will be effected during the coming year? Mr. Stevens was further asked. I predict very little changes in this respect during the early part of next year, but towards the end of 1929 or early in 1930 I forecast big changes," he said. "I believe the present system of modulation as used by the A grade stations in Australia will be changed, and that the stations will be entirely remodelled or, what is more probable, new stations will be built. So much depends on the final recommendation of the Advisory Committee at present considering the question of broadcasting in Australia, but indications point to more up-to-date stations being built, and relay stations being established. In my opinion the power of the stations will not be materially increased and, in fact, with the new system of modulation which I predict, the recognised power of the station may be reduced. Attention will also be turned to microphones. I think research will evolve a microphone which will make big changes in the quality of transmissions. One or two laboratories are on the track of a new type of microphone, and it is reasonable to expect a commercial article within the forthcoming 12 months. WORK ON SHORT WAVES. From a short wave transmitting and reception point of view what do you think the most important event of progress during the year. What do you think will be accomplished in this field during the coming year? asked "Listener." This question is rather vague. There is no doubt, in my opinion, that the outstanding feature of the year on short waves was Kingsford Smith's flight from America to Australia, but as this is separate from broadcasting it can hardly be considered here. It was a wonderful feat though to think that signals sent from the Southern Cross a few minutes after leaving Oakland could be heard in Brisbane, 6,599 miles away, and were continued to be heard throughout that entire flight through calm and storm. From a telephony point of view the duplex telephony between 2ME, Sydney, ANE Java, and with 2XAF, America, were perhaps the most out-standing, but even they, considering the power used by the transmitters, are far from wonderful. During 1929 I foresee the establishment of more short wave stations and although much still remains to be done in the field of research, I think short wave stations will be used for relaying programmes between recognised broadcasting stations. Results along these lines so far are far from satisfactory. Telegraphy on short wave is another question as mentioned in connection with Kingsford Smith's flight, and hundreds of telegraph stations of nearly all the nationalities of the world can be heard day and night. While I do not expect that short wavo transocean telegraphy will supercede the cable, I am of the opinion that business will be conducted more and more by wireless, and that in 1929 we will see more stations in Australia's distant parts linking up with the main centres and making it possible for messages to be handled more expeditiously than at present.

1929 02

4SP relays ̩4RG's description of Moreton Bay yacht race to 4QG

Novel Transmission. LAST SATURDAY'S YACHT RACE. Station 4QG enterprisingly arranged for the installation of a small transmitting plant on the excursion steamer Doomba last Saturday and an interesting description of the final of the series of races for the Forster Cup by the restricted yachts in Moreton Bay was broadcast. The apparatus used on the ship was that owned by Mr. C. Stephenson (4RG) who sent the message in the Morsecode to Mr. F. W. Stevens (Deputy Director of 4QG) who received them at his own private experimental station 4SP. Mr. Stevens translated the Morse messages and spoke into a microphone at his home which was connected by land line to 4QG. The point to point description was good and the results at the turns and at the finishing point were known within a few seconds by our listeners. The placings of the first, second and third boats were broadcast within half a minute of their passing the post. This was the first transmission of its kind attempted at 4QG and probably the first in Australia. The set used on the Doomba was made by Mr. Stephenson and he used a modest power of four watts. He is the senior operator at 4QG and has made some very successful rebroadcasts of 4QG and 2FC at his home, a special feature of which has been to receive the broadcast station on its normal wave length and to rebroadcast it on 41 metres on the one aerial.

4SP acts as Director 4QG while JWR on holidays

News and Notes. . . . DIRECTOR OF 4QG. The Direction (sic, Director) of Station 4QG (Mr. J. W. Robinson) returned to Brisbane on Tuesday morning and resumed duties after several days holiday leave, which was spent cruising in the Bay in the motor launch Warrior. During his absence the station was under the charge of the Deputy Director (Mr. F. W. Stevens).

4AT Expl responds to request for blood transfusion to assist wife of 4QG announcer

BLOOD TRANSFUSION. READY RESPONSE TO WIRELESS APPEAL. On Sunday evening at 6.45 o'clock, and again shortly afterwards, station 4QG broadcast an appeal to persons willing to undergo blood transfusion for Mrs. Wight, who was lying seriously ill in a private hospital. Mrs. Wight, who was the wife of Mr. Robert Wight, one of the announcers of 4QG, had undergone an operation, following a short illness, and the doctors, owing to her weakened condition, decided that the only thing that could save her life was blood transfusion. Mr. Wight and three other persons immediately volunteered, but on examination were found not to be suitable subjects. A call for volunteers was then sent out by 4QG, and a ready response was made by listeners-in. The first 16 who applied were hurried to the hospital, and, after examination, Mr. Alf. Bauer, a young operator from 4QG, was chosen. The operation was carried out immediately, but unfortunately, proved unavailing. Mrs. Wight succumbing just as the transfusion was completed. The director of 4QG (Mr. J. W. Robinson) stated last night that altogether 100 persons replied to the appeal, and a steady stream of telephone calls was made to the station from the time the announcement was sent out. Mr. Bauer attended yesterday morning to carry out his usual duties, but as he was still suffering from the effects of his ordeal, he was taken home again.

4SP enables relay of messages from a ship of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition over 4QG

News and Notes. Short Wave Experiments. A NOVEL RELAY. By way of a novelty for listeners, Mr. F. W. Stevens (Deputy Director of Station 4QG) intends to effect a rebroadcast of messages from Byrd's Antarctic ship, the City of New York, which is now in the South Polar regions. To hear messages being sent from so far south should provide listeners with a thrill. Mr. Stevens will pick up the messages from the City of New York on a short wave receiver at his experimental station 4SP, and relay them to Station 4QG which, in turn, will put them on the air on the broadcasting band. The novelty will be arranged, probably tonight, or next Wednesday night.

1929 03

4SP reports reception of KDKA shortwave and Byrd's Antarctic party

RADIO. News and Notes. Station 4QG. . . . KDKA LAST SUNDAY. Listeners on short waves last Sunday heard an excellent transmission by KDKA (America). It had been arranged specially for the entertainment of the Byrd's Antarctic expedition, the main party of which is now in camp at the Bay of Whales. The American station was heard at good strength in Brisbane and at times it was quite good enough for rebroadcasting. HEARD BYRD'S PARTY. Mr. F. W. Stevens (Deputy Director and Chief Engineer of 4QG) got a thrill one night last week when he tuned in W.F.A., the station of the Byrd expeditionary party at the Bay of Whales, which is approximately 3,900 miles from Brisbane. The station was working with the main ship of the expedition, the City of New York, at the time, and its signals could be easily read by Mr. Stevens.

4SP reports reception of Council of the League of Nations through the Hootwijk (Holland) station

Radio from Geneva. Heard in Brisbane Today. The special short wave wireless test transmission arranged by the Council of the League of Nations through the Hootwijk (Holland) Station was received in Brisbane today. Experimental Station VK4SP (Mr. F. W. Stevens, Windsor) first picked up the transmission from Geneva at 12.10 a.m., although the advertised time of transmission was from 11.40 p.m. Thursday until 12.10 a.m. Friday. The lecturer (whose name could not be obtained) spoke until 12.55 a.m. and described the different phases of work of the Council, and particularly his own, which deals with drugs, morphia, &c. He spoke for some time of the Secretariat, and expressed the hope that those listening to him in Australia would realise that the work going on in Geneva was of some importance, and asked that reports of reception be sent to Secretariat Council of League of Nations, Geneva. A lady then spoke, but her voice did not carry well.

4SP foreshadows possible rebroadcast of League of Nations station on 4QG

RADIO. News and Notes. League of Nations Council. As reported in "The Telegraph" on Friday, Mr. F. W. Stevens (deputy director at 4QG) was rewarded for his enterprise in sitting up till midnight on Thursday to attempt to receive the shortwave transmission arranged by the League of Nations Council. The transmission was in the nature of a test to determine whether the proceedings at the meeting of the council could be broadcast with success, and was effected through PCLL (Kootwijk, Holland). It was the first of three tests; the others will be carried out on March 21 and 28 at 2 to 2.30 p.m. London time, or 12 midnight to 12.30 a.m. Brisbane time. The power being used is 25 kilowatts on a frequency of 16.666 and a wave length of 18.4 metres. Should these tests be the success which is hoped for arrangements will be made to broadcast the proceedings of the May meeting of the council at Geneva. The league hopes to establish its own station in the near future. Mr. Stevens was easily able to follow the lecture which was given on the various phases of the work of the council, and in accordance with the request made has forwarded a report of his reception to Geneva. It is possible that Australian broadcasting stations will put portions of these additional tests and the May proceedings on the air.

4QG broadcasts policy speeches and the christening ceremony of 4SP's second son

News and Notes. 4QG and Policy Speeches. The director of station 4QG (Mr. J. W. Robinson) announced yesterday that complete arrangements had been made to broadcast the policy speech which is to be delivered by the Premier (Mr. W. McCormack) on behalf of the State Labour Party at Toowoomba on Friday night, April 5. A landline had been engaged from the Postmaster-General's Department and the engineers of the station would take a big set of gear to Toowoomba to effect the relay from that centre to Brisbane. Mr. Robinson said that the musical programme which had been set down for that night would be put on the air on the night of May 9. When asked if it was intended to broadcast the policy speech of the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. A. E. Moore) from Onkey on Thursday night, April 4, Mr. Robinson said that so far no request had been received from Mr. Moore that this should be done. If a request were made and it were approved there should be no difficulty in arranging for a relay from Oakey to Brisbane. Should this speech also be broadcast the programme already arranged for that night would be given on May 21. CHRISTENING CEREMONY. Station 4QG broadcast a christening ceremony last Sunday morning. It was the second occasion that such a novel item had been included in the station's programmes. The principal participant in Sunday morning's ceremony was the infant son of the chief engineer of the station (Mr. F. W. Stevens) who was given his name by Canon Garland in St. Barnabas' Church of England, Red Hill.

1929 04

4SP participates in the Qantas search for missing airman Keith Anderson involving 4QG

BRISBANE PLANE. Take Off at Daylight. Messrs. L. J. Brain, Brisbane manager of Qantas, P. H. Compson (mechanic), and F. W. Stevens (deputy director of Station 4QG, wireless operator), left Brisbane at daylight this morning in the Atlanta, a D.H.50 Jupiter engined aeroplane, to take part in the search for the missing airman, Keith Anderson. Up till a late hour last night officials of station 4QG were busy installing wireless apparatus on the aeroplane. The dispatch of the Atlanta on its mission will seriously inconvenience Qantas on its new Brisbane-Charleville service but the company unhesitatingly compiled with a request made by the Defence Department to make a machine available. The aeroplane will fly to Longreach which, it is expected, will be reached about 2.30 p.m. Here an extra petrol tank will be installed and the aeroplane will then set out for Wave Hill, which will be the base of operations. The aeroplane will be in constant touch with 4QG.

Atalanta with 4SP as wireless operator, finds missing Kookaburra, and reports to 4QG

FATE OF AIRMEN. Intensive Search in Northern Territory. RESCUE PARTY HURRYING TO STRANDED 'PLANE. All the available search planes are concentrating today on the area surrounding the stranded Kookaburra in the hope of finding the missing member of her crew. Meanwhile horsemen and black trackers are hurrying across the 60 miles of country between Wave Hill and the scene of the disaster. The plan was for the planes to assemble at Newcastle Waters, the pilots having been instructed to divide the country into sections and to scour each of them thoroughly. Information that she was about to leave on the search was sent from that centre by the Qantas machine Atalanta, at 8.45 o'clock this morning. OVERHAULING WIRELESS. It was then the intention of the pilot (Mr. L. J. Brain) to fly to Wave Hill, where the wireless set was to be overhauled. This message was sent to the Queensland Radio Station by its Deputy Director (Mr. F. W. Stevens), who is the wireless operator on the Atalanta. The overhaul evidently was necessitated by the vibrations, Mr. Stevens stating that these were "terrific." The next message received by 4QG was dispatched at 11.15 o'clock. The Atalanta had then been searching for "just an hour." Its future plans were summarised thus: "Proceeding to Powell's Creek, thence due east." STORY OF FINDING. Within five minutes of its reception the news that the Atalanta had found the Kookaburra was broadcasted by Station 4QG. The message was lodged at Wave Hill at 2.30 o'clock yesterday afternoon, but it was not until 10 minutes past 8 o'clock last night that it reached Brisbane. Five minutes later it had gone over the air to the thousands of listeners-in.

4SP on the Atalanta with entire 4QG engineering staff in support

Wireless Equipment. PART PLAYED BY 4QG. The hasty manner in which the Atalanta was equipped with wireless was described this morning by the Director of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson). Mr. Robertson declines to take any kudos for the highly successful results. "Station 4QG's part in the search," he said, "was a comparatively small one and in relating what was done I do not desire to take any credit which really belongs to that highly efficient organisation, Qantas." The plane was to leave early on Friday morning and it was late on Thursday afternoon when the request for assistance reached 4QG. Almost all of the available staff concentrated on the work and they were assisted by several persons outside, especially Messrs. Chandler, of J. B. Chandler and Co., and R Farley, of Motor Supplies, Ltd., who came into the city at night and opened their stores in order to make available any apparatus required. The Deputy Director (Mr. F. W. Stevens) volunteered to go as operator, and his services were accepted. Mr. Stevens, who has had experience as an operator in ship and shore radio stations, fitted to the plane a small short wave receiver of his own design and with Mr. R. E. McIntosh (senior engineer of 4QG) spent almost all night completing arrangements for the working of traffic from the Atalanta. Mr. McIntosh and Mr. Stephenson (another member of the staff) were relieved of all station duties and from the time the plane left took turns to maintain a continuous watch for signals. On Sunday Mr. McIntosh maintained this watch for more than 14 hours. This relief left the staff shorthanded but operators and engineers who were normally off duty worked voluntarily to keep the ordinary broadcasting service running. Messrs. Bardin and Bauer (engineers) spent the whole of their weekends on duty.

4SP reports to JWR on the progress of the search for the crew of the Kookaburra

CREW OF KOOKABURRA. SEARCH FOR MISSING FLYER. Hopes of Safety Darkened. "PARTLY COVERED OBJECT" SEEN FROM PLANES. Hopes that the missing member of the crew of the Kookaburra had wandered off in search of water and might yet be found alive have darkened. Aeroplanes which flew over the ill-fated machine yesterday saw what may be a partly buried body. Indeed one Air Force officer states definitely that the second body was seen. The latter information was contained in a message received in Melbourne last night by the secretary of the Air Board (Major Coleman). The report came from Flight-Lieutenant Eaton, who was definite that the body of "Bob" Hitchcock had been seen, partly covered, near the Kookaburra, "which was undamaged." SEEN BY ATALANTA. News of sighting this object is contained also in messages from Mr. L. J. Brain, the pilot of the Qantas plane. Atalanta. He, however, is not so emphatic, stating: "There appears to be something covered up near the plane, which may be the body of the other man, roughly buried." The Atalanta and three machines of the Royal Australian Air Force yesterday flew at low altitudes in an effort to trace the lost flier. The story of the search is contained in a message from the radio operator of the Atalanta (Mr. F. W. Stevens) to the Director of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson). The dispatch, which was received last night, reads:— The Atalanta left Wave Hill this morning and searched the country to Anderson's plane, then proceeded to Powell's Creek, but was unable to land owing to a strong cross wind. The plane then went on to Newcastle Waters, refuelled, and picked up three Air Force machines. All four planes then returned to the scene of the tragedy, and searched from 100 to 150 square miles without discovering any further clue. They then went on to Wave Hill, arriving at 6.30. Anderson's machine appears to be undamaged, and indications are that he had his engine to land with, although the fact that his engine cowling is lying on the ground seems to suggest engine trouble. The petrol supply seems to have been all right, as indicated by the fact that a run away is cleared for him to take off. The men might have removed the cowling to extract the oil from the engine to light the fire, which is still burning, and which has covered an area of approximately 100 square miles. The Atalanta will probably be released from the search on Tuesday and return to Brisbane. Three Air Force machines are taking over, and an overland party is being organised, more details of which will follow. The Atalanta is running splendidly, and the machine is a credit to Mechanic Compston, who spends all his time on the ground overhauling the plane. Brain is a wonderful pilot, and knows a vast waste of desert country like city streets, and he picks out small red patches of tiny trees, stumps, or heaps of stones over thousands of miles of territory, which, to the layman, appears to be one treeless, waterless, barren waste. Wireless communication between the plane and Wave Hill has been very satisfactory and very useful. ROUGH COUNTRY. In regard to the reference to the probable release of the Atalanta a message from Melbourne states that the Defence Department in its instructions requested that Mr. Brain should remain with the Air Force machines until further notice. It is estimated by the manager of the wireless station at Wave Hill that the spot where the Atalanta is is about 100 miles west of Powell's Creek in country even worse than was at first thought. There is no permanent water in the area nearby and although there was a bore 40 miles away the airmen would not have known the route to it even if they had been able to make the journey. Because of the roughness of the country the progress of the rescue parties which are travelling overland has been, and will be, necessarily slow. Mr. Kent said that the Kookaburra must have come down on April 10 as if it had descended earlier it would have been seen along the overland telegraph line.

4SP reports on the return flight of the Atalanta

The Atalanta. FLIGHT TOWARDS HOME. The Atalanta is making good progress on her flight to Brisbane. At lunch time she was at Camooweal, from where the radio operator (Mr. F. W. Stevens) sent the following message to the Director of the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson):— "Good run this morning. Left Newcastle Waters at 7.40. Stopped at Brunette Downs for morning tea. Having lunch here and refilling. Will probably make Longreach tonight, or, if light fails, will stop at Winton."

4SP provides further report to 4QG about return flight of the Atalanta

THE ATALANTA. Homeward Flight Begun. The Atlanta, her job done, is on her way home. Yesterday the Qantas plane again visited the place of death, hovered low over it for a while, and, unable to land, turned towards Newcastle Waters and home. The Queensland contingent should be back in Brisbane tomorrow or on Friday. SAW WHEEL TRACKS AND WELL. Yesterday morning Mr. L. J. Brain ran over the motor of the Atalanta at Wave Hill and once more the big plane was flown to where Keith Anderson and Hitchcock lost their lives. In wireless messages to 4QG, Mr. F. W. Stevens reported that a close inspection revealed wheel tracks where apparently, an effort had been made to get the Kookaburra in the air again. It also appeared that a hole had been dug in a search for water close to the machine. The Atalanta was then turned towards Newcastle Waters. THREE FAMOUS PLANES. Last night three famous aeroplanes rested at Newcastle Waters — the Southern Cross, the Canberra, and the Atalanta. The Queensland plane was refuelled in the moonlight, the intention being to leave at daylight and fly all today with Wlnton as the probable destination.

Atalanta with 4SP wireless operator is diverted to Sydney instead of returning to Brisbane

The Atalanta. Plane Flying to Sydney. The Q.A.N.T.A.S. plane Atalanta, with the Brisbane manager of the firm (Mr. L. J. Brain) in charge, and Mr. F. W. Stevens, deputy director of 4QG, as wireless operator, reached Bourke about 12.20 o'clock this afternoon. The Atalanta left Longreach at 6.30 this morning presumably for Brisbane, but a change of plan was subsequently made, the course being altered with Sydney as the destination. The machine is making good progress, and according to messages received by 4QG should land at Sydney late this afternoon. There is much speculation regarding the change of plan. Although no official information is forthcoming, it is believed that the Federal authorities communicated with Mr. Brain requesting him to go straight to Sydney in connection with the inquiry to be held regarding the Southern Cross and the Kookaburra. Throughout the morning representatives of 4QG received messages from the Atalanta and also the Southern Cross, THE SOUTHERN CROSS The Southern Cross is continuing its way to Bourke, where it is hoped to land this evening, The plane will leave for Sydney tomorrow. At 11 o'clock the following message was broadcast from the monoplane "We are now passing over what was once a lake, but not a drop of water is in it. We are still flying over sandy desert. Our position at 11 a.m., Sydney time, is 25.40 south, 137.17 east." A later message reads: "Bound for Bourke from Charleville. It is going to be darned late in the afternoon, I guess, when we reach Bourke." DEPARTURE FROM BOURKE Owing to atmospherics difficulty has been experienced this afternoon by 4QG in hearing the signals sent out by the Atalanta. A message sent by Mr. Stevens at 1.42 indicated that the plane was again in the air making for Sydney. This came in very faint. Officials state that the Atalanta is sending messagos half-hourly.

Overview story of the finding of the Kookaburra

FINDING OF KOOKABURRA. Story of Pilot of the Atalanta. "DISTURBED EARTH NOT A GRAVE." LONGREACH, April 25. On her homeward flight the Atalanta reached Longreach late yesterday afternoon. "The realisation of the tragedy took away all the joy of the discovery," said her pilot (Mr. L. J. Brain) when recounting how, as the plane winged low over the Central Australian desert, he solved the mystery of the tragic fate of the Kookaburra. When the stranded machine was first sighted, said Mr. Brain, he was naturally pleased and excited. Then came moments of tense anxiety as to the fate of the crew. PLEASURE SHORT-LIVED. But the pleasure was short-lived, "for," he said, "I circled low and saw Anderson's body lying dead under the wing. By flying just above the tree tops I satisfied myself that he had been dead for some days. The realisation of the tragedy took away all the joy of the discovery. Obviously the signal fires lighted by Anderson set fire to the spinifex and undergrowth, which was still smoking some 20 miles away. We searched around for the best part of an hour in the vain hope of finding Hitchcock alive, and then, in view of the fact that we were taking very grave risks flying low around that sort of country, we decided that it was desirable to proceed to Wave Hill and make sure that our wireless signals had been received, and to confirm our report." On Tuesday the Atlanta for the fourth time visited the scene of the disaster, her occupants concentrating their attention on the disturbed ground near the Kookaburra. Mr. Brain says that he satisfied himself that this was a hole dug in the ground for obtaining water, and not for the purposes of burial, although it is still possible that the body of Mr. Hitchcock might be covered by a bit of brush near the machine. OFFERS TO MAKE DESCENT. Mr. Brain stated that the exact locality of Anderson's machine, which had been checked and rechecked by him on each occasion visited, was 105 miles west by north from Powell's Creek, and 80 miles east by southeast from the Wave Hill homestead; which was the nearest habitation. It was all desert country. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith had told him how greatly his party felt the tragedy, particularly as Anderson had lost his life in an endeavour to find the Southern Cross. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith had expressed his willingness to jump in a parachute over the locality. The whole of the Air Force party had also expressed their anxiousness to jump over in parachutes, but were dissuaded by Mr. Brain, as he considered that it was not reasonable to risk more lives without some definite prospect of achievement. Mr. Brain paid a warm tribute to Mr. F. W. Stevens (Deputy Director of the Queensland Radio Service), who is the wireless operator on the Atalanta, expressing great admiration for the tireless work by Mr. Stevens in maintaining the radio equipment and assisting the mechanic, Mr. P. H. Compston, working half the night in refuelling and maintaing the engine. "He was a wonder," said Mr. Brain. Mr. Brain regards the trip as a triumph for aviation and radio in Australia. ARRIVAL OF CANBERRA. Captain Matheson, of the Goulburn Aero Club, who was on his way to join in the search for the Kookaburra, and was held up in Duchess owing to engine trouble, also arrived in Longreach yesterday. Captain Matheson's machine, when reaching Duchess on his way to Wave Hill, suffered broken piston rings, caused by badly-fitted cylinders. He was ready to leave Duchess for Wave Hill on Monday, when the news came through that the Kookaburra had been located.

4SP due to arrive back in Brisbane today on the Atalanta

The Atalanta. DUE BRISBANE THIS AFTERNOON. The Qantas plane Atalanta, which discovered the Kookaburra, is expected to return to Brisbane at 4 o'clock this afternoon. The plane left Longreach at 6.30 a.m. yesterday, and made stops at Charleville and Bourke in the flight to Sydney, which was reached at 5.30 p.m. Mr. L. J. Brain has charge and the deputy director of 4QG (Mr. F. W. Stevens) is wireless operator. The Atalanta will land at the Doomben aerodrome. THE AIR LINER CANBERRA. The air liner Canberra, which located the Southern Cross, is en route to Sydney. It has been reported that the machine is likely to call at Brisbane, but up to the time this edition went to press the Pinkenba radio station and 4QG had not been able to pick up any information regarding its movements. .

1929 05

Atalanta Set. Queenslander's Triumph. Transmitting News of Flight. When the Director of 4QG (Mr. J. W. Robinson, announced to radio listeners over the air on the evening of April 21 that the Atalanta had discovered the ill-fated Kookaburra he mentioned that this information had originally been transmitted from the Atalanta. Doubtless listeners pictured a transmitting set aboard the Atalanta worth hundreds of pounds, but the illustration on this page shows that the set used by the Deputy Director of 4QG, (Mr. F. W. Stevens), who was wireless operator on the plane, was very small. Through the courtesy of the Director of 4QG "The Telegraph" is able to give details regarding this set. It is the property of Mr. R. E. Mclntosh, an engineer on the staff of 4QG, and was made by him, without batteries and valves, at a cost of less than 13/. The instrument weighs about four pounds and its smallness may be gauged from the following dimensions: 12 inches in length, 8 inches high and 8 inches in diameter. The power used during the time that Atalanta was in the air and on the ground was about 4 watts, supplied by a small tank of dry B batteries and a 6 volt accumulator as used by any small receiving set. The day or night range when erected on the ground has been proved to be beyond Australia, while from the air the set came in splendidly at Brisbane over 900 miles, away; in fact, it was distinctly heard when the Atalanta was at Mt. Isa. With the aid of the set, the Atlanta was in communication with one station or another throughout the whole of the time it was away from Brisbane assisting in the search for the Kookaburra. The set is of original design. Mr. .McIntosh made several experiments which, under a severe test, have proved worthy of incorporation in future sets. The set was extremely stable and the design is the simplest possible; the condensers were stable and also are of original design. The panel with subpanel is entirely of metal; this forms the earth and negative leads and also acts as a good screen. The small batteries taken from Brisbane would have been able to supply current for the set for at least six weeks. After being taken from the Atalanta on Friday evening they were taken to 4QG and are now being used at that station. To illustrate the cheapness of the whole outfit, used on the Atlanta it is estimated that less than 12 would cover the cost of the power consumed. Paragraph obscured. (Photo Caption)WIRELESS SET USED ON THE ATALANTA.

Missing Child. Aeroplane Begins Search. Mount Gravatt Mystery. A Qantas aeroplane went out this morning, to search for the child, Marjorie McKee, who has been missing from her home in Broadwater Street, Mount Gravatt, since Thursday. Mr. L. J. Brain, manager of Qantas, is using a slot-wing Moth, which permits him to fly at very slow speeds. He has with him Mr. F. W. Stevens, .chief engineer of Station 4QG, who co-operated with him in their recent successful search for the Kookaburra. If the country is not too thickly covered with scrub the aeroplane will be used to scour a large area. Grave fears are entertained about whether the child is alive. Both Thurs-day and Friday night were very cold, and the child, who is only two years of age, was clothed, when she di-appeared, in only a very flimsy white frock. There was a pathetic scene yesterday when the retriever dog, her boon companion, came home alone. He was obviously very tired, but it was hoped that he might lead the searchers to where he had left the infant. Lest he should get away unnotlced, a bell was tied around his neck. However, yesterday all hopes in this direction were not realised. EIGHTY SEARCHING. About 50 police and 30 civilians are engaged in the search. Senior-sergeant Portley is in charge of the party which has the assistance of a black tracker from Oxley. The country is covered with very dense scrub and long grass, bush fern being in abundance. In addition there is a number of large waterholes. The police carefully searched around the banks of these to discover tracks but failed to find any. It is said that the black tracker discovered footprints in three places but that they could be those of any one of the many children who live in the locality. An appeal for volunteers to assist in the search was broadcasted by Station 4QG last night. One of the searchers described the country in the vicinity of the child's home as "all thick dense scrub." The ground at the rear of the home is cleared. The nearest residence in any direction is about a mile distant. The searchers yesterday expressed great difficulty in penetrating the scrub. They formed themselves into line formation, and combed the scrub — but they found only wallabies. AEROPLANE USELESS? Questioned by a representative of "The Telegraph" as to whether an aeroplane would be of any assistance in the search one of the police expressed the opinion that owing to the density of the scrub an Aeroplane would be useless. He said that he did not think that the dog, which is very young, would be of any assistance, as it had often been away from home at night-time. "The searchers came across about eight waterholes," he said, "and these probably hold the solution of the mystery." . With the weekend the army of searchers will be greatly increased. Lads from adjoining districts will form themselves into "search" parties; and a warm response to 4QG's request is expected.

Search for Lost Child. Fruitless Work of Volunteers. Marjorie McKee, the two-years-old child who has been missing from her home at Mt. Gravatt since Thursday afternoon, has not been found. Five hundred people yesterday aided the 50 police who were searching the dense scrub in the locality, but without result. Water holes were dragged and dynamite was exploded where it was thought that snags might hold the body, of the child had she been drowned. Thirty-seven men with horses continued the search today, although hope of finding the child alive has been abandoned. A Moth aeroplane in which were Mr. L. J. Brain and Mr. F. W. Stevens, deputy director of 4QG, on Saturday flew over the area being searched, but failed to find any sign that might assist the searchers, the heavy scrub affecting visibility from the air.

The following appeared in our Second Edition Saturday. Missing Child. First Plane Search Fails. Ground Directions Needed. When this addition went to press, the child Marjorie McKee, aged 2 years, who has been missing from her home in Broadwater Road, Mount Gravatt, since Thursday, had not been found. As reported in the first edition of "The Telegraph," Mr. C. J. Brain, manager of Qantas, went out in a slot-wing Moth with Mr. F. W. Stevens of Station 4QG. Mr. Brain was in the air for some time but was not able to locate the McKee home, which is in a small clearing about two miles to the left of the South Coast road. Returning to the Eagle Farm aerodrome, Mr. Brain handed over the plane to Mr. T. W. A. Stott and himself telegraphed to Mt. Gravatt a request that residents make signals to lead the plane to the homestead. WIDE SEARCH. The belt of bush between the home and the road has been combed for several miles of its length. Many tracks have been found but whether those are the child's is not known. Grave fears are entertained that the child will not be found alive. On Saturday Inspector Farrell, of the Police Depot, assumed control of the searchers. There were then about 50 police in the party and the number ot civilians had been increased to 100.

Missing child's body found

The Missing Child. Discovery of the Body. Analyst to Examine. The postmortem examination on the body of Marjorie McKee, the two-year-old Mount Gravatt child, which was found yesterday, was conducted by the Government Medical Officer (Dr. G. W. Macartney) last night. The Government Analyst is to make a further examination. This, the police say, is merely a formal proceeding. All the men have been withdrawn from Mount Gravatt. As reported in the late city edition of "The Telegraph" yesterday the body of the child, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney McKee, of Mount Gravatt, who had been missing from her home since last Thursday afternoon, was found in a creek. The discovery ended a search by several hundreds of civilians and about 50 police, under the direction of Subinspector Farrell and Sergeant Portley. They had been combing the thick scrub for a radius of four miles of the home since Friday. Messrs. George Gray, of Mt. Armstrong Road, Cannon Hill, Guy F. Chapman, of Belmont, and George Mussig, of Capalaba, yesterday instituted a search in the vicinity of Bulimba Creek, near Crombie's woolscour, Belmont. After they had lunch they noticed the child among dead timber on the bank of the creek, about half a mile from the scour, the distance from the child's home being about 2½ to 3 miles. The head and upper portion of the body was resting on the bank, its feet in the water. The child was still wearing the flimsy white dress she had on when she disappeared from home. The police searched the bank nearby and discovered the tracks of the child. They seemed to show that the little girl had fallen down the steep bank to the water's edge and died on Thursday night from exposure, as the night was a chilly one. The police believe that the child in her wandering followed the dog. He was missed at the same time as the child and returned home the next morning between 11 and 12 o'clock very tired. The animal could not be induced to lead the searchers to the spot where the child was. During her wanderings the child must have covered at least four miles of the dense scrub. The funeral will be this afternoon at 2.30 o'clock. Interment will be in the South Brisbane Cemetery.

Atalanta Leaves. SEARCH FOR MISSING AIRMEN. The Qantas plane Atalanta left the Eagle Farm aerodrome at 6.45 this morning to search for the missing airmen, Moir and Owen. The crew of the plane are Mr. L. J. Brain (pilot), Mr. P. H. Compston (mechanic), and Mr. J. W. Robinson (wireless operator). The plane has been chartered for the trip by Vickers, Ltd., and the Shell Oil Co., who have placed it at the disposal of the Commonwealth authorities. Mr. Brain is acting under instructions from the Minister for Defence in the course of the search. The Atalanta will proceed to Roma, where it will refuel, and then on to Longreach, whero it is expected to arrive about 3 p.m. The Atalanta will be fitted at Longreach with an additional petrol tank so as to increase its cruising range to 750 miles. It is hoped to fly in daylight to Winton this afternoon. From Winton Mr. Brain will proceed to Camooweal, and thence to Newcastle Waters, where he expects to arrive tomorrow afternoon. From there he will follow the overland telegraph line to Darwin, where he expects to effect a landing on Saturday morning. He will receive orders at Darwin as to his future movements. FLYING RANGE. The Qantas plane Atalanta is of the D.H. 50J type, and is fitted with a Jupiter engine of 460 horsepower. The plane has a flying range of 750 miles — with the extra petrol tank installed — so that, she could easily accomplish the flight from Darwin to the Portuguese Island of Timor if necessary. Mr. Brain is optimistic as to the safety of the missing aviators. He is disinclined to believe that they have been forced down into the sea. He is very hopeful that the men will be found to have landed at some point where there is difficulty in effecting early communication with the civilised world. He regards the trip merely as a break in the monotony of the ordinary routine. The Atalanta, he says, is the most suitable type of aircraft in Australia for the purposes of this search. RADIO EQUIPMENT. The Atalanta has been fitted with wireless equipment for the purposes of the search. The transmitter which will be used is almost the same as that used by Mr. F. W. Stevens (deputy director of 4QG) on the quest for the Kookaburra. Mr. Robinson stated that wireless messages would be dispatched at intervals while the plane is in the air. These will be received by 4QG in Brisbane, and will be transmitted to the Minister for Defence in Canberra before being released to the public.

PILOT BRAIN ACHIEVES ANOTHER SEARCH TRIUMPH. Pilot Lester Brain, the finder of the lost Kookaburra, has added to his laurels by quickly locating the missing airmen. Flight-Lieut. Moir and Flying Officer Owen, alive and well at Cape Don lighthouse in the Northern Territory. This picture shows him with Mr. J. W. Robinson, director of Station 4QQ, the wireless operator on the trip, and Mr P. H. Compston, mechanic, just before they left Eagle Farm, Brisbane.

1929 06

Staff of 4QG hold a function to welcome home Robinson and Stevens for work on Atalanta

WELCOME HOME. OFFICIALS OF STATION 4QG. A welcome home function was given in honour of Messrs. J. W. Robinson and F. W. Stevens, director and deputy director respectively of the Queensland Radio Service, by members of the staff of 4QG at the radio station last night. In appreciation of their work in.connection with the recent flights with the Atalanta, the staff presented to Mr. Robinson and Mr. Stevens beautifully mounted photographs of the aeroplane, suitably inscribed. Mr. L. J. Brain was amongst those present. He spoke highly of the part played by 4QG and its representatives in bringing both flights to successful conclusions. The flights had revealed what a strong combination aviation and wireless really was. He considered that wireless and aviation would do much for the advancement of Australia. Messrs. J. Y. Yorston, T. Muller, R. McWilliam, R. F. Galloway, L. Reid, R. Farley, and A. McIntosh praised the work of Messrs, Robinson and Stevens as radio operators. The chairman, (Mr. R. White) then formally made the presentations. Mr. Robinson and Mr. Stevens thanked the members of the staff for their gifts.

1929 08

Stevens assists with radio facilities for Brisbane Aero Club's annual Aerial Pagent

The Aerial Pageant. ASSISTANCE FROM RADIO. Radio will be used extensively at next Saturday's aerial pageant in Brisbane. Portable transmitters and receivers will keep the officials in constant touch with every phase of the aerial derby. The Queensland division of the Australian Wireless Institute is co-operating with the Brisbane Aero Club in the arrangements which are being carried out by Mr. F. W. Stevens, the well known radio engineer. Last year the judges could not announce the winner of the Derby for some time after it had finished. This was because they had to await reports from officials at the turning points in remote spots as to whether any competitor had cut in thereby earning disqualification. This time, because of the arrangements which have been made, and which have been successfully tested, it is hoped to keep the judges in touch with the movements of every competitor at these turning points. Information will be sent with the aid of portable transmitters which will be operated by members of the Institute, and with the aid of transmitters two way communication will be maintained. It is also hoped to give the public a running description of the race as seen from the air. Tests have been successfully carried out with a port-able telephone transmitter operating from an aeroplane, and should a plane be available for that purpose the public will be kept in touch with events by means of loudspeaking device on the grounds.

1929 11

Concern as to the future of existing 4QG staff when control is transferred to PMGD and ABC1

RADIO. News and Notes. . . . . Future of 4QG Staffs. By "LISTENER" Mr. W. Wilson (vice-president of the Townsville Radio Club) was in Brisbane during the weekend and called at 4MM to see Mr. M. M. O'Brien (president of the Wireless Institute of Australia, Queensland division). Mr. Wilson reports that the Townsville Club is making good progress, having among its members several of the staff men of the Townsville radio station. The club is building a 250 metre phone station which, when it is on the air, should be appreciated by crystal and one-valve set owners in the far north. The club is amalgamating with the Wireless Institute. Because of the difficulties associated with clear reception of southern broadcasting stations during the summer months northern wireless enthusiasts are hoping for the early fulfilment of the ex-Postmaster-General's promise to establish two relay stations in the north; but there is reason to believe that the project will be postponed for some time owing to the financial position in which the Commonwealth Government finds itself at the present time. The building of a 'phone station by the Townsville club is a commendable idea. It should do much to popularise radio broadcasting in the north prior to the establishment of relay stations just as 4CM did in Brisbane before the Queensland Government organised the Queensland Radio Service. There are still many people in Brisbane who look back with a good deal of pleasure to the experiments in broadcast reception which they were able to conduct because of 4CM's transmissions. Mr. T. Elliott, who had charge of this pioneer broadcasting station at Preston House, is still conducting experiments in radio transmission and reception in a quiet way at the old Observatory in Wickham Terrace. STATION 4QG. The control of station 4QG will pass to the Commonwealth Government and the Australian Broadcasting Company in two months' time, and there are indications that there will be some changes in the personnel. The Postmaster-General's Department will take charge of the engineering side, just as it has done at station 2BL (Sydney). The Amalgamated Wireless Company is controlling this department at 2FC and 3LO because, it is understood, the terms of their contracts with the old companies have still some time to run. But in the case of 4QG the engineers were appointed by the Queensland Government and they will cease to be employees of that Government from the end of January. Whether the Postmaster-General's Department will engage them is a question they are collectively asking at the present time. No man knows what the future holds for him. The Postmaster-General's Department has its own engineers, and it may appoint some of them to conduct the station. Just as the engineers are in a state of uncertainty as to their future, so are the other officers. It is said that those who were not members of the Public Service prior to the inauguration of the station have received notice of the termination of the services from January 31. Whether or not the Australian Broadcasting Company will engage them is a question all officers are asking themselves. Just what the company intends to do has not yet been made public, but an announcement is expected when one or more of the directors visit Brisbane in the near future. Many local artists who have been associated with the station since its inauguration foresee that engagements in the future may be few and far between because of the organisation of a circuit of professional artists by the A.B.C. which has vast theatrical resources behind it. As to listeners, they are hoping that the change in control will bring about an improvement in programmes. And when the change comes there will still be dissatisfaction with the programmes because it will ever be impossible to please all the listeners all the time.

1929 12

The Truth welcomes the appointment by the ABC1 of JWR to continue as manager of 4QG

RADIO. "CONGRATS." J. W. Robinson Still Is 4QG Chief. New Control. It is with satisfaction that Brisbane learns that J. W. Robinson, present Director of 4QG, is to remain Chief under the new A.B.C. control. CONGRATULATIONS have been heaped upon him during the last few days, proof of his popularity. Through the difficult pioneering days, and later, when the Queensland Radio Service became an accomplished fact Director Robinson bore the burdens of responsibility. That the gigantic A.B.C. retain him is proof of his capabilities and the faith they place in him. At the recent confer (Start Photo Caption) J. W. Robinson (End Photo Caption) ence in Sydney the announcement was made, and ever since his return to Brisbane Mr. Robinson has been "up to his aerial" in reorganisation work. Soon all will be set for the change over in January, when longer broadcast hours and better programs are promised. Good luck to the new Brisbane manager of the A;B.C.

ABC1 announces the appointment of JWR to continue to manage 4QG; ABC1 to investigate the fall off in licences in Qld

REVIVING 4QG. MANAGER APPOINTED. FALL OFF IN LICENSES. Mr. Stuart F. Doyle, chairman of directors of the Australian Broadcasting Company announces the appointment of Mr. J. W. Robinson as manager of the Brisbane "A" class station. 4QG, for which the A.B.C. will be called upon to provide the programmes commencing on February 1. Mr. Robinson, who is well known in Sydney as a journalist, has been director of the Queensland Government's Radio Service since it was initiated nearly five years ago. Under his control many interesting stunts and good programmes have been "put over" 4QG, but for some months lately the licenses in Queensland have been falling off. A determined effort will be made by the A.B.C., under Mr. F. C. Marden as superintending manager, to stem the fall off in Queensland. It all depends, of course, on 4QG, from which most of the "pep" seems to have departed lately. This, no doubt, was due to the fact that the license was expiring, and no one knew whether any of the old staff would be retained. However, it is understood that the fact of being brought into the company of the Melbourne and Sydney stations as an affiliated broadcaster instead of a lone station, has already had an enlivening influence on 4QG, which will share in future relayed programmes from the southern States. The causes of the fall off in licenses in Queensland were easy enough to determine. One great difficulty has been to secure high artistic talent. All the Queensland artists of note have been heard from 4QG so often that they have lost their novelty, and in order to give variety, the management has been forced to use others, who, but for these circumstances, could hardly have found a place on the programmes. The prohibition by the racing authorities of the broadcasting of race descriptions has also caused many listeners to cancel their licenses.

Daily Standard announces appointment of JWR to manage 4QG, provides brief bio

POPULAR MANAGER OF 4QG. MR. J. W. ROBINSON'S CAREER. Mr. J. W. Robinson, who has been appointed manager for Queensland for the Australian Broadcasting Company, Ltd., is one of the best known wireless men in the Commonwealth at the present day. Commencing in the very early days as an experimenter, he was appointed hon. radio inspector for New South Wales by the (Start Photo Caption) MR. J. W. ROBINSON. (End Phot Caption) Postmaster-General's Department at the time the amateur movement was in the hands of experimenters themselves. In those early days there was no living to be earned by a wireless man at wireless, and Mr. Robinson served a cadetship on the "Sydney Morning Herald," attaining the rank of senior journalist on that paper. His training which he received in this connection served him in good stead as soon as he entered broadcasting. When Farmer and Co. decided to establish Station 2FC, Mr. Robinson was selected from many applicants as second in charge, and he did much towards the organising in the early days of the new famous Sydney station. Towards the end of 1924 when the Queensland Government decided to establish wireless, Mr. Robinson was appointed director, and was brought from Sydney to Brisbane to carry out his work. He designed the present station organised its staff, and has been responsible for the direction of its services since the date of its opening. Mr. Robinson also is the author of some standard works on radio. He retires from the service of the State Government in January 31 next, the date on which the control of 4QG passes over to the Australian Broadcasting Company. He will remain in charge of 4QG as manager of the Queensland group of the Australian Broadcasting Co., Ltd.

1930s

1930

1930 01

4QG is taken over by the ABC1 and PMGD, staff changes, programmes changes

REORGANISATION OF 4QG. Staff Changes Announced. NEW ASSISTANT MANAGER. Changes in the personnel of the staff at station 4QG are to be effected as from January 31, on which date the Australian Broadcasting Company takes control of the station. The transmissions are to be increased from 57 to 71 a week and a big effort is to be made to considerably improve the programmes. "Listener" learned yesterday that the Australian Broadcasting Company has decided to alter the schedule of transmission hours as from January 31 to the following:— Mondays to Fridays. 7.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.: News and music. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Women's session, music, and market reports. 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.: Music and news. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Music, bedtime stories, market reports, lectures. 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Music, &c. Saturdays. 7.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.: News and music. 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Women's session, music, market reports, sporting fixtures. 6 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.: Music, bedtime stories, sporting, Speedway, &c., &c. Sundays. 10.30 a.m. to 12.15 a.m.: Church service. 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.: Band concerts, &c. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Children's session, church services, band concerts, &c. 450 HOURS A YEAR. The new schedule will result in the station's being on the air for approximately 450 hours a year, which is a greater number of hours than provided for in the contract under which the A.B.C. is working. DEVOTIONAL SERVICES. Each day the session beginning at 11 a.m. will commence with a devotional service which will be provided by the various churches that are linked up with 4QG. The services will be non-sectarian and non-denominational in character, and the names of those conducting them will not be published in the programmes. The standardised lectures that have been given at the women's sessions will be dispensed with, and an endeavour will be made to have a lecture delivered each morning which will be of interest to women listeners. Efforts are to be made to have lectures delivered each evening by prominent men connected with the business life of the community or other spheres of activity or by interesting travellers who may be passing through Brisbane. The news sessions will be improved by the addition of cable news from abroad. In short the A.B.C. intends to make every effort to improve the quality of the programmes which it will offer every day. THE STAFF. Consequent upon the change of control there will be changes in the personnel of the staff. As already announced in "The Telegraph" Mr. J. W. Robinson, at present Director of the Queensland Radio Service, will manage the station for the A.B.C. The assistant manager will be Mr. Robert Wight ("Market Reports"). Mr. Wight is a native of Scotland who has travelled extensively. After living in New Zealand for some time he came to Australia, and during the war he served as a lieutenant in the 34th Battalion in France, being seriously wounded in the lower part of the face. This gave an opportunity to the surgeons on the other side of the world to perform a piece of plastic surgery most wonderful in its results, for today one would not believe that half of Mr. Wight's lower jaw had been almost shot away. Returning from the war Mr. Wight entered into farming pursuits in the Fassifern district. Later, he was one of the initial movers in the creation of the Queensland Producers' Association, the executive body of which is the Council of Agriculture. He was one of the original organisers, and after the bulk of the organising work had been completed he was retained as a State organiser. When station 4QG was transferred to the new studio in the State Insurance Building Mr. Wight became market reports officer and has continued to hold that position ever since. In addition, he has been conducting the sporting sessions. Mr. Wight's future duties will include that of conducting the early morning news session each day, of collecting and supplying information over the air to farmers and men on the land generally, and in organising the sports sessions. It is intended to introduce a 10 minutes' sports session each evening instead of holding such a session once a week as at present. At these sessions general talks on current sporting events will be given. Mr. Harry Humphreys,, who at present holds the position of chief announcer, will continue in that office. Mr. L. L. Shiel, the treasurer, will remain in the Public Service, and will sever his connection with station 4QG. It is understood that he will go to the Apprenticeship Board office. His place as treasurer will be taken by Miss Rita McAuliffe, who has been conducting the women's sessions each morning for some time. Miss M. E. McFarlane ("Little Miss Brisbane"), who has been on the clerical staff of 4QG since its inception, also has decided to remain in the Public Service and will therefore regretfully sever her connection with the clerical staff of the station. Her position will be filled by Miss Constance Archdall, who receives promotion from junior to senior clerk. BEDTIME STORY SESSIONS. Miss McFarlane will continue to conduct the bedtime story sessions at 4QG on Thursday nights. The services of Mr. J. Tyson will be retained by the A.B.C. as "The Sandman," and he will conduct the bedtime story sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. In addition, Mr. Tyson will be in charge of the announcing from certain outside sporting fixtures such as the Speedway, the Velodrome, &c. "Uncle Ben" will continue to conduct the children's sessions on Tuesday and Friday nights. The children's sessions are to be completely reorganised, and it is understood that one or two new characters will be heard over the air at these sessions. It is said that Mr. C. V. Woodland is to return to the station in his old role of "Uncle Jim." ENGINEERING STAFF. The engineering side of the station will be under the control of the Postmaster-General's Department as from January 31, and it is understood that the department has offered, the positions to the members of the present staff, of which Mr. F. W. Stevens is the chief officer. (Photo) MR. J. W. ROBINSON, Manager of 4QG. (Photo) MR. R. WIGHT, Assistant Manager of 4QG.

Overview of forthcoming changes at 4QG and eulogy by Premier on 4QG's history under State Government control

RADIO. Station 4QG. Eulogy by the Premier. Forthcoming Change. The Director at the Queensland Radio Service (Mr. J. W. Robinson) announced yesterday that all arrangements have now been completed for the taking over of Station 4QG from the Queensland Government by the Australian Broadcasting Company on January 31. The staff at the station has been reorganised and appointments and alterations in personnel effected as outlined in these columns last week. The programmes for the first week of the new regime have been printed, and advance copies will be issued in a few days. In response to the invitations issued by the A.B.C. a large number of applications for artists seeking engagement on the programmes have been received. A number of first-class artists who are well known to listeners have reapplied for engagement and will be heard again in the near future. Many applications have been received from vocalists and other entertainers who are an unknown quantity so far as broadcasting is concerned, and in order that they may be tested a series of auditions have been arranged. As a result it is quite possible that some good broadcasting talent will be discovered. As previously announced in these columns an endeavour will be made by the A.B.C. to arrange for interesting addresses to be given by prominent women of Queensland at the morning sessions each day. The first of this new series of lecturettes will be given by Mrs. A. E. Moore, wife of the Premier, at 11.30 on Friday morning, January 31. Both the Premier and Mrs. Moore are intensely interested in broadcasting and listen in whenever they have the opportunity. In the souvenir of 4QG which, has lust been issued, the Premier has this to say about wireless and the station:— "Wireless has been referred to as the wonder of the age — and rightly so. The man who even a brief quarter of a century ago would have dared to forecast the wonderful development which radio was destined to make would doubtless have been laughed to scorn. And yet within the space of a few years veritable wonders have come to pass. Today the magic voice of wireless links the uttermost ends of continents, spans countless miles of weary wastes and seems like linking nations in one common brotherhood. Queensland may rightly feel proud of the part she has played in the development of so wonderful a branch of science. When broadcasting was in its early days the State Government decided to pioneer wireless and to endeavour to place within reach of the rich and poor alike the wonders of radio. It matters not which political party has been in power, radio at all times has been regarded as a power for good when serving the general public. The object of Station 4QG has been to serve the people of Queensland, and in this respect (if license figures may be taken as a criterion) it has admirably succeeded. From the mighty towers which tear their gaunt frames from the roof of one of the most imposing buildings in the city, by day and by night magic waves carry to the world at large matters of education, entertainment, and amusement. May radio progress and progress until the day is reached when every man, woman, and child realises that a receiving set is not a luxury but an indispensable article in the home." TOWN HALL ORGAN. Questioned regarding the intentions of the station in relation to broadcasting recitals which the City Organist (Mr. George Sampson) may give from time to time on the reconstructed pipe organ in the new Town Hall. Mr. Robinson said that the Town Hall had been wired so that such recitals and other entertainments could be broadcast. The whole question of broadcasts had been tentatively discussed with the Mayor (Alderman W. A. Jolly, C.M.G.) and Mr. Sampson, and tests shortly would be made with the organ on the air. Both he (Mr. Robinson) and Mr. Sampson were of opinion that it would be better to broadcast special recitals than to broadcast the public recitals, because it would then be possible to select music which could be successfully put on the air. No finality, however, had been reached on the subject so far. NEW SESSIONS. Mr. Robinson mentioned that an innovation so far as the news sessions are concerned will be the inclusion of cable items with the ordinary State and inter-State news. Hitherto no cable news has been given over the air from Station 4QG, but arrangements have now been completed for the inclusion of such matter in the programmes. OPENING SESSION. The first programme to be broadcast by the A.B.C. will be put on the air on Friday night, January 31. Mr. Robinson said that no revolution would be attempted, but every effort would be made to place on the air only artists the standard of whose work was first class, and whose voices were suitable for radio purposes. During the evening the Premier (Mr. A. E. Moore) and the directors of the A. B.C. will address listeners. Miss Hilda Lane, a brilliant young Australian artist, who has received flattering Press notices in the south, will contribute to the programme, and the new National Broadcasting Service Orchestra, under the leadership of Hilda Woolmer, will appear. Mr. C. V. Woodland, one time announcer at the station, who possesses one of the best reproducing voices in Brisbane, will contribute items, and a radio farce, "Fun in a Harem," will be broadcasted. This farce has been sent on to 4QG from 3LO Melbourne, where it has been produced with great success. The players will be Dave Felsman, Dulcie Scott, Mrs. Robert Bell, Harry Humphreys, and Harry Collins. The programme will conclude with a relay of dance music from 2BL and 2FC. A glance at the programmes for January 31 shows that the early morning session will last from 7.30 to 8.30 a.m., the morning and midday session from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the afternoon session from 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., the early evening session from 6 p.m. to 7.55 p.m., and the night session from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. These will be the regular broadcasting hours from Monday to Friday inclusive after the A.B.C. takes control. BROADCASTS OF RACES. In view of the ban placed on the broadcasting of racing results in the metropolis it is interesting to see included in the programme for Saturday, February 1, an announcement that the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club's racing will be described from Albion Park, relays of the various races being given during the running. On the same day the Sheffield Shield cricket match between Queensland and Victoria will also be described. SUNDAY NIGHT CONCERTS. The first of the studio concerts which the A.B.C. will give after the Sunday night band concerts has been arranged for February 3. At 9.45 p.m. Hilda Woolmer (pianist) will give a recital of select compositions, and the station will close down at 10 p.m.

4QG transmitter shift beyond Brisbane CBD foreshadowed but takes a decade to implement, JRW leaves comment to PMGD

Transfer from City. Station 4QG Transmitter. By "LISTENER." There is reason to believe that the Postmaster-General's Department pro-poses to remove the transmitting plant from the State Insurance Building to a site some distance out of the city. The object of such a move, it is stated, would be to eliminate the blanketing effect the powerful trans-mitter has on other stations. Under present conditions the 5,000 watt transmitter effectively prevents the reception of southern stations in the city proper excepting by highly selective receivers, and then the trans-missions from 4QG are always in the background. Even in the suburbs it is difficult to cut out 4QG completely when southern stations are being re-ceived. A similar move was made in Sydney and Melbourne some time ago, the transmitting plants of the big broad-casting stations being shifted to locali-ties 10 or 12 miles from the cities. The studios, of course, were retained in the cities, connection between the two points being maintained by land-lines. When questioned on the subject the director of the station (Mr. J. W. Robinson) said that it was a matter for the Postmaster-General's Depart-ment, which would have control of the transmitting side of the station as from February 1.

4QG wavelength change officially announced coinciding with change to ABC1, but curiously appears to have occurred somewhat earlier

Wave Length Altered. 4QG Now on 395 Metres. Owing to interference from the Japanese stations JOAK and JOCK transmitting wave length of station 4QG has been altered from 385 to 395 metres. The Japanese stations transmit on wave lengths in the vicinity of 385 metres, and some time ago 4QG could only be received to the accompaniment of distortion which considerably marred the programmes. The wave length of 4QG was then altered, as most listeners noticed when the station began to come in on a different part of the dial. It was only with the issue of the new programmes by the Australian Broadcasting Company Limited that the alteration in wave length was officially announced.

Overview of 4QG's history to date on eve of Commonwealth takeover

Station 4QG. Past and Future Record of Achievement. By "LISTENER." When station 4QG passes from the control of the State Government to the dual control of the Postmaster-General's Department and the Australian Broadcasting Company on January 31 it will have completed four and a half years' broadcasting service in Queensland. The station was established in 1925, the official opening by the ex-Premier (Mr. W. McCormack) taking place in July. At first the station was located in the Executive Buildings, a small 500 watt transmitting plant being used temporarily. The southern States previously had enjoyed broadcasting for two years, the pioneer station, 2FC Sydney, having commenced its service, on December 5, 1923. No company seemed anxious to establish a station in Queensland, the prospective revenue from licensed listeners not being attractive enough. The Queensland Government, however, saw that there were great possibilities in radio as a means of providing valuable information to the men on the land, and it was this factor more than anything else that influenced it to decide to establish a station in Brisbane. The services of Mr. J. W. Robinson, who was then on the staff of 2FC Sydney, were secured as director, of the Queensland Radio Service, .and before long the announcement, "This is station 4QG, owned and operated by the Queensland Government," was being heard nightly in every part of Australia and also overseas. After the initial difficulties had been successfully overcome by the chief engineer (Mr. F. W. Stevens) the station settled down to provide Queensland's first real broadcasting service. From two or three hundred the licensed listeners at once increased to nearly 4,000 in the early days of 4QG's transmission. PLANS FOR BIG STATION. The increasing interest in the station and in broadcasting encouraged the director to prepare ambitious plans for a higher powered station, which would equal those of Sydney and Melbourne. The Government approved the plans and the result was the very fine studio and equipment that exist today on top of the State Insurance building. The new station, with its 5,000 watt transmitter, was officially opened in April, 1926 — nine months after the inauguratory broadcast in Queensland. Since then the station has been on the air day after day and night after night and it speaks well for the efficiency of the staff that during the whole of this time there have been only slight mishaps to the delicate apparatus, and that care and attention has obviated any possibility of the station's being closed down during schedule-transmitting hours. The organisation of the programmes has entailed a considerable amount of work and thought and even difficulty because of the limited number of talented artists available in Brisbane. In this respect the station has been working at a disadvantage compared with southern broadcasting. NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS. The station has some notable broadcasting achievements standing to its credit. It has broadcasted descriptions of every important event that has interested Brisbane and Queensland — the arrival of Bert Hinkler after his famous flight from England, the landing of Kingsford Smith and Ulm after their epic flight across the Pacific. Test Cricket and Rugby League football matches. It has carried out interesting relays from oversea stations and from Antarctic exploration ships. One of its best achievements was its rebroadcast of the messages sent out from the Southern Cross, when on its way from America, and again when the plane was on the New Zealand flights. A GREAT COUP. Station 4QG made a great coup when it secured permission to broadcast the whole of the items sung by Dame Nellie Melba at her concert in Brisbane on Thursday, July 7, 1927. Previously, Dame Nellie Melba's voice had not been heard by radio more than three or four occasions. Naturally, the director was elated at the wonderful coup he secured and managers of southern stations who had hoped to enlist Melba's service had to admit that "Robinson had beat them to it." The announcement that Mr. Robinson is to continue as manager of the station gave great satisfaction to his friends. Most listeners believe that under his guidance and with greater resources at his command for the organisation of entertaining programmes the station will further enhance its standing among the first class broadcasting stations of Australia. The stage is now set for the change of control on January 31. The programmes for the opening nights look attractive and the directors of the Australian Broadcasting Company have issued an assurance that it will be the endeavour of the company to provide wireless entertainment from 4QG equal in quality to that put on the air by the Sydney and Melbourne stations. There will be frequent relays from the southern stations; most of the important events will be simultaneously broadcast throughout Australia. There will be close co-operation among all "A" class stations in the interests of listeners generally.

1930 04

Wife of 4SP has a tea party with friends including wife of JWR

COZY DELL. Gay with masses of coral gerberas, dahlias, and cosmos, arranged in coloured vases, and crowded with tea parties, the Cozy Dell presented an animated scene yesterday afternoon, when several special attractions were provided for those present. At 4 o'clock, the popular tea hour, and for some time after that, the cafe was taxed to its utmost capacity, and many had to crowd on the steps to wait for vacant tables. Musical selections, given throughout the entire afternoon by Miss Jean Taylor, were appreciated, and "The Masked Lady" was much in demand for teacup readings. A fashion parade was arranged by the management. . . . Mrs. F. W. Stevens entertained a few guests, including Mrs. F. Robinson, Misses Buchanan, S. Swan, and D. Mann.

Public await news of B class stations for Brisbane while 4QG enjoys its continued monopoly

News and Notes. Additional Stations. By "LISTENER" There is still an absence of information as to when the relay station will be established at Rockhampton and as to when applications for B class stations for Queensland will be granted. Pending the establishment of additional stations in this State listeners are compelled to accept for their entertainment the programmes submitted by 4QG; there are no alternative programmes to which to turn if those offering are not acceptable. This phase of broadcasting in Queensland is now being brought prominently before the Federal authorities, by the QueensIand Listeners' League, and it is to be hoped that the representations for the early establishment of new stations will meet with some response from those who have the power to improve the position. The programmes submitted by Station 4QG are generally satisfactory, but the variety of taste among listeners demands alternative programmes each night, such as those to which southern listeners have the privilege of turning.

Malone visits Rockhampton, proposed location of 4QG relay station

RADIO STATION. EXPERTS IN ROCKHAMPTON. ROCKHAMPTON, April 9. Mr. James Malone (Chief Inspector of Wireless for the Commonwealth), and Mr. F. E. Moore (Radio Inspector), both of Melbourne, with T. Armstrong (Radio Inspector, Brisbane), have been in Rockhampton this week inquiring into the establishment of a broadcasting station. This station it is anticipated, will be established during the next few months. Mr. Malone, in an interview, said that the station would be used for the purpose of broadcasting simultaneously with 4QG, Brlsbane. The installation of the station is part of the Commonwealth's broadcasting programme which has for its object the establishment of additional stations throughout the Commonwealth, so as to improve the facilities for listeners outside the capital cities. The first two stations in the programme are Newcastle (N.S.W.) and Rockhampton, both of which, it is expected, will be opened during the next few months.

1930 05

4SP obtains his pilot's licence which will also be applied to his role with 4QG

AVIATION. . . . AERO CLUB PILOTS. Among the last number of pupils to qualify for their private pilot's license in Brisbane was Mr. Alan Cameron, a son of Mr. S. W. Cameron, a partner of Cameron Bros., the well-known Brisbane estate agents. Mr. Cameron is the second of his family to obtain a license, his brother Waverley having obtained his pilot's license a few months previously. A cousin, Dr. D. A. Cameron, of Dalveen, also is a pilot. Another to obtain a license recently was Mr. F. W. Stevens, technical officer of 4QG broadcasting station. Mr. Stevens, it will be remembered, accompanied Mr. Brain in the Atalanta as radio officer in the successful search for the missing Kookaburra. These pupils passed their test on May 17, as also did Messrs. W. E. Crowther and F. A. Mayne. Mr. G. W. Whatmore, jun., also secured his pilot's license recently, through the Aero Club. The first lecture on aviation subjects, arranged chiefly for the benefit of pupil and pilot members, was given last Wednesday evening. Mr. Brain addressed those present on "The Art of Flying," and his remarks were greatly appreciated. The next lecture will be given by Mr. C. W. A. Scott on "Air Pilotage." The Queensland Aero Club feels proud that of Brisbane's three lady pilots two have been trained by the club, and when Miss Johnson arrives on Thursday the club 'planes that, with other machines, will escort her to the landing ground will be flown by the club's lady pilot members, Dr. Christine Rivett and Mrs. Nisbet.

1930 06

4QG's monopoly on broadcasting in Qld (except 4GR) comes to a conclusion with licensing of 4BC, also 4QG to relay to new 4RK Rockhampton with new wide bandwidth landline

RADIO. INTEREST STIMULATED. Broadcasting in Queensland. THREE ADDITIONAL STATIONS. Queensland, the radio Cinderella of the States, is at last to be permitted to have more than one broadcasting station. The Commonwealth authorities belatedly have recognised that this State of wide spaces is entitled to more than one station, and so two additional licenses have been granted, and a relay station is in course of preparation at Rockhampton. The granting of the new licenses follows years of agitation. The erection of an "A" class station in Brisbane was not a good move from a geographical point of view; it meant that the sphere of usefulness of the station was confined to the southern portion of the State. Natural barriers prevented the programmes from reaching the big areas of population in central and northern Queensland. And so a very big percentage of the population of the State were denied the facilities for listening that are enjoyed by the people of the smaller and more compact southern States. It is true that people living in distant parts of Queensland are able to listen to Station 4QG and the other "A" class stations of the eastern States if they equip themselves with powerful receiving sets, but even they cannot obtain a maximum amount of pleasure from broadcasting because of the natural obstacles to perfect reception that exist — fading, distortion, atmospheric disturbances, &c. Only a network of stations can adequately serve Queensland, and make it possible for people to enjoy broadcasting with receiving equipment of moderate cost. NEW BRISBANE STATION. As reported in these columns last Wednesday Messrs. J. B. Chandler and Co., have been granted a license for "B" class broadcasting station. In an interview last week the principal of the firm, Mr. J. B. Chandler, spoke most enthusiastically of his firm's intentions — the station is to be equipped with most modern apparatus and the programmes are to be the best it is possible to provide having in mind the limited income which a "B" class station may obtain in comparison with "A" class station. Mr. Chandler pointed out, and it is a fact, that a station equipped with a modern transmitting set, can be lower powered than the present "A" class stations and yet have a sending radius equally as great as the 5 k.w. station. In the five or six years that have passed since 4QG and the other "A" class stations came into existence much progress has been made in the design of transmitting apparatus. Today, broadly speaking, a 3,000 watt station is practically equal to a 5,000 watt station. Engineers will explain in technical language that a great deal of it is due to improvements in the percentage of modulation, and to other technical improvements which make for better results. And so 4BC (Chandler's new station) should provide an excellent alternative service to 4QG. Its promoters hope to establish a station which will be heard throughout a large area of Southern Queensland. If their ambitious plans are put into practical operation radio broadcasting in Southern Queensland will receive a much needed stimulus. As Mr. Chandler has said, the plans cannot be proceeded with until the wave length and power of the station have been determined by the Commonwealth authorities. Wave length effects receptive qualities over distances and power determines the transmitting radius of the lower frequency broadcasting stations, and until these two matters are finalised by the authorities the value of the new station to Queensland cannot be correctly assessed. ROCKHAMPTON STATION. So much for prospects for expansion in Southern Queensland. It is now well known that Central Queensland is shortly to be served by a relay station, and that the necessary apparatus is now being sent to Rockhampton. So far as is known the site for the station in that centre has not yet been selected; it is understood that negotiations are still proceeding for the purchase of a suitable piece of land on which to erect the buildings. Presumably a site will be chosen on the opposite side of the town to that of VIR, the Amalgamated Wireless shore station, which is on the range near the big secondary schools. It is understood that the apparatus for this station will be of the most modern design; that, in fact, it will be a better plant than that with which station 4QG is equipped. It will have a large transmitting radius and it undoubtedly will create a great deal of interest in broadcasting in central districts where there are few license holders at present. The majority of the items for the programmes will be supplied by station 4QG. They will be relayed over a special line which the Postmaster-General's Department is providing between Brisbane and Rockhampton. Special arrangements, it is understood, are being made to permit of the musical frequencies being covered by the landline so that relays will not be confined, as they are at present in the case of rebroadcasts from Sydney and Melbourne, to the voice frequencies. Listeners will have noticed during relays from Sydney when a scrap of music was put through — it was noticeable when the orchestra was playing the overtures to Muriel Starr's production of "Within the Law" — how flat it sounded. That is because the landllne at present will not cover the musical frequencies which vary over a wide area of the scale compared with the small variation in voice frequencies. Thus the Rockhampton and Central district listeners are being provided with every facility for enjoying the broadcasting services which station 4QG will provide. A large increase in the number of licenses will mean much additional revenue for 4QG and it is reasonable to hope that the Broadcasting Company will utilise some of it in the improvement of the programmes. No doubt, relays will be arranged both ways so that southern listeners will be enabled to hear the best talent in Rockhampton and listen to descriptions to some of the important events that periodically take place in that centre. AT MACKAY. The proposals for an extension of broadcasting do not, however, end at Rockhampton. Further North there is a move to establish a "B" class station at Mackay. Mr. J. H. Williams, of that town, has been granted a "B" class license, and the proposed station has been allotted the call sign 4MK. It is understood that a company is in course of formation to establish and control the station. Just what its sphere of usefulness will be is not yet known but it is presumed that it will be a low powered station. Nevertheless it will stimulate further interest in broadcasting in the prosperous and fast growing district of which Mackay is the centre. The erection of these new stations in Queensland should result in a considerable increase in the number of licensed listeners and it would not be surprising to find them doubled before the end of the year. Every month since the A.B.C. took over station 4QG the figures have shown an improvement in Queensland. In May alone there was an increase of 321.

1930 08

4QG's prior monopoly further eroded by the proposed establishment of a second Brisbane B class - 4BK

BROADCASTING. ANOTHER B STATION COMPLETING BRISBANE'S TRIO. The announcement is made that the Postmaster-General has issued a further Class B broadcasting licence for Brisbane, thus completing the trio of stations for this city. The station will operate on a wavelength of 217 metres (1380 Kilocycles) and is authorised for a power input of 200 watts to the aerial. The station will operate under the call sign of 4BK. The organisation, controlling the new service is the Brisbane Broadcasting Company Ltd. Associated with the enterprise are Messrs. Edgar V. Hudson Ltd., wireless wholesalers of Charlotte-street, and Messrs. King and King Ltd., the well known music warehousemen of Queen-street. Messrs. Reuter's Ltd., of worldwide cable and news service fame, are the concessionaires for the advertising of the station. The situation of the new station will be King House, of Queen and Elizabeth streets, city, the top of this six storeyed structure being ideal for the aerial; in fact, similar to 4QG. The wide difference in wave lengths will mean that there will be no interference between the two stations, although they are situated only about 100 yards apart. The transmission equipment as well as the studios and offices for the station, will all be self-contained, under the one roof, and in a most central position. For special productions the large audition hall of Messrs. King and King will be available. The transmitting plant will be up to modern standards, and will have an input to the aerial of 200 watts, being the largest power that Class B licences are authorised to use. The plant will be practically all of Australian manufacture, and is being rapidly assembled. The installation will begin at an early date. The intention of the direction of 4BK is to broadcast programmes to suit all tastes, including high-class disc recorded electrically and mechanically reproduced music, together with vocal and instrumental items from the studios. Between items will be given topically featured advertising that will ensure the interest of the Iistening public. The times and order of transmissions will be generally arranged to provide alternative programmes to Station 4QG, when that station is off the air or rendering service information, news items and announcements. The exact date that 4BK will be transmitting cannot be yet definitely fixed, but this will be within very few weeks. PROGRAMME FROM SYDNEY. The postal authorities advise that the programme from Broadcasting Station 2FC, Sydney, will be relayed to Station 4QG, Brisbane, this (Sunday) evening from 8,30 to 10. Early to bed and early to rise gives the average man's wife a surprise.

As previous

Broadcasting. New B Class Station. The announcement, has now been made that the Postmaster-General has issued a further class B broadcasting license for Brisbane. The Brisbane Broadcasting Company Ltd., has stated that the station will operate on a wave length of 217 metres (1,380 kilocycles), and is authorised for a power input of 200 watts to the aerial. The station will operate under the call sign 4BK. The wave length will be suitable for Queensland conditions, particularly for distance, while being nearly 100 kilocycles different from the other new Brisbane station 4BC no interference will result. Associated with the new enterprise are Messrs. Edgar V. Hudson, Ltd., wireless wholesalers, of Charlotte Street, and Messrs. King and King Ltd., the well known music warehousemen, of Queen Street. Messrs. Reuter's Ltd., of worldwide cable and news service fame are the concessionaires for the advertising of the station. The situation of 4BK will be King House, of Queen and Elizabeth Streets, city, the top of this six-storied structure being ideal for the aerial. The wide difference in wave lengths will mean that there will be no interference between the two stations, although they are situated only a few hundred yards apart. The transmission equipment, as well as the studios, and offices for the station, will all be self-contained under the one roof, and in a most central position. For special productions the large audition hall of Messrs. King and King will be available. The transmitting plant will be up to modern standards, and will have an input to the aerial ot 200 watts, being the largest power that the class B licenses are being authorised to use. The plant will be practically all of Australian manufacture, and is being rapidly assembled. The installation will begin at an early date. The intention of the direction of 4BK is to broadcast programmes to suit all tastes, including high-class disc recorded electrically and mechanically reproduced music, together with vocal and instrumental items from the studios. Between items topically featured advertising will be given. The times and order of transmissions will be generally arranged to provide alternative programmes to station 4QG. The listening public of Queensland and the Northern Rivers will be fully catered for in the next few months, when three stations will be on the air instead of one only, as formerly. The exact date that 4BK will be transmitting cannot be yet definitely fixed, but it will be within very few weeks.

JWR congratulates 4BC at its commencement

NOW ON THE AIR. RADIO STATION 4BC. OFFICIAL OPENING. Brisbane's new broadcasting station, 4BC, was officially opened on Saturday night, and, in addition to giving a ball to ball description of the fifth test match, presented a programme of musical items. Mr. J. B. Chandler, principal of the firm responsible for the establishment of the station, said the company had not started in opposition to 4QG; rather it had been inaugurated with the intention of catering further for the radio enthusiast and of stimulating interest in the hobby. It was recognised, said Mr. Chandler, that no programme could please everyone, and with two stations on the air listeners would have a greater choice. The station at present working, Mr. Chandler said, was only temporary; the permanent station would not be completed until October. The work of erecting the station, Mr. Chandler claimed, was something of a record. The components did not arrive in Brisbane until August 8, and the station had already been on the air on three nights. In that short time the studio, aerial, and transmitting apparatus had been erected. As the station was only receiving revenue from advertisements, he appealed for the support of business firms in the city. The Vice-Lord Mayor (Alderman A. Watson), officially opening the station, congratulated the company on its enterprise. Appreciative messages, he said, had been received from Cairns, Winton, and Sydney. With the advent of wireless the lives of the farmers had been brightened. Mr. J. W. Robinson (manager of 4QG) also tendered his congratulations. He said that in these days few business men had the courage to launch out on new enterprises. The new station, therefore, was deserving of the greatest praise and support. It would fill a long-felt want in providing crystal set listeners with an alternative programme. Radio was increasing in popularity, said Mr. Robinson. There were 1100 more listeners licensed during the last three months, and with the advent of a B class station the interest should be further stimulated.

Amateur broadcasters not only pushed to higher frequencies for broadcasting, but have to contend with a harmonic of 4QG

Amateur Stations. Amateur stations in the south seem to be in the same unfortunate position as VK4 stations in this respect: A southern amateur reports very poor reception from VK4 stations on telephony. Obviously they have poor receivers, too, down there. VK4 "hams" have to find good adjustments on the 175-200 metres band. VK4LW found one adjustment almost on 4QG'S 192½-metre harmonic.

The new 4BC operation makes a more professional reporting of the test cricket, but up to 30 minutes later than the scores broadcast by 4QG

TRUTH ABOUT TEST TRANSMISSIONS. SOME UNFAIR REMARKS. Considerable curiosity has been caused by the fact that, during the last test, listeners-in to the ball-to-ball description of play, relayed by 4BC from the South, scores have sometimes been given over 4QG that have been half an hour ahead of 4BC's. Various conjectures have been aimed at the reason why, and some conclusions that have been unfair to both stations have been arrived at, some people wanting to know if 4QG was sticking the scores on. Accepting 4QG's scores as being correct (and they are), it is easy, to arrive at the true state of affairs. As has been announced by 4QG over the air the Australian Broadcasting Company has a special commissioner in England, who is on the ground during play. He sends a continuous stream of messages by beam wireless, which are received in Sydney by the A.B.C. sporting editor. Commencing at 9 o'clock, the various messages are read over at half hourly intervals in a simultaneous broadcast from the various A.B.C. stations in Australia, and they represent the absolutely latest scores available, being on the air in Australia from one to two minutes after having been made. The beam messages are all gathered by the sporting editor in Sydney, who compiles from them a full description of the day's play, and at 11.15 each night broadcasts from 2FC, relaying through 5CL, 3LO, or 3AR, and 4QG. One A class station in each of the Southern States, and 4QG. Brisbane, remains open until 3.30 each morning, or until stumps are drawn, to give the very latest scores. It is quite clear that 4BC has made a very successful attempt, not only to give the listener-in in this State the latest cricket information available, but has endeavored to also make this information entertaining, and the manner in which it has been done has been the station's own domestic arrangement, which, at considerable cost, has undoubtedly made test transmissions interesting for even that portion of the broadcast public which Is always difficult to please. And it must be conceded that, though now and again a little late in comparison with the A class station, 4BC's in-formation has always been correct, and has been a ball-to-ball description of the play. The listener-in description of the play. The listener-in must not expect too much of radio.

1930 09

Set construction articles now focus on a set with ability to separate out all three brisbane stations including 4QG

OUR WIRELESS CIRCLE. THE 1930 AC TWO. Home Set for the Summer. (By Proton.) THE summer season is approaching very rapidly, and this means that reaching out for distant stations will be greatly curtailed by unfavourable conditions, caused by hot summer sun and static. This summer, however, we in Brisbane will have access to a much better radio service than formerly, due to the establishment of two B class stations, namely 4BC and 4BK. This means that listeners in southern Queensland will have a choice of three distinct programmes from local stations. Local stations are not so greatly effected by static as distant stations, due to their great effective power at the receiving aerial; hence when conditions are unfavourable for tuning in to 2BL, 2FC, 3LO, or 3AR without an excess of noise and other interference, one will be able to tune in the locals without any trouble. For local reception a powerful set, having a radiofrequency stage is required. All that is necessary is a detector, and a pentode audio stage. Such an arrangement will give volume almost equal to the average three valve, and will be ample for any home. Wherever batteries have been used they have proved a trouble and I have designed this small two, to work from the light socket, that is "all electric." You will simply switch on as you do your iron, or a lamp, and there is no necessity to have batteries charged or replaced. Indeed, it is radio without worry, and a minimum of upkeep cost, for an electric set is much cheaper to run than, a battery set of the same number of valves. The 1930 AC Two will tune in the three Brisbane stations 4QG, 4BC, and 4BK, without interference from any one of them, and under favourable conditions it will tune in 2FC, 2BL, 3LO, 3AR, 3UZ, 3DB, 2GB, and,2KY at quite good speaker volume.

1930 10

4BK commencement

NEW STATION. 4BK ON THE AIR. A greater field and variety of entertainment is afforded wireless listeners-in throughout Queensland by the establishment of 4BK, a new B class station, which was "on the air" officially for the first time last night. Two months ago a transmitting license was granted to the Brisbane Broadcasting Co., Ltd., and since that time work on the new station, which makes the third big broadcasting station in Brisbane, has been steadily proceeding. Located on the top floor of King House, in Queen-street, the station Is most conveniently arranged. The studios, waiting-room, &c, have been fitted in an up-to-date manner, being made suitable for broadcasting purposes by the latest acoustic methods of echo reducing. A modern and expensive transmitting plant has been established, and a staff of experts has been engaged to control the station. Tests of the station had been proceeding for some little time, and last night the first public transmission "went over" without a hitch, reflecting great credit on the engineer, Mr. A. L. Dixon. The first item was broadcast at 7 o'clock, and then, at 8 o'clock, the Lord Mayor (Alderman W. A. Jolly, C.M.G.) declared the station open. Evidence of the popularity and effectiveness of the new station was manifest by the number of satisfied listeners who telephoned their congratulations to the officials during the evening. The hours of transmission proposed for the commencement of the service will be nightly, from 6 o'clock until 10 o'clock. Daytime services will not begin immediately, but will be a regular feature in the near future. MARVEL OF WIRELESS. In officially declaring the station open, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane (Alderman W. A. Jolly, C.M.G.), who was introduced by the managing director (Mr. F. Hoe), congratulated the management upon its enterprise. One of the marvels of the present age, he said, was wireless. It was indeed one of the greatest achievements of the scientific world, and no country was more interested in its development than Australia. The Lord Mayor felt sure that the new station would be an acquisition, not only to Brisbane, but to the whole of Queensland. Mr. F. Hoe said that the building, equipping, and launching of Station 4BK was the outcome of the sincere desire of those concerned in the enterprise to render service to the radio public of Queensland, and to further increase the popularity and utility of wireless in Queensland. He mentioned that Edgar V. Hudson, Limited, was caring for the equipment and service, and Messrs. King and King Limited were responsible for the musical presentations, with Reuters Ltd. and A. R. Thoms attending to the advertising. A link had been made with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for film interests through their "Movie Clubs," for whom 4BK would be the official Queensland station in their radio chain. Other members of the organisation then were introduced to listeners. Mr. W. Myers King, co-director, who has taken a life interest In music, commented that his object would be to provide programmes that would entertain and instruct listeners. Mr. Harry Collins, announcer, referred to the fact that until recently he had been deputy announcer at 4QG, and was known also there as "Uncle Pete." Brief remarks were made also by Mr. A. R. Thoms, advertising manager; Miss Winifred Haslam, announcer; Mr. A. L. Dixon, engineer; and Mr. Fred. Monument, announcer.

PMGD policy to establish high-power stations only outside the city to avoid blanketing issues, progress with 4QG relay 4RK

Broadcasting. Position in Queensland. Erection of Relay Stations. By "LISTENER." Although Queensland was promised relay broadcasting stations many months ago not one has yet been established, and it would seem that four or five more months will elapse before the first is put into operation. This will be 4RK at Rockhampton. A site for the station has been purchased by the Commonwealth authorities at Gracemere, six miles from the city. This station was to have been opened some time ago, but so far the necessary buildings have not been erected, although it is understood that much of the apparatus for the transmitting plant has been lying in Rockhampton for many weeks. Station 4RK will broadcast programmes which are to be relayed from 4QG, and perhaps from Sydney stations. The plant will be most modern and capable of providing an excellent service for the district. The fact that the station will be located so far from the city will obviate any possibility of other stations being blanketed, and permit of Rockhampton listeners tuning in to southern stations as well as to 4RK. The decision to erect the station outside the boundaries of the city is in conformity with a policy which the department has adopted in relation to all new stations. The progress of broadcasting in Australia has demonstrated that a mistake was made when the A class stations were established right in the hearts of the capitals, and has shown the need for the removal of 4QG and other high powered stations to other sites 10 or 12 miles away from their present locations. NEW STATION OPERATING. Two of the successful applicants for broadcasting stations in Queensland lost no time in assembling plants and in getting on the air. Stations 4BC and 4BK are now providing programmes which are being appreciated by listeners. The third successful applicants, Williams' Agencies Ltd., Mackay, to whom the call sign 4MK was allotted, have not yet got on the air and no definite information is obtainable in Brisbane as to when the station will be opened. It is understood that the plant has been assembled, but that a suitable crystal for the control of the transmitter has not yet been obtained. POWER OF STATIONS. The power for 4RK is stated to be 2,000 watts, but that figure cannot be compared with the 5,000 watts of 4QG because the method of indicating the power is different. In the case of 4QG and all the other existing A class broadcasting stations, the power is regarded as that in the circuit preceding the aerial circuit — the high frequency circuit as it is defined in the wireless regulations. In the case of the new stations which are being erected to the Postmaster-General's specifications under contract, the power is taken as the total watts in the aerial circuit. Roughly that means 50 per cent of the power in the high frequency circuit. However, it is expected that 4RK will be as powerful as 4QG. The actual amount of power is not the final factor in determining the usefulness of a station, and in the stations placed in operation in Europe and America in the last year or so there have been included in the arrangement of the circuit forming the transmitting plants many refinements which have improved the transmission. The new stations presumably will include those advantages of later design.

Another new receiver for construction to avail of the new Brisbane radio landscape of three stations

OUR WIRELESS CIRCLE. THE NEW STATIONS' TWO. An Inexpensive Receiver. WITH three broadcasting stations, Brisbane's outlook for the coming summer is particularly bright. We have three distinct programmes to choose from, and there will be no reason to shut off your radio because old man static is nor behaving himself. 4QG, 4BC, and 4BK will not be marred by his raucous voice. The ideal receiver for local reception is a two-valve. The initial and running costs are low and the quality is unexcelled, for a single audio stage keeps amplification distortion down to a minimum. The two-valver described this week was primarily designed for local reception, although on favourable nights it will tune in the main southern broadcasting stations with good speaker volume. The receiver is very simple to build and should present little difficulty to the average radio aspirant:

1931

1931 01

Another bio of JWR with som new titbits

Radio Personalities. MR. J. W. ROBINSON, MANAGER 4QG. John W. Robinson, manager in Queensland for the Australian Broadcasting Company, answers to the age of 34 years and the dual professions of journalist and radio engineer. The "John W." stands for John William. As he dislikes being called John Willy, it has been shortened to "Robbie," by which all his intimates, including his child, address him. Manager Robinson has now been with 4QG for about six years. He served a cadetship with the "Melbourne Herald," and during the war he served with the A.l.F. at the front for two years. When he returned from the war he again entered journalism, occupying the position, of a senior grade journalist on the "Herald." Here he became interested in the interchange of news with newspapers in the various States. He studied with the Marconi School of Wireless for two years, coming out as a full-blown engineer. At this time 2FC was looking for a man who could combine the ability of a journalist with that of an engineer. Manager Robinson filled the (Start Photo Caption) MR. J. W. ROBINSON. (End Photo Caption) bill, and when 4QG started in Brisbane 2FC could find no better man to send up here to design and build the station and to train the staff. When the A.B.C. took over last year his services, were retained. Under J. W. Robinson's management 4QG has always held a prominent place in Australian radio activities. The station has its critics just as has every other station in the Commonwealth, but these are only a proof that the station is constantly in the public ear, as it were. Listeners-in are in a position to give a tactless manager a very uncomfortable time, but as an indication of his popularity we have J. W. Robinson pushing down the scales at a very healthy pace; his brow is serene, and the only wrinkles are caused by smiles. Journalistic propensities break out whenever a very consistent critic, who invariably lines his dissatisfaction in verse, sends in a fresh effort. The whisper goes round the studio that the boss is deep in thought amongst the ink wells, and when the next mailbag session is on the air we have J.W.R. having a slap at his critic, using his own weapons.

1931 09

Fred Hoe in an article for the first birthday of 4BC, backgrounds the inability of 4QG to satisfy the public, also notes the close physical proximity of the two stations

STATION 4BK. First Birthday Celebrations. Review of Operations. By "LISTENER" Station 4BK will celebrate its first birthday tomorrow evening, and as for some weeks past the publicity of this station has been vaguely hinting at something mysterious and unusual in the way of programmes for that evening. "Listener" called on the managing director of the station (Mr. Fred Hoe) to obtain some particulars. Mr. Hoe, however, said that as it was going to be a "surprise" evening for listeners he could not very well divulge what was likely to take place. He mentioned that the station would hold a birthday party during the day when all who had assisted the station during the year would be asked to a birthday luncheon at the Carlton Cabaret. He expected that the invited guests would number about 100 persons. "At 7.40 tomorrow evening 4BK will be closing down," Mr. Hoe continued. "I am sorry to hear that," said "Listener." "Oh, it is just a temporary closing down," Mr. Hoe explained. "In fact we will be off the air for only 29 minutes,. During that time 4BK's engineering staff will be extremely busy changing over to the new high tension apparatus which has been assembled at the station." "What is the apparatus, and what effect will it have on the transmission?" asked "Listener." "This apparatus is a new and very powerful oil-immersed high tension transformer by means of which the voltage applied to the rectifying valves will be Increased from 2,500 volts to 5,000 volts. This will increase the strength of the transmitted signals which should be very noticeable outside the Brisbane area, The only listeners in the Brisbane area who will notice any great change will possibly be those operating small valve and crystal sets." "What can you tell me about this mysterious programme tomorrow evening?" "Very little, I'm afraid." "There will be some speeches, I suppose?" "No; 4BK is not but to pat itself on the back. We also realise that listeners do not want to hear any speech-making. Our programme will be much more acceptable to our listeners." A TWELVE MONTH'S RESUME. Mr. Hoe gave a resume of the operations of 4BK since its inception. He said: For about five years 4QG was Queensland's only station. There was continuous agitation for additional broadcasting facilities. Both the radio trade and the listening public knew how Queensland was handicapped by the lack of variety in programmes as a result of only one station operating. Actually, want of definition in policy by quickly changing Governments in a period of rapidly altering conditions in radio was the cause of this negation of Queensland's aspirations and best interests, rather than a deliberate starving ot this state, although this, in effect, actually was the case. Southern States each had had several B class stations, as they were then called, licensed and operating for a number of years, but this privilege was denied this State. At last, in the latter end of 1929, the Commonwealth Government began to formulate a definite policy, and after some months decided to issue further B class licenses. For a number of years applications had been received from this State, and the two applications selected were those lodged by Messrs. J. B. Chandler and Co., who established 4BC, and a combination of Messrs, Edgar V. Hudson Ltd. and King and King, Ltd., who formed the Brisbane Broadcasting Company, Ltd., ultimately founding 4BK. ORGANISING 4BK. "Once the promise of a license was secured in August, 1930, the company lost little time in commencing activities. King House was selected as the headquarters, this position offering the great advantages of being central, both for the city and suburbs, easy of access, and commanding a relatively high position almost clear of obstruction to output signals. That this station is only about 25 yards away from the powerful 4QG, and yet experiences no degree of interference, is a constant source of wonder to those who have not a complete knowledge of the mysteries of radio. The next move was the selection of a suitable transmitting plant, and the original plant used by 4QG prior to the present large station being built was purchased as being ideal for the purpose. Preparations were then commenced in real earnest. Mr. Arthur L. Dixon, who had been responsible for establishing 2HD, Newcastle, was appointed engineer and manager. Under his able dlrection work proceeded apace, masts and aerial were erected on top of King House, 120 feet from the ground. Auxiliary plant was constructed and the whole equipment was installed, studios built and furnished, ready for commencement, inside two months. With the exception of the main transmitter, which is of Australian manufacture, the whole of the station equipment was designed and built mostly by the station's engineering staff or under their supervision, and is a standing tribute to the ability of Queensland workmen. THE FIRST BROADCAST. Within two months of the actual granting of the license, Station 4BK had been built, erected, tested and on the air for the first transmission on October 1, 1930, when the station was officially opened by the Lord Mayor (Alderman W. A. Jolly, C.M.G.) and the first programme broadcast. The station Immediately became a favourite with the listening public principally, because of the bright originality of the presentations. Variety has been the keynote of the station from the very inception. Some notable broadcasts have been made by 4BK. IMPROVEMENTS. The engineering staff have been constantly employed in making improvements to the plant, the method adopted being one of constant minor additions and refinements rather than definite noticeable alterations. Recently a new 70 foot steel aerial tower was erected, raising the transmitting aerial level well, above the lift and fire prevention tower. This effected a noticeable increase in radiation, and a levelling of power in the various districts. The new high tension transformer which will be in use tomorrow evening will further increase the efficiency of the station. DISTANT RECEPTION. Some remarkable distant reception of 4BK has been reported — remarkable because! of the very moderate power used, being limited by terms of the license to 200 watts in the aerial. These have come from as far as New York. Reports from the western coast of America are frequent and regular, a recent correspondent stating, "4BK comes in much clearer and stronger than 4QG, which is a much more powerful station, and the perfect reception we get is a tribute to your station's transmission." Every New Zealand mail brings a sheaf of letters from the Dominion, while requests for items and information come in from all parts of Australia. These distant results are, however, not the object of the station management, interesting as they are. Every effort is directed to obtaining perfect daylight reception on ordinary sets within 100 miles of Brisbane, and the same perfect reception up to 300 miles' radius at night. In this the station has been very successful. PROGRAMME ATTRACTIONS. The station makes a constant appeal for the interest of the listeners and various competitions are conducted and special gifts and offerings made. There are close on 3,000 names entered in the station register, and to these listeners regular nightly distributions of theatre passes are made. Since the first broadcast the transmission hours have been more than doubled. The continuous session from 4.30 to 11 nightly is the longest unbroken session of any station in Australia. The original staff of eight has expanded to 21. No changes have taken place on the staff during the year. In a short twelve months Station 4BK has been firmly established, and the results have been highly successful, viewed from the standpoint of both financial and broadcasting results. That this has been achieved during a period of depression, in fact, commencing at possibly the worst time, augurs well for the future. The policy of the Brisbane Broadcasting Company, under the direction of Messrs. Fred Hoe (managing director), Arthur L. Dixon (manager), and A. R. Thorns (advertising manager), promises continual progress and expansion. "Llsteners," said Mr. Hoe, "can look forward with confidence to even better things from 4BC."

1931 11

Sunday Mail columnist opines that quality of 4QG's transmissions has decreased since former 4QG engineers dispensed with

TO THE POWERS THAT BE. Some Questions From the Listeners. Since the State Government rendered radio listeners such admirable service in installing Queensland's first permanent broadcasting station in 1925, many changes have taken place in the broadcasting world. The first change, from the viewpoint of our discussion, was that in the method of control of the activities of our A class station, 4QG. On the expiration of the different permits throughout Australia for the operation of A class stations, the programme side was handed over to the Australian Broadcasting Company to control, and the Postmaster General's Department assumed control, of the technical side of broadcasting. All we radio listeners expected great things from such a combination of undoubted ability, but these expectations have not been realised. Why? At the moment the position is this: If you ask any dozen set owners which station they listen-in to most, by far the great majority will answer that one or other of the B class stations, 4BC or 4BK, give the bulk of the radio entertainment in the home. The installation of these B class stations proved to be the second important event of Brisbane's radio history. REASON FOR COMPLAINTS. There appears to be a continual complaint levelled at 4QG on account of the "hum" associated with the transmission, which cannot be heard from the B stations; also that 4QG has not the same degree of quality which is such a marked feature of both B class stations. This should not be so with an A class station. Is it because the transmitter at 4QG has not beep kept up with the rapidly advancing radio science, and thus any programme from this station does not consequently enjoy such superior conditions as those from the B class stations? If this state of affairs is existing, is not the onus on the P.M.G. to give the broadcasting company better facilities to please their radio listeners? We listeners understand that the P.M.G.'s Department receives one-half of the licence fees collected, and this is showing them a handsome profit; thus it should be in a position to purchase any necessary new plant to bring the station up to date; and then to keep it that way. Another viewpoint about this "hum" trouble and inferior quality of transmission is the question: Is it due to technical reasons? Readers may remember that 15 months after the assumption of control of A class station broadcasting by the A.B.C.— P.M.G. combination, the P.M.G. dispensed with the services of the former 4QG technical staff, the senior members of which were highly trained and widely experienced broadcast engineers, regarded as among the leaders of their profession in Australia. These men were replaced by members of the P.M.G. staff, and as the radio public seem to think, junior members. Where did these men obtain their experience, and is it of equal quality to the men who were discharged? Admitted that the P.M.G.'s Department has many high-class engineers, and that the employees of this department deal with kindred subjects, it was not known that the P.M.G. had experienced radio engineers who had specialised in broadcasting as member of the staff. ENTITLED TO THE BEST. By law all radio listeners must pay a licence fee, so surely they are entitled to the best, or at least as good as that rendered by stations which have to see to their own income. Is this transmission noise and inferior quality due to inexperience on the part of the operators? It is a general opinion that 4QG's standard of transmission has fallen off since April iast. Apart from these technical drawbacks, a large measure of the popularity of the B stations is due to the brighter atmosphere associated with their transmissions. They have infused personality into their programmes. This personality seems to appeal to the majority much more than the formality of 4QG'S studios. It is saying a great deal for the B class stations, when we realise that they have the disability of advertising to contend with, whereas 4QG has none. Another way in which our B class stations have shown 4QG a point is in the more harmonious blending of their programmes, particularly recorded music. In view of recent events in the record world it is impossible to say what will happen to records for broadcasting purposes; at all events, in this respect, 4QG could give this matter careful consideration. 4QG certainly gives us a wonderful service in many respects, particularly in special features; nevertheless the main body of listeners listen in to the B station, not so much because of better programmes, but on account of the brightness and naturalness. The announcers seem to be in the room with you, talking as you would expect a friend to do, yet no dignity is lost. Now, 4QG, do you not think that something after the style of our B stations would appeal to your listeners, for they are human beings, not a body of unnatural people, whose minds fail to pass through all the normal reactions? We listeners think it is up to the powers that be to see what can be done to improve the tone of the principal station, and make it again Queensland's leading broadcasting centre.

1931 12

Third Brisbane B class commences testing with at least two former 4QG engineers on staff

NEW BROADCASTER. Station 4BH Tested. Most Modern Plant. Claimed to be the most powerful "B" class broadcasting station in Queensland, station 4BH will be opened shortly. The date has been fixed tentatively for January 2. The studios have been established at Grice's Music Salon; the transmitting station is at Bald Hills, about ten miles from the studios. Mr. N. A. Johansson, chief engineer to the Telefunken Radio and Electrical Company in Australia, was the consulting engineer for the erection of the station. Interviewed by "The Telegraph," Mr. Johannson gave some particulars of the equipment. The station will use a power of 600 watts on modulated current, and will transmit on a wave length of 217 metres. It will be the first station to come in on the tuning dial. The power was manufactured for Broadcasters Australia Ltd., the owners of the station, in Sydney, by Scott and Co., Sydney Ltd. The transmitter, according to Mr. Johannson, is the most modern conceivable. It uses the Heising-Latour modulating system; the transmitter wave can be freely modulated 100 per cent. The transmitter has the latest features such as low power modulation, and crystal control of the transmitted frequencies. The station will have a clear and noiseless carrier wave because D.C. generators are used throughout the transmitting plant to supply the power. The last power valve before the aerial circuit is water cooled, the cooling system having been designed to meet Brisbane weather conditions. An interesting and important feature of the cooling system is that full protection is provided for all the valves. In the event of the water supply failing the power supply to the valves is automatically cut off. AERIAL CIRCUIT. The aerial circuit utilises a special Telefunken system to obtain the highest possible radiation whilst still keeping within the limits of aerial power laid down by the Postmaster-General's Department, and the engineers of the station are confident that with the care that has been taken in designing this part of the equipment the station, so far as daylight country range is concerned, will be the most powerful in Brisbane. The power supply is obtained from the city, special power lines having been erected to the station at Bald Hills. The earthing system at the station has no counterpart in Australia. It is founded on the experience of the Telefunken system on the continent. The only other station in Australia which, in the near future, will have a similar system will be Station 2CH, Sydney, which is now in course of erection, and which will be opened next month with a full Telefunken equipment. A feature of the system is that its use cuts down earth losses to a considerable degree. The aerial masts are 120 feet high. Two telephone lines connect studio and station. One is for programmes and the other is the monitor line. The buildings at Bald Hills are fireproof; they have been constructed of celotex and fibro cement. The roof is non-metallic. THE STUDIOS. The main studio at Grice's Salon is roomy and is absolutely soundproof; no external sounds can intrude. The studio is equipped with piano, a reproducing machine and the other customary equipment. Adjoining the studio is a monitor's room in which are the mixers and the feeders — devices used for controlling the input to the transmitter from the microphone. There is a complete receiver on which the monitor listens for distortion and bad qualities. The monitor watches proceedings in the studio through a double plate glass window. There is a switchboard for incoming outside lines which carry programmes from music halls and churches. THE STAFF. Mr. Walter Pym, who is well known among Brisbane theatre-goers, and who has been associated with Station 4QG for some time, has been appointed programme director of the station, but the engaging of an announcing staff has not yet been finalised. Mr. Johansson, who is the consulting engineer, recently supervised the installation of a Telefunken high frequency carrier telephone system on high tension electric power lines between Melbourne and Geelong, and also installed telephone communication between the offices of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in Melbourne and the electric power station at Yallourn over the power lines which carry 180,000 volts. These are the first installations of their kind south of the equator. Even on such high power lines the dialling and calling are done on ordinary telephone instruments and both volume and quality, according to Mr. Johansson, have satisfied the Victorian engineers. Next month Mr. Johansson will supervise the installation of the big Telefunken wireless station for the promoters of 2CH, Sydney. This station will be controlled by the Council of Churches and will use a modulated power of 1,000 watts in the aerial. The chief engineer of Station 4BH is Mr. Thorstan Gedda, who has a wide experience with European transmitting plants. Other engineers are Mr. F. W. Stevens, who was chief engineer at Station 4QG for six years, Mr. N. W. Cruickshank, who has had a wide experience overseas, who served as a wireless operator in submarines during the war, and was at the Battle of Jutland. He was recently on the engineering staff of Station 2GB, Sydney. The fourth engineer is Mr. Cyril Moran, who was on the engineering staff of Station 4QG for six years. SATISFACTORY TESTS. Transmitting tests already have been conducted. Mr. Johansson expressed himself as being particularly pleased with them. Mr. Stevens said that he had been associated with four broadcasting stations and none of the transmitting plants had performed so satisfactory the first time it was tested as had that of 4BH. "Within half an hour of the carrier wave being put on the air we had almost perfect modulation," he said. "The plant performed splendidly the first time it was on the air," Mr. Cruickshank remarked.

1932

1932 08

4̩QG, inter alia, skywave signals measured as part of an investigation into fading by the Radio Research Board

WIRELESS. Fading Investigations. WORK IN AUSTRALIA. (BY N. M. GODDARD, B.E.) During the past two years fading has been investigated by the Radio Research Board, and six papers describing the work of the investigators have been recently published by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Bulletins Nos. 59, 60, and 63). The first of these contains two papers by A. L. Green, M.Sc. One describes experiments carried out between Sydney and Jervis Bay to check previous work done in the northern hemisphere. The English experiments had shown that, at any rate, for measurements taken between London and Peterborough the downcomlng wave was polarised in a manner which was nearly circular and lefthanded. The Australian experiments proved the anticipation that in the southern hemisphere the polarisation would be nearly circular and righthanded for similar conditions, which is taken as a confirmation of the theory of the reflection of waves in the Heaviside layer, and the effect of the earth's magnetic field on the production of night time errors in direction-finding. The other part of the bulletin describes measurements taken on the height of the Heaviside layer with waves of broadcast frequency between Sydney and Jervis Bay. In the second bulletin, W. G. Baker, B.E., D.Sc., and Mr. Green have shown that it is possible to calculate the polarisation of downcoming waves, and have prepared maps for certain conditions attached to transmission from 2BL. This work was originally undertaken as part of a series of experiments to find a means for controlling fading at moderate distances from a transmitter. The third of the series includes three papers contributed by Mr. Green, Dr. Baker, R. O. Cherry, D.Sc., and D. F. Martyn, Ph.D., A.R.C.Sc. In one of these an account of fading measurements in New South Wales is given, receiving stations, located at Sydney and Jervis Bay, recording signals from 2BL, 4QG, 3LO, and 3AR. The second section deals with measurements on signals from 3AR and 3LO at short distances from the stations in Victoria, and the third is confined to studies of fading of 2BL and 2FC in the vicinity of Melbourne. At the relatively short distances it was found that fading began to occur about half an hour before sunset and to disappear about half an hour after sunrise. Three distinct types are recognised, viz., slow fading in which the period was about from one to five minutes and the signal intensity varied from less than half that of the steady day value to about double the day value; quick fading, having periods of about five to 30 seconds and of comparatively small amplitude, the fluctuations in this case being of less than half as large as those in the quick fading; and periodic fading which occurs most often about one or two hours after sunset and which is comparatively smooth in its form. In these experiments many puzzling phenomena were observed, two aerial systems, viz., a loop aerial and a vertical straight wire at the same point producing diiferent results. From this it is concluded that there is what is known as lateral deviation, which means that the signal, instead of proceeding from the transmitting station to the reflecting Heaviside layer and then returning to the received with its points of origin, reception, and reflection in the same line, is reflected from places on one side or the other of the line between the sender and receiver. At the longer distances there were two types. Slow fading of irregular period ranged from about two to thirty minutes, and of a strength varying from zero to about half a millivolt per metre for transmitters dissipating five kilowatts in the plate circuit of the last stage amplifier. Quick fading is superimposed on the slow fading, and is of small amplitude and of more regular period ranging from about five to thirty seconds. Simultaneous measurements taken on signals from two transmitters close to one another did not show any definite relationship in the fading curve, although it was observed that the appearance of quick fading on the curve from one station was accompanied by an almost similar state of change in the curve from the other. Simultaneous recording of the same transmitter at two points nearly half a mile apart showed close correspondence in the curves of slow fading. In all the papers the observations are discussed and analysed, and the possible causes for the variations suggested. This work is still being continued, about four or five observers attacking the problem in Sydney and Melbourne.

1932 10

Brief partial bio of JWR refers to his original personal callsign of 2RN

IN THE RADIO FIRMAMENT. . . . BROADCASTING PIONEER. ALTHOUGH the total of wireless listeners in Australia is now approaching the half million mark, the honor of being one of the first to have a wireless licence is J. W. Robinson, manager of 4QG. He has been connected with wireless for the greater part of his life, and many years ago conducted an experimental station in Sydney under the call name of 2RN. He was also one of those credited with the establishment of 2FC and was with Amalgamated Wireless when he was selected to come to Brisbane and take charge of Station 4QG. At one time he did journalistic work on the "Sydney Morning Herald." — "Henry.'

1932 11

JRW appears now only as Acting Manager, opines that public finding cricket coverage overdone

Radio Topics. Conducted by H. L. W. CRICKET BROADCASTS. Australia Leads. What is the B.B.C. Doing? By "LISTENER." Intense as the interest in the tour of the English cricketers in Australia is among the people of Great Britain the British Broadcasting Corporation is not giving its millions of listeners anything like the service that broadcasting stations in this country are providing. The arrangements made by the Australian Broadcasting Commission and by many of the B class stations are now well known to listeners; ball-to-ball descriptions of every big fixture are being broadcast, scores are being announced at every fall of wicket, and experts are giving resumes of the day's play during the evening sessions. It will be recollected that while the Australian team was in England on the last occasion ball-to-ball descriptions of the play in the Test matches were broadcast in Australia through the enterprise of B class station managements and several large business firms who subscribed large sums of money to enable the valuable and appreciated service to be provided. Then each night most informative talks on the play of the day were given through the National stations, and on at least one occasion Australian listeners heard a review of the play given by Mr. "Plum" Warner direct from the players' dressing room of one of the venues of a Test match. So far as one can learn the British Broadcasting Corporation has not made any arrangements to broadcast in Great Britain ball-to-ball descriptions of the play in the Test matches, nor has it arranged for reviews of the play to be given each day. The only action it seems to have taken is to arrange for Mr. Warner to broadcast comments on the play each evening during the course of the Test match which seems likely to be the deciding game of the series. If the fourth Test match should be the deciding game Mr. Warner will supply his comments from Brisbane, and they will be Heard by listeners to the two Queensland National stations. The B.B.C. asked the A.B.C. to provide the necessary facilities for Mr. Warner's talks and preliminary arrangements already have been made. A COMPLAINT. I feel sure, too, that listeners appreciate the enterprise of Station 4BC in linking up with "The Telegraph" to provide a service of scores throughout each day of the big games. "The Telegraph" has its own representative, Mr. A. H. Thomas, travelling with the English team, and he is telegraphing a very prompt service of scores direct from the grounds to this office. Within a minute or so of the receipt of the scores by urgent telegram they are announced over the air by "Uncle George", direct from "The Telegraph" office, in which an amplifying instrument, such as is used for away-from-studio broadcasting, has been installed. The cricket broadcasts are not satisfying everybody; it would be strange if they did. One listener came to me with a complaint the other day; he considered that he had every right to complain even though he was one of those shop front listeners who never pay a license fee. He had stood outside the shop with dozens of others for half an hour listening to a ball-to-ball description of the match between England and an Australian Eleven and during that time the descriptionist — or whatever they call him — on the Melbourne Cricket Ground had not given any details of the scores made by the batsmen who had been dismissed prior to the relayed session. All were anxious to know what the individual scores had been, but the announcer tantalisingly refrained from giving the wanted details until just before going off the air. That afternoon I had the same experience. Tuning in at 5.15 when the session started half an hour or more elapsed before details of the individual scores of fhe afternoon were given. CAN'T PLEASE ALL! When I mentioned this to Mr. J. W. Robinson (acting manager in Queensland for the Australian Broadcasting Commission) he gave a pained look, ironed out the wrinkles in his brow with two fingers, gave a deep sigh and so on and at length remarked: "Well, that's funny, I have just returned from having a chat with the manager of a wireless department of one of the retail firms and he has told me that people are complaining that details of the scores are being given so often as to become monotonous to listeners." Mr. Robinson, however, admitted that announcers must not assume that all their listeners have had their sets tuned in from the commencement of the session; that they must recognise that for various reasons people are beginning to listen at various stages of the session and therefore they must be catered for by announcements of details of individual scores at intervals, say every ten minutes or so. However, taking the cricket services by and large listeners must admit that excellent arrangements have been made. 4BC — "THE TELEGRAPH" SERVICE. I fell sure, too, that listeners appreciate the enterprise of Station 4BC in linking up with "The Telegraph" to provide a service of scores throughout each day of the big games. "The Telegraph" has its own representative, Mr. A. H. Thomas, travelling with the English team, and he is telegraphing a very prompt service of scores direct from the grounds to this office. Withn a minute or so of the receipt of the scores by urgent telegram they are announced over the air by "Uncle George" direct from "The Telegraph" office, in which an amplifying instrument, such as is used for away-from-studio broadcasting, has been installed.

1932 12

Annual review of radio in 1932, notes expiry of the programme contract with ABC1, appointment of ABC commission, ABC now relaying on 4QG and 4RK the best of the southern programmes, compliments the cricket service

Radio Topics. Conducted by HLW. RADIO IN AUSTRALIA. Big Improvement in Programmes During 1932. LICENSE FIGURES INCREASE. Better and Cheaper Receiving Sets. By "LISTENER." The outstanding event of 1932 so far as broadcasting in Australia is concerned was the appointment of the Australian Broadcasting Commission by the Commonwealth Government and the rearrangement of the national services under the control of the Commission. The number of licensed listeners in Australia increased considerably and passed the 400,000 mark . There were many improvements in receiver design and construction, new and more powerful valves were introduced, amplifiers were improved and so were loudspeakers. And with these betterments in the quality of receivers there came big reductions in prices and all-electric sets were brought within the purchasing reach of all. The Australian Broadcasting Company's three years' contract for the provision of services from the A grade stations expired at the end of June. The Commonwealth Government, earlier in the year, had decided that on the expiration of this contract the control of the broadcasting side of the stations would be placed in the hands of a commission. To make provision for the appointment of this body a special Act of Parliament was passed and shortly afterwards it was announced that the personnel of the commission would consist of Mr. Charles Lloyd Jones (chairman), Mr. Herbert Brookes, Professor Wallace, Mr. R. B. Orchard and Mrs. Claude Couchman. The commission took charge of the national stations on July 1 and almost at once there was a marked improvement In the programmes, a feature being the relay of an increased number of outstanding items and events from southern States to Queensland. When the commission assumed charge, the chairman, in a carefully worded statement, said that it was the intention to proceed slowly, endeavouring to effect improvements from time to time and to build up the services steadily instead of attempting anything revolutionary. From the outset, however, it soon became apparent that the commission intended to devote its energies towards the engaging of artists of outstanding merit. Only a few days of July had gone by before Moisiewltch, the eminent pianist, was booked for special radio performances, and shortly afterwards John Brownlee, the outstanding Australian baritone, was engaged for a broadcast recital. Arrangements were then completed with J. C. Williamson Ltd. for the relaying from the Theatre Royal of the performances by the Im perial Grand Opera Company. There were some splendid broadcasts of almost every opera produced by the company, and these drew eulogistic comments from all parts of Australia. Szigeti, the famous violinist, played before the national microphones, and a little later Australian listeners received with pleasure the announcement that the commission had negotiated with J. C. Williamsons and had secured the rights to broadcast from the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, the whole of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company's productions. These programmes, too, excited considerable comment. LAND LINE FACILITIES. Shortly after the commission took charge the Postal Department was able to make available relay lines between Brisbane and southern capitals. This meant much to Queensland. With the appointment of Mr. H. P. Williams as general manager a national programme scheme was drawn up and placed in operation. Under this scheme 2FC (Sydney) and 3LO (Melbourne) were classed as national stations and arrangements were made for each to provide a programme more of national than of local importance, and for one to relay to the other or vice versa. The stations in the smaller cities, such as Brisbane or Adelaide, then had the opportunity of taking, by the relay land lines, whichever of these national programmes were deemed to be of interest. Under the National scheme 4QG and 4RK have relayed southern entertainments on approximately four nights in each week and have thus made available to Queensland listeners with even the humblest and cheapest forms of sets the very best radio entertainments which the southern States have had to offer. The commission's negotiations with J. C. Williamson have made most of the popular musical comedies available for broadcasting either from the different theatres or in the form of specially prepared radio presentations from the studios. Such well-known musical comedies as "Maid of the Mountains," "Bitter Sweet," "Hold My Hand," 'Sally," "The Rebel Maid," "The Desert Song," "The Student Prince," "Chu Chin Chow," "The Merry Widow" and many ofhers were presented through the National chain of stations. When Dame Sybil Thorndike and her accomplished company visited Australia the commission engaged the company for a special presentation of "The Merchant of Venice," with Dame Sybil as Portia and Mr. Lewis Casson as Shylock. The performance will be remembered by listeners for many a day to come. CRICKET BROADCASTS. Realising the tremendous amount of interest which is displayed in cricket, particularly during a period when the fate of the "ashes" is in doubt, the Australian Broadcasting Commission made provision for an excellent cricket service this season, the arrangements resulting in ball for ball descriptions of all big international and inter-State matches being made available through all national stations. Listeners are now experiencing the benefit of the A.B.C. cricket service arrangements, especially as the Test Matches have reached so interesting a stage. In Queensland the services from 4QR and 4RK have been revised, and improved under commission control. INCREASE IN LICENSES. The Commission rightly claims that the improvements it has made in the national services has largely been responsible for the big increase In the number of listeners' licenses taken out during the latter part of the year. The Commission points out that at the beginning of July there were 29,060 licenses in force In Queensland, and at the end of November the number had increased to 31,534. In all the other States there was a large increase and it was expected that by the end of December about 410,000 licenses would be held by listeners in Australia. The national cricket service, no doubt, has been a contributory factor in this large increase In licenses. Towards the end of the year the commission, by means of an arrangement with the gramophone record makers, was able to offer to national station listeners some very fine new recordings. Some months ago the manufacturers placed an embargo on the use of records for broadcasting purposes. To enforce thls embargo they placed on all their latest releases special labels bearing a prohibition against broadcasting. Stations therefore were unable to offer the latest makes of records produced by the largest manufacturers and were compelled to rely upon the records made before the restrictions were placed in operation. After it had taken charge of the national stations, however, the commission successfully negotiated with the makers and secured exclusive access to the complete repertoires of records produced by the four largest concerns, This agreement made available to listeners many hundreds of first-class records. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. Recent statements by the chairman of the Commission indicate that every step is being taken to maintain the standard of programmes. The National Orchestra in Sydney has recently been considerably increased in size and early in the new year Dr. Sergeant, the eminent English conductor, is to visit Australia as the Commission's guest conductor. Mr. Arthur Mason has recently been appointed London representative for the Commission and will keep closely in touch with affairs on the other side of the world, thus ensuring for Australian listeners a supply of the best that England and Europe has to offer in the way of entertainment.

1933

1933 01

JRW and other Brisbane station managers interviewed about their approach to Radio Plays and attribution

RADIO PLAYS. Alteration of Names. Views of Studio Managers. By "LISTENER." Should the names of stage plays adapted for wireless broadcasting be changed? is a question which "Play-Lover" raised in a letter to "The Telegraph" which was published on Tuesday. "Play-Lover" stated that in many recent presentations the names of the plays had been deliberately altered and the name of the authors treated as a deep secret. The acting manager in Queensland for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Mr. J. W. Robinson) says that Station 4QG has broadcast a number of plays during the past six months, and to his knowledge the name of a work has not been changed in a single instance. Where the station has been required to pay royalty fees they have paid to the owners of the copyright of the plays. REPERTORY SOCIETY PLAYS. Station 4BC is recognised as the official station for the broadcasting of productions by the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society. The station not only has broadcast portion of stage productions by the society, but also has broadcast many enjoyable studio productions by members of the organisation. Mr. Russell F. Roberts, studio manager for 4BC, said that the station was helping along what is considered to be a very desirable movement in Brisbane by allotting a certain amount of time for use by the society. The organisation chose its own plays, giving consideration to those which were most suitable for broadcasting. Plays in which there were a large number of characters were, of course, not suitable for production before the microphone, and this restricted the field of choice. Mr. Roberts said that the society, supplied the names of the plays and Station 4BC announced them as supplied. He had no knowledge of the names of any plays broadcasted by the society through 4BC having been deliberately altered. In any case, unless the construction of a stage play were considerably altered nobody would be deceived by a false name when it was put over the air. "ALTERATIONS DESIRABLE SOMETIMES" Mr. Walter Pym, manager of station 4BH, says that it is sometimes desirable to alter the name of a play if the original title is not suitable or catchy enough for broadcasting purposes. The alteration is often made for stage productions, he says. For instance, "Her Husband's Wife," by A. E. Thomas, is also produced under the title of "Husband to Let." These alterations are made not with any idea of escaping the payment of royalties, but because it is desirable to do so for various reasons. "In any case," said Mr. Pym, "there is very little chance of a producer's avoiding the payment of royalty fees." Mr. Pym says that often there is no point in mentioning the name of the author of the play. He may be unknown, and therefore the name means nothing to the radio audience. The play is what matters. ADAPTATIONS. When the managing director of Station 4BK (Mr. Fred Hoe) was questioned regarding the broadcasting of short plays, which have been fea-tures of the programmes of that station in recent months, he said that various short plays, excerpts and scenes from stage plays had been taken and altered and adapted for broadcasting purposes. "In these circumstances it was not considered fair to the author to use the stage play title and so a new title was adopted," Mr. Hoe explained. Mr. Hoe added that in the light of the angle presented by "Play Lover" probably a preferable course to adopt would be to give a note of the original stage play and the name of the author from which the radio scene has been adapted when the item was being an-nounced over the air. "The question of royalties is not concerned since this must be and is provided for," said Mr. Hoe. Mr. Hoe remarked that listeners were taking a considerable amount of interest in plays produced before the microphone. Unfortunately very few plays written especially for wireless broadcasting were available. Radio stations could use many more plays which were written for production in a broadcasting studio. They would be more acceptable than adaptations.

1933 02

ABC2 announces permanent appointments of senior staff of 4QG, all being long term former employess of the ABC1

STATION 4QG. Executive Appointments. Mr. Robinson, Pioneer. By "LISTENER." Mr. J. W. Robinson, who has been appointed by the Australian Broadcasting Commission to be its general manager in Queensland controlling stations 4QG and 4RK has been associated with broadcasting in this State since its inception in 1925. He can really claim to be the pioneer of broadcasting in Queensland, for prior to the establishment of station 4QG in 1925 under the supervision of Mr. Rob- MK. J. W. ROBINSON. (Photo Caption) inson all that crystal set owners in Brisbane had been able to hear on their headphones were experimental and spasmodic transmissions by amateur stations such as 4CM (this was operated at what was then known as Preston House, by Mr. Tom Elliott), and the signals in Morse sent out by the Pinkenba station. Mr. Robinson came to Queensland towards the end of 1924 to supervise the establishment of a broadcasting station for the Queensland Government which had been moved to act in this direction because of a desire to provide utility services more than any thing else, for the country people in particular. The Government had sought for a man in Sydney to whom it could entrust the task of organising the broadcasting services in Queensland, and its choice had fallen on Mr. Robinson who was then associated with station 2FC. EARLY DIFFICULTIES. Many difficulties had to be surmounted in the early days of Station 4QG, when it was temporarily housed in the Executive Building. At the inception Mr. Robinson worked from early morning until late at night and was tireless in his efforts to establish broadcasting on a sound basis in this State. That he was successful is evidenced by the fact that the Queensland Government subsequently approved the erection of. commodious and modern studios on the roof of the State Insurance Building, and the installation of a 5,000 watt transmitter. Under Mr. Robinson's management the station was made a payable enterprise from its inception, but with the limited revenue at his disposal it was often difficult for the manager to make ends meet and yet give the public the better and still better services which they were demanding. When the Commonwealth Government took over the control of Station 4QG, and let a contract to the Australian Broadcasting company for the provision of programmes from the National Stations Mr. Robinson was appointed by the company to be manager of the Brisbane station. On the opening of the relay station at Rockhampton he became manager for the company in Queensland. Last year, when the Australian Broadcasting Commission was appointed by the Commonwealth Government to control the National Stations Mr. Robinson became acting manager for the Commission in Queensland. SEARCH FOR AIRMEN. One incident in his wireless career in Queensland which Mr. Robinson recalls with pride is his association with the successful search for Flight-Lieutenant J. Moir and Flying Officer Owen after they had been unreported for several days in their flight from Timor to Darwin. Qantas dispatched the Atalanta in search of the missing airmen, with Pilot L. J. Brain in command. Station 4QG installed a wireless transmitter and receiver, and Mr. Robinson went as operator and kept the world in touch with the whole search. Mr. Robinson started out in life to be a journalist. He made wireless a hobby and eventually adopted it as a career, but before this he had been a-soldiering with the A.I.F. MR. R. WIGHT. Mr. R. Wight, who has been appointed to be assistant manager, joined Station 4QG as markets officer some years ago, but he now has been Mr. Robinson's right-hand man for some considerable time. When 4QG was established the value of market reports for country listeners was fully realised and the station sought for a competent man to whom it could entrust the work of obtaining first-hand information daily of the state of the markets for various kinds of primary produce. Mr. Wight, who had had both practical experience as a farmer and also much experience as an organiser, having been associated with the Local Producers' Association in this capacity, was appointed to the position. He has carried out his duties as market officer faithfully and well, visiting the markets every day and giving to country people fair and accurate market information. For some time past he has been conducting the early morning sessions from Stations 4QG and 4RK, and has done a great deal of outside sporting descriptions for the stations. MR. DAVID FELSMAN. Mr. D. E. Felsman, the manager of the programme department also has been on the staff of Station 4QG for some time as assistant announcer, assistant producer and as officer in charge of the programme department. Prior to joining the station he had a long theatrical career. When community singing concerts were inaugurated by Station 4QG Mr. Felsman was appointed to conduct them and he has done so ever since. Every fortnight for the past two years he has conducted community singing in the Ipswich Town Hall. He also is M.C. at the old time dances which 4QG conducts at South Brisbane during the winter months each year. Practically all outside announcing assignments other than sporting fixtures are entrusted to Mr. Felsman.

1933 03

Explanation of balancing of source of musical content on 4QG with access to the national relaying system

NEWS AND NOTES. Control of Musical Programmes. Extension of National Relay Programme System. Cambrian Choir and Broadcast Engagements. By "LISTENER." Mr. Percy Brier, president of the Musical Association of Queensland, is reported as having stated at the annual meeting of that organisation this week that it was possible that as a result of a conference next month, when the general manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Mr. H. P. Williams) visits Brisbane, the Musical Association of Queensland will be given the right of arranging the musical programmes broadcast by national wireless stations in Queensland. Mr. Brier is also credited with saying that this was a privilege enjoyed by the Musical Association of New South Wales. Actually, the position in Sydney is that the Musical Association provides an occasional programme, the whole of the arrangements — artists and items — being left to the association. But the New South Wales association does not enjoy the wide and general privilege of arranging the musical programmes broadcast by the national stations of Sydney. Far from it. One can only assume that Mr. Brier, if he is correctly reported, did not intend to suggest that the Queensland Association should "be given the right of arranging the musical programmes" but that he had in mind the system under which the kindred association of the sister State arranges and controls an occasional musical programme. One cannot imagine the management of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in Queensland resigning its control over the musical programmes in favour of an outside body. Furthermore, "Listener" has good rea-on to believe that there is unlikely to be a reduction in the number of national feature relays with a corresponding increase in local programmes from the local National stations. The National relay scheme is working very satisfactorily, and there can be no doubt that it has largely been responsible for the big increase in the license figures in recent months. It is significant that prior to the inauguration of this national programme relay system the number of licensed listeners in this State was increasing each month by about 80 or 90, but when the National stations, 4QG and 4RK, began to broadcast grand opera, musical comedy, musical plays, drama, and recitals by famous artists and the big orchestras of Sydney and Melbourne, the licensed listeners began to increase in this State by the hundreds. In one particular month an increase of over 1,000 was shown. There is no doubt that the national programme relay system has provided Queensland listeners with a high standard of entertainment which they otherwise would not have been able to enjoy. In view of the popularity of the features made possible by this system it is extremely unlikely that the Australian Broadcasting Commission will agree to any reduction in their number so that programme provided by local artists can be put on the air. It is very doubtful whether listeners would appreciate any change in the present system that would force them to listen to local artists instead of enjoying, with the listeners in the other States, the outstanding programmes which are organised and presented in Sydney and Melbourne. "Listener" understands that very shortly the National programme system, will be extended by the introduction of a zonal or regional system. Under this system it is probable that Station 4QG will, on one night each week, provide a programme which, although not exactly as elaborate as those enjoyed two or three nights a week under the national relay system, will be superior to the local programmes at present broadcast and will be relayed to Station 2BL, Sydney. This scheme will provide a certain amount of scope for local artists and organisations. A recent paragraph in a Brisbane paper suggested that as the A.B.C. had announced that it could not obtain choral music of a standard suitable for broadcasting over the national services the way was open for the use of a choir, which is considered to be one of the most notable in the Commonwealth — the Ipswich-Blackstone-Cambrian combination. This paragraph has led some people to think that the Queensland management of the A.B.C. has made no effort to arrange programmes by this famous combination of singers which could be relayed to southern stations. When Mr. J. W. Robinson was questioned on the subject he said that station 4QG had provided only two national programmes so far — one in December and the other early in February. On each occasion the Cambrian choir was offered an engagement but could not accept it. On the first occasion the choir was in recess and on the second occasion when the offer was made the officials of the choir considered that as members had not been back from vacation long enough to enable full rehearsals to be held it would not be wise to accept an engagement that would result in the choir broadcasting to the whole of Australia. Mr. Robinson said that other national programmes would be provided by station 4QG in the near future, and Mr. Leonard Francis, the conductor of the Cambrian Choir had agreed to accept engagements.

1933 06

General manager ABC attends meeting in Brisbane to discuss amateur sport and radio (JWR and Wyte also attend)

RADIO AND SPORT. Major Condor Promises Assistance. There was a unique gathering of sporting representatives at Lennon's Hotel yesterday when representatives of many branches of sport assembled to welcome Major W. T. Conder, general manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, who always has taken a very keen interest in amateur sport. The welcome was arranged by Mr. Leo O'Connor, who introduced Major Conder to the representatives. These included Messrs. T. Welsby (Queensland Rugby Union), Vic. Jensen and H. Sunderland (Rugby League), R. W. H. Long (Amateur Wrestling and Boxing Association), D. Clarke ( Queensland Soccer Council), J. Hutchison (Football Association Code, Ltd), T. B. Hunter (Queensland Golf Association), E. J. Goodwin and Stanton (Queensland Swimming Association), E. J. Littledike (Queensland Lacrosse Association), and C. Cormie (Queensland Hockey Association), Alderman J. I. Brown (Queensland Athletic Association), Messrs. J. W. Robinson and R. Whyte (manager and assistant manager of Station 4QG) also were present. After each of the representatives had voiced a welcome Major Conder replied. He said he was a good amateur in sport because he considered it was the best kind of sport. He was not against professional sport, but in his opinion there was a vast difference between making a business of sport and sport being indulged in for its own sake. He added that he hoped to extend the popularity of wireless in Queensland as well as in other States. Station 4QG, he said, would offer every possible assistance to the various sporting bodies.

1933 09

4QG commences use of BBC transcription material, JWR comments

B.B.C. RECORDS. To be Broadcast by 4QG. REGULAR FEATURE. The British Broadcasting Commission is famous the world over for the excellence of its programmes. Queensland very shortly will be hearing some of those B.B.C. entertainments. They have been received by Station 4QG, on ice, as it were, and will be made a regular feature of their programmes in the coming months. Five cardboard boxes containing 12-inch records (we can hardly call them gramophone records) at present repose in the office of Mr. J. W. Robinson, the manager of the station. On these are recorded the B.B.C. programmes. When those records have been played over the air three times they have either to be destroyed, and a certificate of such destruction forwarded to the B.B.C., or else the records themselves have to be shipped back home. In this case, they will be returned, so that those magic black discs will have travelled 24,000 miles to be played three times. These records are each of seven minutes' duration, and if played through only once would provide 20 hours of broadcast entertainment. Since the A.B.C. has the right to play them three times over the air they have 60 hours of first-class B.B.C. entertainment with which to regale listeners in the coming months. An interesting point about them is that the B.B.C. has taken special pains to ensure that there shall be no break in the continuity of each programme through record changes, and although listeners will hear five, six, seven and even ten records in the one programme they will find extreme difficulty in observing where one record ends and the next begins. This continuity is assured by a simple device there being four "vacant" grooves on the record before it actually starts playing. Written instructions with the records give the operators sufficient indication of how the record will end, so that the switch over to the other record can be made with perfect continuity. When a record ends with an "effect" such as laughter or applause, that "effect" is always continued to the next record. Since steel needles will only last for five minutes at the outside, special chromium plated needles have to be used. HIGH QUALITY. In a preliminary test of some of the records yesterday, when Mr. Robinson was giving his operators an opportunity of studying the fade out methods to be employed in the changing of records, some idea of the quality of the entertainment to be provided was given. For instance he opened up one programme of records entitled "Songs from the Shows," a series of numbers from musical comedies, stretching as far back as the nineties. A feature of the records, apart from the musical excellence was the beautifully clear diction of the B.B.C. announcers, which will come as a refreshing surprise to many people in Australia. This programme occupies 70 minutes. Other little dainties in the box were a complete Scottish National programme, a complete vaudeville programme, several children's hour sessions, one complete comedy, and numerous other novelties, which we may depend upon it, contain matters of an extremely high entertainment value. These programmes will be immediately listed and will be heard from time to time from station 4QG. It is estimated that about 2½ hours per week will be given over to this type of entertainment. The Australian Broadcasting Commission proposes to bring a regular supply of such records from the B.B.C. in batches sufficient, probably, to supply their needs for periods from three to six months. DETAILS OF THE PROGRAMME. The full details of the programmes to be submitted are as follows:— "Ellan Vannin Through the Ages." —

1933 11

Summary of latest Teleradio publication with JWR article about how the Rugby League test matches were broadcast by 4QG

RUGBY TESTS. How They Were Broadcast. This Week's "Teleradio" How were the broadcasts of the Rugby League test matches effected? This question has been exercising the minds of many who listened to them. In this week's "Teleradio" Mr. J. W. Robinson, manager of the A.B.C., Queensland division, takes listeners into his confidence and gives an explanation which makes very interesting reading.

1933 12

The Telegraph, in responding to a dodgy listener complaint, provides much insight into 4QG programme practices and details of new studio equipment

IMPROVED? Radio Transmissions Criticism and Some Comments. By "LISTENER." In recent months some hundreds of pounds have been spent in improving the broadcasting equipment at Station 4BC. That fact is not generally known, although listeners cannot but have noticed that there has been a big improvement in the quality of the transmissions. Whatever one may think of the system of dual control which obtains in respect of the National stations the fact remains that since the Post and Telegraphs Department took over the charge of the technical side of broadcasting at the stations there has been a great deal of expenditure on the acquisition of modern and improved .equipment and much research in the direction of giving the listening public clearer and better transmissions. Therefore it comes as a surprise to hear criticism of the character contained in the letter which is appended. "Superhet" writes to the editor of "The Telegraph" as follows:— "Now that summer is here, and static, more radio sets are tuned to local stations, and a large number of the owners of these sets, including myself, are very much dissatisfied with what we have to listen to. I am not endeavouring to find fault with the items selected for our entertainment; in fact, I think all tastes are well catered for. It is the quality of the transmissions that makes radio enthusiasts tear their hair. I possess a receiver that is second to none in the matter of fidelity of reproduction, and there are hundreds of the same in operation, and bad transmission received on them sounds awful, more so than would be the case with a smaller or less sensitive set. Programmes from 4QG studio sound very metallic, particularly the piano; as also are the relays from the Ipswich Town Hall. But to give credit where it is due, 4QG is to be congratulated on the matter of record broadcasting. They have attained a quality of reproduction that is well worth listening to. The B stations are not good. One in particular has been putting out distorted music for some time now. Sometimes an adjustment is made, effecting a slight improvement temporarily, and then more distortion. It is the only station I have heard out of seventy that has had the nerve to let such "noise" go over. BUGBEAR OF STATIC. "Superhet" first of all refers to static, which undoubtedly is one of the greatest obstacles to successful broadcasting in this country during the summer months. Static certainly compels Brisbane listeners to turn to the local stations for their programmes for the greater part of the year, and emphasises that the merits of receivers should be judged more on their tonal qualities than on their distance-getting ability. In the past there has been a tendency to make a fetish of "distance" and to consider that only a set capable of tuning-in San Francisco or other, remote stations was really worth while. But experience teaches all users of radio receivers that what really matters is the ability of a receiver to reproduce clearly and naturally the programmes that are transmitted from the station nearest at hand and that generally speaking the programmes put out by southern stations are no better and sometimes not as good as those broadcast by the local stations. Moreover, anything that is really worth while listening to is now invariably relayed from the south to the Brisbane stations and better results are obtained from listening to the transmission from local stations after the programme has been carried over landlines which have been specially equipped to efficiently carry voice and music frequencies than by attempting to listen through the barage of static, or with sets pushed to the limits of their amplification powers to the original broadcasts. But the fact remains that the reproduction or many of our modern receivers leaves much to be desired. As "The Wireless and Gramophone Trader" (England) recently pointed out, many broadcasting stations are radiating programmes with a quality better than can be reproduced by the average receiver. Good reproduction has been sacrificed in many instances in the interests of the development of sensitivity and selectivity, although most sets today are capable of giving a "pleasant tone," in the sense that they do not offend the ear of the average listener. PIANO TRANSMISSIONS. One would hesitate to assert that the receiver operated by "Superhet" is at fault but it is a fact that 4QG has received no complaints whatever that the transmissions of that station are accompanied with a metallic noise. Our correspondent particularly mentions pianoforte items and in this connection listeners who recently had the great pleasure of hearing the piano recitals by Madalah Masson from 4QG were moved to enthusiasm not only by her artistry but by the very high quality of the transmissions. The experience of the writer and his listening friends was that the transmission was wonderfully good and that it was difficult to realise that one was not listening to the recital in a public hall of good acoustic properties or in one's own private home. Madalah Masson played on a Chappell three-quarter grand piano, which was recently permanently installed in the main studio at Station 4QG. The writer had an opportunity of hearing this sweet-toned instrument in the studio and there certainly was no suggestion of metallicism over the whole range of its notes. One is assured by the manager of the station (Mr. J. W. Robinson) that a tuner is brought in at frequent intervals to run over the instrument and during Madalah Masson's recital period the piano was tuned every day. IMPROVEMENTS AT 4QG. Now let us see what has been done at Station 4QG to ensure that the transmissions are of high quality, free of all metallic or other noises which would give rise to genuine complaint. Until recently various types of carbon and condenser (electrostatic-microphones have been used almost exclusively in the studios of the National network. During the last two or three years, there has been an intense development overseas in the design and construction of microphones for broadcasting. These developments have been followed closely by the technical men of the Post and Telegraphs Department, who are handling the broadcasting services with the result that improved types of microphones have been made available to Station 4QG and other National stations. The capacity type of microphone has a very good frequency response. Added to the introduction of these remarkably efficient microphones is the installation at the station of an amplifier which has a frequency response ranging from 35 to 8,000 which ensures that practically every sound of audible frequency is adequately handled. The amplifier now in use at 4QG is exactly of the same type as that used in several of the very large stations in Europe which are noted for the quality of their transmissions. Our correspondent praises the recorded reproductions and well he may for Station 4QG's transmissions of records undoubtedly have reached a very high standard of quality in recent weeks. This is due to the installation of the very latest Western Electric pickups which work in glycerine. These pickups have a frequency response over a scale of from 35 to 8,000. They were not put into active use until they had been throughly tested with special speech frequency records. Another improvement at Station 4QG is an announcer's control desk which is really marvellous in its operation. An whole article could be devoted to a description of the mechanism of this control desk and the manner in which it enables programmes to be handled without any harsh sounds creeping in. CLEARER TRANSMISSIONS. These improvements in the technical equipment of Station 4QG have admittedly resulted in better and clearer transmissions and hundreds of letters have been received by the manager from listeners expressing appreciation of the quality of the tranmissions. By the last American mail a letter was received from a listener in the United States who said how much he had enjoyed one of the Brahms — Wagner festival programmes and spoke of the clear transmissions as received by him thousands of miles away. Our Correspondent complains that the transmissions from Ipswich also have been accompanied with a metallic sound. Officers of 4QG have expressed surprise at this complaint for while they admit that letters have been received both praising and criticising the relays of the community singing concerts from the Ipswich Town Hall no criticism has been levelled at the transmissions. If the metallic sound has not been observed by others — and the writer certainly has not noticed it — one is forced to the conclusion that the sound is being produced in the correspondent's own receiver. B CLASS STATIONS. One is forced to agree with "Superhet" that there has been room for criticism regarding the quality of the transmissions, apart from the programmes, of one B class station in particular, but one feels that there should be hesitancy in criticising B class stations because they have not the financial resources of the National stations to replace existing apparatus with modem and more expensive components. It must be admitted, however, that in view of the circumstance that B class stations depend entirely on the revenue they obtain from selling advertising time on the air for their maintenance and the improvement of their equipment from time to time they have done wonderfully well, and that the services they are giving to the public provide a valuable alternative to the National services which the listening public pay for by way of license fees.

1934

1934 01

JWR interview with Telegraph journalist as he prepares to depart his beloved 4QG Benson in his Ph.D. Thesis on 4QG under the Qld Government reports a senior ABC2 staffer as stating that Robinson was sacked for having an affair with a secretary. The journalist in asking about his embarrassing moments seems to be fishing for this information.

MR. J. W. ROBINSON LOOKS BACK. Highlights of Nine Years of Broadcasting. Persuaded Melba to Break a Rule. When Mr. J. W. Robinson vacates the manager's chair at station 4QG on Saturday morning he will bring to a close one of the most eventful and adventurous periods of his career. Mr. Robinson has announced his resignation from the post, and he intends to take up a professional appointment elsewhere. During Mr. Robinson's nine years of service at 4QG he has seen broadcasting in Queensland grow up from infancy. He guided the destinies of the station from the very beginning, supervised its lay out, the installation of machinery, and the development of policy. CHATTING with a representative of "The Telegraph" today Mr. Robinson was induced to look back over and to recall some of the highlights of those busy nine years of work. He remembers vividly the rescue of Moir and Owen at Cape Don when he went as wireless operator in the plane piloted by Mr. L. J. Brain, which found the marooned airmen and broke the news to an anxious world. "Did you have any uneasy moments during that escapade?" Mr. Robinson was asked. "Only when we were flying over the ocean," he replied. "I wondered what part of me the sharks would go for first if we went down." MOST IMPORTANT BROADCAST. "What, in your opinion, was the most important broadcast you arranged while at 4QG? Is another question that made Mr. Robinson think. "I consider that it was when I arranged with the late Dame Nellie Melba to broadcast the whole of her concert in Brisbane. That was the first time such a thing had been done. She had set her face steadfastly against such things, and made it a rule not to appear before the microphone. Prior to that had broadcast only a few songs from Covent Garden." "Did you find the job of persuading her a very difficult one?" "No," he replied, "The interview was both short and pleasant and I had no difficulty in persuading her. She readily agreed because, she said, of the lonely people in the bush and the sick in the hospitals, and especially for the lonely women of the outback." Another most important broadcast was that of the progress of the Southern Cross across the Pacific in that epoch making flight. The broadcast continued all night. and station 4QG, at times, was the only station which could handle traffic from the Southern Cross, and messages from the plane to the station were sent on to all parts of Australia. EMBARRASSMENT! TUT! The director of a broadcasting station must surely have had some embarrassing moments. When he was asked about them Mr. Robinson drew himself up very proudly. The interviewer took a firm grip of his pencil in anticipation of something really worth while. "NEVER EMBARRASSED." "Embarrassed," replied Mr. Robinson, after a moment's pause, "I have never had an embarrassing .moment in the whole course of my association with broadcasting." When the tension of the moment relaxed, the interviewer could only murmur, "Lucky man!" But Mr. Robinson did admit of some uneasiness on one occasion when, at one minute to six the bedtime storyteller had not arrived, and he had to go before the microphone and invent a bedtime story. Still, Mr. Robinson was once a journalist. Turning to more serious topics, however, Mr. Robinson was invited to discuss certain aspects of broadcasting development and policy. "I prefer not to give any expression of opinion whatsoever on the Broadcasting Commission's policy," he replied. Mr. Robinson will officially leave his post as manager of the station on Saturday morning. After a short holiday he will take up another professional appointment.

Brief note as to JWR resigning 4QG "to take up a professional position"

MR. J. W. ROBINSON. Resigns From 4QG. TO ENTER PROFESSIONAL JOB. BRISBANE, Wednesday.— To enter upon a professional position, Mr. J. W. Robinson, Queensland manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, tendered his resignation as divisional manager. Mr. Robinson, who returned from the south today, expressed regret at severing his association with 4QG, which station he built.

Another report of JWR's resignation "for personal reasons" and with some biographical detail

RADIO CHIEF RESIGNS. J. W. Robinson's Decision. BUILT 4QG. Mr. J. W. Robinson, the Queensland manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, has tendered his resignation as divisional manager. After a brief holiday he will take up a professional position. Interviewed yesterday upon his return from the South, Mr. Robinson said he had expressed his regret at severing his associations with 4QG, the station which he had built, and the Commission, on its side, had voiced its regret at being deprived of his services, at the same time wishing him every success in his new career. To meet his wishes the Commission had agreed to allow him to complete his service within a few days, although it has granted to him several months' leave of absence. He would spend a short holiday at the seaside, and then would enter upon a professional position. MR. ROBINSON'S CAREER. Mr. Robinson may be regarded as one of the oldest pioneers in broadcasting in Australia. Originally a senior journalist on the (Start Photo Caption) Mr. J. W. Robinson. (End Photo Caption) staff of the Sydney "Morning Herald," he studied wireless in his spare time at the Marconi School in Sydney, and at the end of his course he was appointed assistant manager of 2FC. When the Queensland Government decided to establish a broadcasting station in this State, he was selected to design, build, and direct 4QG. He arrived in Queensland in 1925, and immediately set about the construction and equipment of the modern station, which is now supply-ing the national service to Queensland listeners. When the Australian Broadcasting Co., Ltd., took over the control of 4QG he was appointed Queensland manager, and on the termination of the company's contract he became manager for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. That position he has held to the present, and it is largely due to his untiring efforts that the license figures in Queensland have shown such a tremendous increase during the past few months. He will also be remembered as one of the personalities in the wireless world for the flight in the Atalanta to Cape Don, when Moir and Owen, who had been missing for several days on their flight from England, were rescued by Mr. L. J. Brain, the noted Queensland pilot. Mr. Robinson was the wireless operator of the Atalanta. In the Great War he served in the 17th Battalion and with the 5th Divisional Cyclist Corps, A.I.F. PRIVATE REASONS. SYDNEY, January 17. Major Condor said tonight that Mr. J. W. Robinson was resigning his position with 4QG for private reasons. Mr. Robinson had called upon him in Sydney recently, and had explained that his own personal affairs and business interests required so much of his attention that he felt compelled to resign his position with the commission. In view of his good work on behalf of the commission it had been decided to grant Mr. Robinson three months' leave of absence.

1934 04

Newspaper notes 4SP's role in the search for the Kookaburra 5 years ago

ECHOES OF YEARS GONE BY. Five Years Ago Today:— PILOT L. J. BRAIN, in the Qantas 'plane Atalanta, accompanied by Mr. F. W. Stevens (chief engineer 4QG) as radio operator, located Keith Anderson's machine, the Kookaburra, 80 miles from Powell's Creek. He saw a man who looked like Anderson lying dead under the wing of the 'plane, but no sign of Anderson's companion (Mr. R. Hitchcock). Pilot Brain dropped water attached to a small parachute, and flew back to Wave Hill. A pack party set out from Wave Hill to the spot indicated by Brain.

1934 11

4QG and 4RK extend transmission hours

EXTENDED TRANSMISSION TIME. Commencing next Monday, stations 4QG and 4RK will begin their early morning session at 7 a.m., instead of 7.30. This half-hour will be devoted to recordings of popular music. An extra 15 minutes has been added to the children's session, which will, from the same date, commence at 5.30. p.m., and continue until 6.15. The dinner music feature will begin at 6.15, and close at 6.45. This will also necessitate a slight alteration in the news session of the Rockhampton station. The session, from Monday to Thursday, will occupy the 10 minutes between 6.5 and 6.15 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays the session will commence at 7.30 p.m. and terminate at 7.45.

1935

1935 03

An AWA puff piece with many inaccuracies, but correct in the case of 4QG

BUILT BY A.W.A. 38 Broadcasters in Australasia. The latest addition to the broadcasting stations of Australia will be 4CA Cairns, a license for that town having been granted to Amalgamated Wireless. The Cairns station, which will be the most northerly in operation in Australia, is the 38th broadcaster placed on the air by A.W.A. No. 1, of course, was 2FC, the first 5000 watts station in the Southern Hemisphere, which commenced operations on December 5, 1923. 2FC Sydney was then located at Willoughby, but three years later A.W.A. superseded the old station by a new plant situated at Sydney radio centre, Pennant Hills. In 1934 the plant was again renewed. A.W.A. also designed and constructed the original 6WF Perth, which went on the air on June 4, 1924. The Melbourne station 3LO, Adelaide 5CL, and Brisbane 4QG followed shortly after. All these stations were the products of A.W.A. Then the B class, or privately owned commercial stations, began to be popular and A.W.A. became the principal factor in their production. Two of the most notable of the B class stations in Australia are 2UW and 2SM Sydney, for which A.W.A. recently constructed complete new high-fidelity equipments. 2AY Albury, 2WG Wagga, 2GN Goulburn, and 2GF Grafton are also A.W.A. products. The original 3DB Melbourne was designed and manufactured by A.W.A. and that company also designed and constructed 3BO Bendigo and 3HA Hamilton. The largest of the B stations in Queensland is 4BC, which made history on August 16, 1930, by receiving the first B class license in the northern State. The station was manufactured at the A.W.A. works and has proved a valuable adjunct to radio entertainment. 4TO Townsville, another A.W.A. station came on the air on October 5, 1931, and since that time licenses in the immediate district have increased from about 30 to about 1500. A.W.A. engineers are now designing a station for Warwick, which will be on the air within the next few weeks. The most powerful of the B stations in Western Australia is 6PR Perth. The station started with 200 watts in the aerial, which was increased to 500 watts within the first few months. In Tasmania A.W.A. has also established the highest powered broadcaster, namely 7LA Launceston, which not only serves the island State but is frequently enjoyed by listeners on the mainland. Several years ago the New Zealand Broadcasting Board purchased an A.W.A. portable station and last year a 3000 watt station which was installed at Christchurch. Quite recently an A.W.A. 10,000 watt station was opened in Auckland, which city thus has the most powerful plant in operation in Australasia. A.W.A. is now manufacturing 10,000 watt stations for both Christchurch and Dunedin. The first mobile station in Australia was manufactured by Amalgamated Wireless and mounted on the Great white train, which, in 1925-26, toured New South Wales with an exhibition of all manner of Australian-made articles. The train visited more than 100 towns in 12 months. Whenever it stopped A.W.A. engineers erected masts and wireless aerials and 2XT radiated a programme of music. Reports of reception reached A.W.A. from many parts of Australia and New Zealand and even from Papua. Again in 1930, when the big All-Australian Exhibition was held in Melbourne, a special A.W.A. broadcasting station was installed. This station, known as 3EX, put over an excellent programme together with lecturettes and talks which went far to popularising the exhibition. A.W.A. also built the two worldwide broadcasters VK2ME Sydney and VK3ME Melbourne. On September 5, 1927, VK2ME radiated the first Empire programme which was relayed throughout the British Isles. VK3ME came on the air in November of that year and for the past four years both these stations have broadcast regular programmes which are received in nearly every country except Afghanistan, where the authorities have no time for wireless.

1935 04

Overview of numerous developments for Qld including 4QN Townsville to relay 4QG programmes, also new frequency for 4QG as a result of the 10 kHz restack

RADIO TOPICS. New Stations for Queensland. By L. Fitz-Henry. This year will see the forging of many new links in the "chain" of broadcast communication throughout the Commonwealth. In every State there is activity in the construction of new stations that will bring the farflung country centres in closer broadcast contact with the high-powered stations of the cities, either as new transmission stations or regional stations which will be connected with existing city stations for relay purposes. And this activity is not all Government enterprise, for progressive steps are being taken by broadcasting companies exploiting the "B" class field. From a radio viewpoint Australia differs considerably from other parts of the world. In England and on the Continent moderately powered transmitting stations are so situated in the principal cities that they are able to provide an adequate service for listeners throughout the entire width and breadth of the country. But in Australia, where distances are so great and climatic conditions often so adverse, broadcasting stations in the capital cities are unable to provide an effective service for far-flung country areas, with the result that, as in America, "chain" or regional stations are necessary to adequately cover all areas of population. At the present time there are six new national regional stations in course of erection in various parts of Australia, and all are expected to be in commission by the end of the year. In addition the Commonwealth authorities have invited tenders for the construction of five or six more at an estimated cost of between £150,000 and £200,000. New National Stations Of the new stations the Grafton and Townsville stations are of particular interest to Queenslanders, as they will do much to clear up "fading" within their radius. The Grafton station, although in New South Wales, should provide an efficient service for listeners in the southeastern division of this State as well as the northern part of New South Wales. Likewise, the Townsville station, when placed in commission, should be a boon to listeners in the North. Ever since the advent of broadcasting in Queensland listeners in the Far North have had a raw deal in respect to broadcast entertainment. At present in many parts of the North static and atmospheric conditions make radio reception of the national stations well nigh impossible without investing in very expensive types of high-powered receivers. The operation of a modern and efficient high-powered station at Townsville should remove most of the present reception difficulties and provide residents of the tropical North with first-class transmission relayed from national stations in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne; a service similar to that provided residents of the Rockhampton district, where 4RK enables listeners to hear first-class national programmes on receivers which cost no more than those used by Brisbane listeners. The Commercial Field The same progressive activity is to be noted in the commercial broad-casting field. At present there are six actively operated commercial stations outside the Brisbane area, situated at such strategical points as Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Mackay, Townsville, and Ayr, while call signs have been allotted to four others not yet in operation — 4AK, Oakey, 4IP Ipswich, 4WK, Warwick, and 4CA, Cairns. Of the new commercial stations 4AK, situated right in the heart of the Darling Downs, about three miles from Oakey and some 15 miles west of Toowoomba, will act as a relay station for 4BK, but will also broad-cast items having a special appeal to settlers throughout the area covered. As this station will operate on 1000 watts and a wavelength of 246 metres its "coverage" should extend in all directions, although primarily its purpose will be to serve the Darling Downs and the many communities in the area extending south and west to the State borders. The station will be equipped with the most modern plant, and it is expected that the new call sign, 4AK, will be heard on the air for the first time on September 1. The new Ipswich station, 4IP, which is expected to be a great boon to listeners in the West Moreton district, is to have a working alliance with The Courier-Mail station, and will therefore be in a position to provide residents of the West Moreton district with a service equal to that provided listeners in Brisbane. "B" Class Stations Popular In view of all this one cannot help being impressed with the great progress being achieved by the B class stations in Queensland. The national services, of course, provide some excellent entertainment, and particularly do they cater for the country listener with utilitarian matter such as talks for primary producers, and it is not intended to disparage their efforts, but it is safe to say quite definitely that there is a growing body of radio enthusiasts in both city and country who now look to the commercial stations for the bulk of their broadcast entertainment. The earlier objection to radio advertising seems to have disappeared, probably on account of the fact that commercial broadcasters have learnt the "art" of presenting advertising matter in their programmes in a manner as pleasing as possible. Also listeners have now become educated to the fact that were it not for the advertising revenue they receive commercial stations would be financially unable to provide listeners with the great variety of popular and exclusive feature sessions that are the highlights of their programmes. Reference has been made in previous articles in these columns to the steady increase in radio licences held in Queensland, but for all that, of the various States, the lowest proportion per population is still to be found in Queensland. But with the establishment of the new country stations there is good reason to hope that the gap between Queensland and the other States will soon be bridged, with a corresponding boom in the sales of receivers. Reshuffle of Wavelengths However, the establishment of the new stations, including the "commercials" at Ipswich, Oakey, Warwick, and Cairns, is going to have one unavoidable but nevertheless irritating effect on listeners. This is the reallocation of the wavelengths of certain stations, which is expected to take place about September this year. Of the Brisbane stations 4QG (385 metres) will change to 375 metres, and 4BC (262 metres) to 268 metres. The wavelengths of 4BK and 4BH, it is understood, will not be altered. This reshuffle of wavelengths will mean that those listeners who own receiving sets which possess tuning scales marked with the names of stations may wish to have a new scale fitted just as a convenience. But as most of such scales are already marked also with wavelengths the new settings will be easily found, while no doubt when the time comes most of the radio manufacturers' dealers will be able to supply wavelength scales showing the new tuning positions of the stations affected by the changes.

1935 08

Some odd statements, but clearly 4QG's city location causing significant blanketing issues

"TRUTH'S" WIRELESS SECTION. RADIO TRAFFIC CONTROL. "Jamming" On Air. STATIONS GOING OUT OF BOUNDS. Residents in Brisbane and those visitors who will arrive for the Show can observe the action being taken in order to control our city traffic and can probably appreciate those efforts. But what is being done to control the traffic of the air? Are the Federal authorities enforcing strict adherence to the assigned frequencies of the various broadcasting stations, not only here in Queensland, but throughout Australia? THOSE of us possessing modern receivers find it impossible to log all of the 75 odd broadcasting stations now operating in the Commonwealth. It may be given as an excuse that the receivers being built today are at fault, but more of that anon. It is definite from strict observation and using different models of receivers that the fault does not lie solely at the receiving end. Take for instance our own Brisbane stations. What chance is there of receiving any distant station 10 metres either side of any of our local stations? Have you ever tried logging 5CL Adelaide direct — not through its relay sister 5CK Crystal Brook? The same condition applies right down the broadcast band. Then there is the peculiar effect of getting a background of 4QG whilst tuned in to 4BC. In every case the receiver is blamed for this, but you can prove the fallacy of this for yourself, and very simply. Get the exact location of 4BC on your radio set then when 4BC is "off" the air and 4QG is operating try to get 4QG on 4BC's tuning point. The result will be perfect silence. Evidently, therefore, there is something wrong and it is up to the Federal radio traffic authorities to remedy it. Not atone are they responsible for the transmissions from the "A" class stations, but they should see to it that we do not get a "radio shandy" when tuned in to another station, and a local station at that. A number of us remember well, shortly after 4BC started broadcasting, one Sunday morning when that station and 4QG were relaying two different church services, how those church services got mixed up. The trouble was remedied, but, it is definitely the opinion of a number of experts that there is still room for improvement, and the only logical solution to it is to put 4QG's transmitter away out in the outer suburbs. As far as Brisbane is concerned, how many of the stations operating have crystal control? Even the amateurs who broadcast on Sunday mornings are not allowed to do so unless their equipment is fitted with a control crystal. The action of the crystal, explained non-technically, is to keep the wave strictly between its allotted frequencies. In theory the particular frequency should be maintained, but in practice, due to variations in the component parts of the transmitter and movement of aerial and such, there is an allowance made of 1 per cent. This would ensure a fairly sharp degree of tuning on a really good receiver, but what do we find?. It is practically impossible to log more than one distant station between 4BH and 4BK, yet. there is a difference of 90 kilocycles. From that it would appear the stations operating here are going well over their allotted channel and instead of taking 1 per cent it is more like 5 per cent.

1935 09

Commentary by the Richmond River Listeners' League on the 1935 restack with essentially 3LO and 4QG swapping frequencies

IMPROVEMENT? WIRELESS RECEPTION NEW ARRANGEMENTS. "The change should result in far better reception on the North Coast," said the president of the Richmond River Listeners' League (Mr. N. Laundry) referring to the changes in the wave lengths of the broadcasting stations of Australia, which will come into force tomorrow. About half the transmitters are affected by the reallocation of channels, which, it is stated officially, has been made to allow for expansion of the services and to provide for a better distribution of wave lengths in districts where there are a number of transmitters. REDUCED STATIC. Mr. Laundry said that the fact that 2FC had been placed higher on the band should be of particular benefit to Lismore and district listeners. The move should result in a diminution of static. Station 2BL should also be improved, for it had been moved up to 405 metres, a region which was more free from static. On the details published, there appeared to be little difference in the arrangements concerning the Queensland national station, 4QG. All the stations are still within the limits of the broadcasting band, which, extends from 550 to 1500 kilocycles (200 metres to 545 metres). They will thus still be picked up between the two ends of the dial of a receiver, but their relative positions within this band, and on the dials, have been altered, some having moved towards the lower end, and others towards the higher end. The changes will in no way affect the utility or efficiency of receivers beyond making it necessary to tune in the stations at other points on the dial, a factor which will render call sign markings, according to the old list, valueless and misleading. Dials marked with arbitrary scales of numbers or with wave lengths of frequencies, or with the call signs in the new positions, will continue to be useful when the new settings for the stations are known. LARGER INTERVALS With the exception of 2SM, all the Sydney stations will have their positions on the dial altered. The positions have been moved so that the intervals between them are larger, a condition which will enable old types of sets to be used with greater freedom from interstation interference. 2FC will move farther up the dial to the point where 3AR is now received, about half-way between its present position and the upper end of the dial. 2BL will also move in the same direction and will be near the channel now used and to be used by 5CL (Adelaide) and about half-way between 2BL's old position and that at which 2FC is now picked up. 2GB will move up to not quite as far as 2BL's present position. 2UE will take the place now occupied by 2GB, and 2KY will assume a position which is a little above that of 2UE today. 2UW will go to a point now used by 2HD (Newcastle) and about one-third of the way between its present position and the old position of 2KY, and 2CH will move up two channels. 2SM will remain where it is. Many stations outside Sydney and beyond New South Wales have had their relative positions altered, with the result that they will appear in a different order upon the dials of receivers. Of the interstate National station 7ZL (Hobart) will drop down one channel; 3AR (Melbourne) moves down two channels, nearly to 5CK (Crystal Brook), which only moves down a trifle; 6WF (Perth), 5CL (Adelaide), and 4RK (Rockhampton) are unaltered; 3LO (Melbourne) and 4QG (Brisbane) practically change places; and 7NT (Tasmania) is unchanged. COUNTRY STATIONS. In the New South Wales country districts, 2CO (Corowa) will come down to nearly 2FC's present position, and 2NC (Newcastle) will go one and a half channels above its present position. 2CA (Canberra), 2WG (Wagga), 2XN (Lismore), 2GN (Goulburn), 2WL (Wollongong), 2KO (Newcastle), and 2AY (Albury) will be unaltered, or will only make minor alterations. Of the remainder, 2GF (Grafton) will move up one channel; 2HD (Newcastle) will move three channels; 2BH (Broken Hill) three channels away; 2MO (Gunnedah) four channels, and 2TM (Tamworth) 19 channels. In due course the following new stations will commence transmitting in New South Wales: 2CR (Cumnock), 550kc; 2NR (Grafton), 700kc; 2LV (Inverell), 980kc; 2GZ (Orange), 990kc; 2AD (Armidale) 1080kc; 2KA (Katoomba), 1160kc; 2NZ (Narrabri), 1170kc; 2QN (Deniliquin), 1440kc; 2BE (Bega), 1470kc; and another station in the southern districts on 1490 kc. When these are in operation there will be 32 stations in the State, comprising six National, including four country regional units, and 26 commercial stations, of which 20 will be in country districts. It is impossible to give information as to where the various stations will appear on the dials of receivers after the change has been made, because dial recordings, unless, they are shown in wave lengths or frequencies, depend upon the electrical characteristics of the apparatus. However, when the dial positions of some stations have been located, the points at which others will be received may be estimated by comparing their positions with those of known stations.

Details of proposals to replace 4QG transmitter, aerial and site; the need for a second Brisbane national

A NEW AND MODERN 4QG. Brisbane is Entitled to an Alternative Station. Would Give Greater Scope For Local Talent. One "A" Class Broadcaster Cannot Please Everybody. By H. L. WEEKS The announcement that the Postmaster-General's Department intends to replace station 4QG's transmitting apparatus with new and more powerful plant while interesting will not give the satisfaction to listeners in Brisbane and throughout the State that would be engendered by an intimation from the department that it was planned to provide this city with an alternative national broadcaster. Melbourne and Sydney have their alternative national stations, and Brisbane is entitled to the establishment of a similar service both in the interests of listeners generally and in the development and encouragement of musical and dramatic art. STATION 4QG is still a good one from the technical side and no doubt it could be improved and modernised to meet present needs, just as stations 6WF (Perth) and 5CL (Adelaide) have been dealt with in recent months, leaving available a large residue of the funds which the Postmaster-General's Department proposes to appropriate for the replacement of the station with which to erect a new and powerful station. The equipment of station 4QG originally cost in the vicinity of £13,000, and the studios, office accommodation, &c., cost over £15,000. That was in 1926. The former manager of 4QG (Mr. J. W. Robinson) repeatedly made representations to the Broadcasting Commission for the provision of alternative services in Brisbane, and it is known that the present manager (Mr. E. J. Lewis) considers that it would be to the advantage of Queensland listeners if such action were taken. NARROW VIEW. The reply of a former general manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission to representations in favour of the establishment of an alternative station in Brisbane was Why should another station be set up when 4QG cannot pay its own way. This, of course, was a narrow attitude to take up because broadcasting is a national service and there should be no question of any one station paying its way. The avowed policy of the Postmaster General's Department has been to provide adequate services for the whole of Australia — or at least that part of the continent where there are groups of resident people — and with that end in view relay stations have been established in parts remote from the big centres of population, stations which will never pay their own way but which by their very location are capable of providing service over a large area. Such stations are 2CO (Corowa), 5CK (Crystal Brook), and the other new regional stations which are in course of erection at Dubbo, Wagin, and other places. All are part of the national system. LOCAL TALENT STARVED. Brisbane is entitled to another national station so that alternative programmes can be provided and so that all tastes in music and other forms of radio entertainment can be adequately catered for. Under the present system a large percentage of the nightly programmes provided by 4QG are obtained by relay from the Sydney and Melbourne stations. Consequently local talent gets little opportunity to express itself through the local station which is an undesirable state of affairs in these days when broadcasting has almost relegated to the limbo of forgotten things the concert platform as we knew it in years gone by, when young people with talent were brought out for public performances and encouraged and assisted to improve themselves. Brisbane has sufficient talented people to provide a programme every night from a national broadcasting station leaving an alternative station, if established, to carry on the system of relaying important and outstanding programmes from the south. There are some people who hold the belief that the programmes provided by station 4QG in the days when it was operated by the Queensland Government Radio Service and in the early days of the old Broadcasting Company Limited were better than those provided by the station today. That of course, is a matter of opinion, but the fact remains that local talent received more encouragement by engagements in those days that it does today. On occasions in recent years when the management of 4QG has been questioned why it did not put on the air certain items and events of great local interest, the reply invariably has been: We have no alternative service. Had we one the items could have been accommodated. THE NEW STATION. There seems to be no doubt that when the new transmitter is provided for Station 4QG it will be set up outside the city area. When the present station was being planned consideration was given to the question of erecting the transmitter outside the city because even then it was recognised that it is desirable to place a broadcasting plant away from the shock excitation influence of a thickly-populated city, and such a distance away from the massed collection of listeners that reception would be sharper on receiving sets, thus permitting the reception of powerful inter-State stations on adjacent frequencies without interference. But in 1926 there were no 415 volt three-phase alternating current supplies available outside the city area. To establish the transmitter outside the city area would have involved either the provision of a current generating plant on the site or the erection of a special power line to carry the current from the city to the transmitter. Either would have ben a very costly installation, and so the then manager of the station decided to erect the transmitter on top of the building at the corner of Elizabeth and George Streets, which was then known as the State Insurance Building. But the then manager foresaw that as the years went on it might become necessary to remove the transmitter to another location away from the city, and so he planned the building accordingly. The large room in which the transmitter is at present housed was so designed that it could be readily converted into a large studio, using the present small studio adjacent to it as an anteroom. TWICE AS POWERFUL. The modern tendency in broadcasting studio design all over the world is to provide a fairly large room in which the artists can have an audience, for it has been found that this assists the majority of them to give better performances than they do when their singing or playing is done in a studio where there is no body immediately at hand to show appreciation of their efforts. It will probably be found that the P.M.G.'s department will decide to instal the new transmitter on an eminence outside the city and if, unfortunately, no alternative station is provided, the room in which the transmitter is housed at present will be converted into a large studio. The new transmitter will probably be twice as powerful as the present 4QG and this big increase in power will, as the P.M.G.'s Department has pointed out, give better quality in transmission and will increase the effective radius of station 4QG.

Announcement that National transmitters in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Brisbane to be upgraded

"A" CLASS STATIONS TO BE IMPROVED. It will be welcome news to listeners that replacement of six of the eight A class broadcasting stations is planned by the Postmaster-General's Department, as part of a general plan of improvement of the national services. For long we have had to put up with transmitters grown hopelessly obsolete, their equipment old and antiquated, their power far too low for Australia's requirements. The replaced stations will be much more powerful than at present, and the new transmitting gear will not only give better quality of transmission, but will also extend the range of reception. New sites will probably be needed, and until this has been decided the details cannot be completed, although it has been estimated that a total expenditure, of about £200,000 will have to be faced. The stations to he changed over are two in Melbourne, two in Sydney and one each in Brisbane and Hobart. The remaining stations at Adelaide and Perth are far more up-to-date and are considered quite suitable for present needs. We will print further details as they are released by the authorities concerned.

1936

1936 05

JWR makes a strong argument for the establishment of a second National for Brisbane and launches a scathing attack on the efficiency of the PMGD management of the National network in Queensland

"WILL NOT EVEN HOLD A CUP OF WATER." Mr. Cleary and Mr. Corbett's Arguments Against Another Brisbane A Station. Mr. J. W. Robinson's Critical Examination of Statements. "We Must Have Another National Station." By J. W. ROBINSON Ex-Manager, 4QG, Brisbane. Brisbane certainly needs another A grade national broadcasting station. This is not merely a "catch cry" nor is it a nebulous meandering. It is a simple statement of fact to which each and every thinking wireless enthusiast in Queensland must subscribe. The articles which have appeared in "The Telegraph" during the past few days have been sound, sane and logical. What a pity they were not published four or five years ago when they might have carried a little more weight! The attention of the chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Mr. Cleary) has been drawn to Brisbane's needs, but he has stated that the matter is not one for his concern — it rests with the Postmaster-General's Department. The Deputy Postal Director (Mr. Corbett) has sheltered behind a mass of figures, and has said that the financial position does not warrant another station being established in Brisbane. Both gentlemen are entirely wrong, and their arguments do not, for one single instant, hold even a cupful of cold water. It is quite true that the Australian Broadcasting Commission provides programmes only, leaving the technical side to the P.M.G.'s Department, but it must be recognised that the A.B.C. has a duty to perform. The Commission functions under a special Act of Parliament, one clause of which lays down that the. Commission shall make a report to the Government regarding the broadcasting position. If the Commission considers that Queensland's needs are not being served by one station its chairman has the right, the power, and the privilege (under the Act) to make a report to the Government and to recommend that steps be taken to establish another station in Brisbane. When Mr. Cleary "passes the buck" in this regard to the P.M.G.'s department he is merely evading the responsibilities which have been placed on his shoulders under the Broadcasting Act. If Mr. Cleary thinks Queensland wants another station he has the power to express his opinions in terms of a special report to the Federal Government. If he does not make such a report he is either ignorant of the Act under which he holds his position or he is disinterested as far as Queensland is concerned. THE P.M.G.'S DEPARTMENT. The Deputy Director of Postal Services (Mr. A. B. Corbett) seems to consider Queensland's needs purely and simply from a financial angle but each statement he makes is at variance with his previous utterances. Mr. Corbett is obsessed with the idea that Brisbane cannot afford another A class station and he has pointed out that even today 4QG is losing something like £5,000 per year. In the latter days of the Queensland Radio Service 4QG's revenue was something like £22,000 per annum. Out of this the management had to maintain the station, provide programmes, pay copyright fees, meet royalty bills and pay for interest on capital expenditure. It managed to do so and STILL MAKE A PROFIT OF SOME £5,000 PER ANNUM. The Postal Department alone now has a revenue of something like £20,000 per annum in Queensland with which IT ONLY HAS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SERVICES and yet Mr. Corbett says the show is unprofitable. If Mr. Corbett's statement is correct his department must be administering 4QG rather inefficiently. As I said previously, 4QG's revenue a few years ago was only a quarter of what it is today, and yet it managed to conduct its services to the satisfaction of listeners and to provide respectable programmes and still make a profit, after providing for interest and writing down its capital. Furthermore, during this period it paid its artists considerably more than they are being paid today and in the case of its technical staff it paid wages ALMOST DOUBLE THOSE WHICH MR. CORBETT'S DEPARTMENT IS HANDING OUT NOW! In addition to this, 4QG, in the old days had royalty payments to meet — Mr. Corbett's department (by a stroke of the pen) simply cut out these fees. RELAY STATIONS. Mr. Corbett has sneered at Queensland and has said that we live on the surplus of other States. Such a sneer would not be worth considering did it not embrace so important a national question. When the Federal Government made broadcasting a national undertaking, it did so because its leaders believed that each and every person throughout the Commonwealth should derive equal privileges from this most modern branch of science. If Mr. Corbett wishes to "weigh up" every station according to its financial standing, why does he not close down all the relay stations in the country districts — station which never have, and never will, pay their way, but stations which, do render a public service. STATION COSTS. "The Telegraph" reports Mr. Corbett as having said that the new Townsville station will cost £60,000. IF TOWNSVILLE HAS COST SUCH AN AMOUNT THEN MR. CORBETT AND HIS DEPARTMENT HAVE MADE A HOPELESSLY BAD BARGAIN. A relay station at Townsville is not worth one-fifth of that amount, and if Mr. Corbett wishes to save the Commonwealth money I am prepared to show him how he may erect a station at Townsville, quite as efficient as the one he is now considering, at one-sixth of the amount his department is apparently prepared to pay. Rockhampton is reputed to have cost £40,000. I do not know if the figures are correct, but if they are then it is another case of the Government's having made a bad bargain. A station just as efficient could have been erected at half the price. Station 4QG complete with building, fittings and furnishings, cost less than £35,000. "Why should a relay station in a country district cost double the price? Perhaps in working out the costs for the new Townsville station Mr. Corbett has included the purchase price of the large area of land which was secured by his Department and then found to be quite unsuitable, or perhaps he has included the cost of the preparing of dozens of sets of plans, all of which were subsequently discarded in spite of the fact that they had been drawn up specially by the officers of his own wireless department. RUNNING COSTS. The running costs of a broadcasting station are hardly worth while considering. There are six or seven mechanics at 4QG and four or five at 4RK. None of these men receive more than £5 or £6 per week, and so their wages (weighed against the P.M.G. revenue) are hardly worth taking into consideration. Current bills certainly run into a fair sum but the Department collects enough money from listeners to run ten stations, pay their current bills, renew their valves, give bonuses to their staff and then have thousands of pounds left over. Three or four years ago the P.M.G.'s Department paid nearly a hundred thousand pounds of its surplus into consolidated revenue. Mr. Corbett knows that this was done and yet he has the audacity to say that finances prevent the establishment of another station in Brisbane. NOT A NEW PROBLEM. Brisbane wants another station and Brisbane must have another National station! The matter is not a new one. Four years ago it was raised at a Commission meeting in Sydney and I, as Queensland's representative, tried to force the issue. I did not play a lone hand. Even Sydney and Melbourne supported me and a strong resolution was forwarded to the Commission. Nothing was done! Nothing will be done until public opinion forces those in high places to make a move! Surely to goodness both the Commission and the Postmaster General's Department realise that unless Brisbane is given another wave length in the near future there will not be one out of a thousand listeners in this part of Australia who will tune in to the National stations.

1937

1937 06

Representations to the ABC for 4LG to be permitted to relay certain ABC programmes without charge

National Broadcasts. REPRESENTATIONS FOR 4LG. MR. POLLOCK'S HELP. 4QG MANAGER'S ACTION. As a result of a recent interview which Mr. G. Pollock, M.L.A., had with Mr. Finlay, manager of 4QG, the Longreach station, 4LG, may shortly be permitted to broadcast national news services, school broadcasts and other important features desired by country listeners. Writing to Mr. R. M. Nicholson of 4LG this week, Mr. Pollock detailed the interview when, as a result of the former's representations, Mr. Finlay called on him. The latter was quite sympathetic towards the difficulties of people in the central west, and during a full discussion, in which Mr. Pollock outlined the difficulties of securing reception of national programmes. Mr. Finlay promised to make representations to the Australian Broadcasting Commission, which, if adopted, will be a big improvement. In representing Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Pollock pointed out to Mr. Finlay that what was most desired was authority, free of cost, to relay the national news services each day, to relay school broadcasts and other features of interest to country listeners, which they find hard now to receive. RECOMMENDATIONS TO A.B.C. As a result, it is now understood that Mr. Finlay will recommend to the A.B.C. that this be done, provided no advertisements are utilised during the course of the relay. If this is secured, a useful service will have been performed for the public of central western Queensland and station 4LG will also considerably benefit.

1937 08

ABC rejects proposal for 4LG Longreach to relay some ABC programmes

Will Not Agree. RELAYS THROUGH 4LG. A.B.C. POLICY. MR. R. G. POLLOCK'S INTEREST. Mr. George Pollock. M.L.A., has for some time past been interesting himself in the proposal he made, whilst in Longreach in May last, that the Australian Broadcasting Commission should provide, through 4LG Longreach, free of cost, relays including the school broadcast, news services and special items, until such times as the National stations were able to relay this information direct to Central Western Queensland listeners. Mr. Pollock advises having had a further discussion with Mr. Findlay, Manager of 4QG, Brisbane, who informed him briefly that the A.B.C. would not agree to relay any national news to B Class stations, but would endeavour to ensure such transmission from National stations in the future as would give listeners all over Australia similar service. Mr. Pollock stated that he was not familiar with the difficulties that may be seen by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, but he did feel that Central Western Queensland is not receiving the consideration that it ought to from the A.B.C. In his judgement the A.B.C. could, if it desired, make available through B Class stations a better service to western listeners than they are at present receiving. This policy can easily be discontinued, he stated, immediately the A.B.C. is in a position to provide its own service to western people.

1937 10

Update on activities of former manager John William Robinson

RADIO RAMBLINGS. Most of my readers will remember the early days of 4QG when the genial "Robby" — Mr. J. W. Robinson, held the managerial reins. And very well he held them. too. In fact he practically "started" the national station. During recent months "Robby" has been a very busy man for in addition to radio publicity work he was acting for many months as Brisbane representative of the "Sydney Morning Herald." Anyway, the former radio executive has gone back to his old love as manager for the newly opened station, 2KA, at Katoomba, high in the Blue Mountains back at Sydney. It's a nice job in a nice town and "Robby" is a lucky man, although I guess he'll find the Blue Mountains' winters a little colder than he has been accustomed to.

1937 11

New studios for 4QG and the planned second ABC National for Brisbane 4BR/4QR

Big Changes at Hand in A.B.C. Arrangements. SECOND A CLASS STATION NOT STARTING TILL IN THE NEW YEAR. Brisbane Headquarters Move From Taxation Building To Penneys' Premises. Brisbane's new National Station 4BR will not be operating until early in the New Year, the opening date suggested at the moment being Friday, January 7. The.opening of the new station brings in its train some important changes in national station broadcasting. First and foremost it means an evacuation of the present premises occupied by 4QG on the top floor of the Government Taxation Building and the housing of both 4QG and 4BR in one set of rooms on the top floor of Penneys' Building in Queen Street, the Australian Broadcasting Commission having leased approximately 7,000 square feet of floor space in that building for the purpose. In this new air conditioned building the two stations will be controlled and operated. The top floor will be subdivided and partitioned to provide ample studio and office accommodation, control rooms, library accommodation, and all the other appurtenances that are required in the modern broadcasting studio. For some months negotiations have been going on between the Commission and the owners of the building and only this morning the final details were completed. Extra Personnel For New Station Later Making this announcement this morning, the manager for Queensland for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Mr. A. N. Finlay) said that there would be very few additions to the A.B.C. staff in Queensland at the beginning, although, when the new station was well into running order, extra personnel would be added. The second station would be controlled by the officers who now control the various departments at 4QG; the programme manager for 4QG will automatically be the programme manager for 4BR and so on. One senior stenographer in the record department and programme department, and a cadet announcer and an effects officer would be the only additions in personnel at the beginning. The P.M.G.'s department, however, probably would have to augment their staff to handle the technical side of the second station. The studios at South Brisbane, which are now used for orchestral and choral broadcasts, would be retained, only the existing space would be remodelled to provide one bigger and better studio for this class of work. "Opening at Christmas Not Opportune" Mr. Finlay said that originally it was hoped to open the new station on December 24, but for a number of reasons the opening had been deferred until early in January, Friday, January 7, being the date that had been now suggested. "Actually," said Mr. Finlay, "so far as the programmes are concerned we have been ready for the opening for some time. But to open the new station on Christmas Eve would not be opportune, because the majority of people are too busily engaged in their Christmas Eve festivities to take any great interest in the opening. Over the Christmas and New Year period the majority of people are away on holidays at the seaside, and there will be no great loss if the opening of the station is delayed until early in January, when people are back at their daily tasks. Staff Will Welcome Space in New Studios The new studios will undoubtedly be welcomed by the staff at 4QG, many of whom are working under very cramped and uncomfortable conditions. Many of the office appointments at 4QG will be used in the new studios, but a great deal of new material will be required. The whole of the electrical gear, control panels and such like to be installed af Penneys' will be new. The P.M.G.'s Department has already in hand the gear required for equipping the studios. The control rooms and the main control board of the new stations will be the most modern and up-to-date obtainable. The work of erecting the tower for the aerial of the new station on the Telephone Exchange building is progressing, the structure now being up about 35 feet. When completed it will reach to a height of 200 feet above the roof of the Telephone Exchange building. Continued on page 5

Previous description continues

NEW A CLASS STATION HEADQUARTERS PROPOSALS. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1.) Instead of the two studios at 4QG, said Mr. Finlay, the two stations, when housed in Penneys' Building, would have five studios and an echo chamber with which to work. The plans for the equipping of the top floor of Penneys' Building show that the largest studio, which will be on the Adelaide Street side, will be the general purposes studio, which is 20 by 30 feet. This studio will be used for small musical combinations and is not expected to be in general use. The No. 2 studio will be the production studio, also 20 by 30 feet, equipped with an echo chamber 10 by 12 feet. Adjoining this will be the production department and the play library. Two main talks studios, 12 by 14 feet, one, No. 3, being for use by 4BR, and the other, No. 4, for use by 4QG. Between these two studios there will be accommodation for the P.M.G. department's officers. Then will come the central switching room, the announcers' rooms, and then a No. 5 studio, which will be used for talks, children's sessions, women's sessions. Each studio will have its own control booth, 8 by 12 feet, and besides all these there are 15 other rooms, including a reception room and offices of various kinds. In other parts of the floor will be further accommodation for P.M.G. department stores. The studios on this floor will be sound proofed with a special material, six types having been submitted. This question of sound proofing has been gone into very thoroughly, and it is expected that when completed these studios will rival anything else in the Commonwealth in their appointments and suitability for broadcasting. Mr. Finlay added that the work of remodelling the top floor of Penneys' Building had not yet been commenced, but now that a final decision had been made by the Commission, that work would be put in hand immediately. It was unlikely that the premises in the Taxation Building would be vacated completely by the A.B.C. until towards the end of January when their tenure of the premises expired. But when one studio was available in Penneys' the new station could be on the air, using that studio and the studio in South Brisbane as the 4BR studios. The ohange over to the new premises would be made gradually. Actually it was not certain, said Mr. Finlay, that the apparatus for 4BR would be ready by December 24. All the Commission had been told on that score was that December 24 was the date the P.M.G. Department's engineers were aiming for. It might or might not be ready by that date.

1937 12

New studios and planned commencement of 4QR

NEW PREMISES FOR NATIONAL STATIONS. 4BR to Open Early Next Year. The Queensland manager for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Mr. A. N. Finlay) announced yesterday that the new national broadcasting station for Brisbane, 4BR, would begin to operate early in the New Year, possibly on January 7. It had been hoped to open it on Christmas Eve, he said, but for many reasons it had been decided to postpone the occasion, until after the holidays. The top floor of the Taxation Building would be vacated by the commission, and both 4QG and 4BR would be housed on the top floor of Penney 's new building in Queen-street, the commlssion having leased 6500 square feet of floor space. This would provide ample space for studio and office accommodation, control rooms, library, and the like. The commission had completed arrangements yesterday for the lease of the space. ADDITIONAL STAFF Although the new station would be controlled by the existing officers of Station 4QG, one announcer, a cadet announcer, an effects officer, and four stenographers would be added to the staff. Three of them had already begun duty. It was probable that the Postmaster-General's Department would have to augment its staff to handle the technical work of the new station. The studios in South Brisbane would be retained for orchestral and choral broadcasts, but would be remodelled into one studio. "The two stations, when housed in Penney's building," Mr. Finlay added, "will have five studios and an echo chamber. The largest will measure 20 by 30ft., and the talk studios 12 by 14ft. Special attention has been devoted to the soundproof quality of the studios, which will rival anything of their kind in Australia. MAST OVER POST OFFICE It was explained that the existing masts of 4QG would remain over the Taxation Building, and that the Postmaster-General's Department would continue to use the space now occupied by its engineers on the top floor. For the new station a single mast would be erected over the telephone section of the General Post Office. There would be no masts over Penney's premises.

1938

1938 01

Commentary from several ABC senior staffers prior to the opening of 4QR

CHANGES PLANNED IN RADIO POLICY. More Queensland Items on 4QG. NATIONAL RELAYS BY NEW STATION. STATION 4QG will change to a purely local programme with twice as much time on the air reserved for local artists as in the past. The new station, 4QR, will broadcast the national programme in full. This was announced by the general manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Mr. C. J. Moses) in an interview with The Courier-Mail representative last night after arriving by 'plane from Sydney. Queensland has previously heard only half the national programmes through 4QG. Mr. Moses said he did not mean to convey the impression that more local artists would be given more opportunties just because of a greater allocation of local programmes; but there would be more opportunities for local artists who measured up to the required standard. Whenever Brisbane provided items for the national programme they would be broadcast by 4QR through the national network. "I hope the other States may be able to hear more of Queensland's radio artists," he remarked. The broadcast of the full national programme would probably give a stimulus to Queensland talent, as local artists would more readily realise the class of competition they had to meet. More use would certainly be made of the State's best choirs and bands and other musical presentations than in the past. Station 4QG would also have greater scope for recorded B.B.C. broadcasts by world famous artists and personalities whom Australia would not be able to hear but for the recordings. Tastes Differ Little In determining what the public wanted, the commission more or less adopted the policy that "radio is for everybody — but not at the same time." "If we were to give just what the majority wanted," he said, "much of the programmes would be devoted to dance music; and we can't flood the air with one type of music. We have to recognise the rights of minorities." On the other hand, the fact that there were fine choral societies and bands in Queensland did not mean that the commission could give Queensland any more of that type of music than any other State. The tastes of listeners in the different States varied little. In fact, there was really little world variation. The commission determined what to give the radio listener in much the same way as the newspaper editor determined what to give readers of his paper — by past experience and public demand. 'We have a very large correspondence with listeners — and for every letter of criticism we receive we also get one of praise," he went on. "It is almost an even balance of the scales weighing listeners' opinion." The commission believed it had attained almost a perfect balance in its programmes. The important thing about the new station was that listeners would now have two programmes from which to choose. High-Brow or Low-Brow Chamber music was the highest form of music, yet only a small minority wanted it. But the Budapest Quartet, which had been brought to Australia, was an education for people really interested in music. Many listeners complained that the national stations programmes were too high-brow; many complained that they were too low brow. However, the majority of listeners were neither high-brow nor low-brow. A big body of listeners could enjoy both dance music and fine orchestral presentations. "We consider the people with fairly catholic tastes — those who could not be termed either high-brow or low-brow," he said. Queensland listeners would probably take more brass bands than New South Wales, and more choral music than the other States — but the variations between the States generally were very slight. "The new station will fulfil all the radio needs of the State," Mr. Moses concluded. "Queensland talent will have greater opportunities — and listeners will surely be able to find what they want on one of the two national stations." National Relays From Here. Four officials of the Commission arrived in Brisbane yesterday from Sydney by the Kyogle mail train. They will assist at tonight's opening of 4QR. The Federal controller of programmes (Dr. Keith Barry) said he had every confidence that Queensland would be called upon from time to time to provide national programmes. Various States contributed to it from night to night. The new station would take and give national programmes. Tonight the whole of Australia would listen to a national programme from Queensland. The Federal Superintendent (Mr. T. W. Bearup) intends to study problems of the new studio accommodation in Penneys Building whence, he said, programmes for 4QR and 4QG would be broadcast. He explained that as the 4QG transmitters were on the roof of the Income Tax building it was not practicable at present, because of electrical interference, to provide both programmes from 4QG's present studio. The new accommodation would incorporate all modern improvements in production methods, and each studio would have a control booth. Australian Drama Wanted 'We are anxious to encourage the local writing of plays for the radio, as homemade drama is preferred to the imported." said the controller of Productions (Mr. F. D. Clewlow). Great drama, of course, would always be used, irrespective of the country of origin. Few Australian plays had been produced, but radio offered opportunities to Australians who had something to say in dramatic forms. Mr. Clewlow thought *As Ye Sow,' by Edmund Barclay, a big achievement — "the finest bit of radio drama wrought anywhere." Although it was a serial of 36 episodes, character and ideas were developed all through it. Some good work also had been done by Max Afford, of Adelaide, who at present was writing a serial illustrating modern parallels of the Labours of Hercules. This serial would be put through local stations and the broadcasting would begin about March. The Federal Controller of Talks (Mr. B. H. Molesworth) also arrived with the visitors, who were met at the Melbourne Street Station by the Queensland manager for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Mr. A.N. Finlay). Mr. Molesworth said they were seeking better methods of presenting talks. The great problem was that often the man who could apply the best material for talks was not always able to deliver it to the best advantage through the microphone. The problem had been discussed from every angle, and they were now trying to improve weaker speakers by tuition. That was yielding good results. He added that he was glad to be back in Brisbane. He had now become settled in Sydney, but missed many of his old Brisbane friends. Arrangements have been made for invited guests to hear the opening programme from 4QR in the Bellevue Hotel, Brisbane. The ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. The Postmaster General (Senator McLachlan) will speak from Melbourne.

Graphic plan of new studios in Penneys' building

Plan of New 4QG and 4QR Studios in Penneys' Building. The need for increased accommodation consequential on the opening of Brisbane's new national station 4QR has caused the Australian Broadcasting Commission to plan new studios, which will be established in Penneys' Building. There will be five studios, and, as the heavy lines indicate in the plan, they will have double insulation.

The Telegraph claims to have been a driver in the earlier establishment of 4QR

BROADCASTING DEVELOPMENT. NATIONAL wireless broadcasting today enters upon a phase of development in Queensland which must be hailed with gratification. That development places Brisbane on a par with Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, in the possession of two national stations, an enterprising step which in time will doubtless be extended to the remaining two capitals, so that eventually listeners-in all over the Commonwealth will have a choice of alternative programmes to which to turn for their edification and entertainment, apart, of course, from the "B" class commercial stations.. In this way the requirements of a wide range of tastes and of a community scattered over immense distances will be more adequately served. So accepted a part of the integral life of the people has listening-in become that the satisfying of apparently insatiable demands has compelled the adoption of a liberal policy. IT is not our habit to boast, but we do think that acknowledgement should be made by those concerned that this distinction is the direct outcome of the persistent and lone advocacy on the part of this journal which realised the necessities of the position and took every opportunity of impressing them upon the attention of the Government. We do riot suggest that Brisbane would always have remained tied down to one national station but for that advocacy, but it is undeniable that the concession has been made much more quickly than would have been the case if this paper had not taken up the cudgels on behalf of the licence holders who were unquestionably restless under the limitations imposed by the provision of only one "A" class station. In support of that claim it may be recalled, that it was represented from an official quarter that the establishment of a second station would involve a cost beyond the purse of the Postmaster-General's wireless section. We rebutted that assertion and suggested a sum for which the second station could be instituted which was very much lower and well within the monetary resources of the Department. Our figures were challenged but experience has shown that the estimate was based on accurate information and within the sum stipulated Brisbane has been given not merely a secondary station to supplement 4QG, but a new station of a quality capable of sustaining the exchange of national programmes. THUS Queensland is faring better than had been anticipated, and tonight the whole of Australia will have the opportunity of sampling the quality of the new station, in the equipment of which is embodied the advantages which the increasing mastery of wireless mechanics is conferring. It will speedily become apparent to broadcast listeners that the limitations of a single Brisbane station were no figment of imagination and that the scope for cultural and recreative catering is delightfully widened. Immediate advantages to be expected of the existence of two national stations are the expanding of the rather narrowed ideas of the Commission regarding the broadcasting of celebrity concerts and recitals, and the more adequate recognition which it is possible to give to local leaders of thought and to the wealth of musical talent within the State. BOTH are desirable reforms capable of exerting a beneficent influence upon the intellectual and musical understanding of a widening circle of people. Members and officers of the Commission are still manifesting the mistaken outlook which draws sharp lines of distinction between what they are pleased to regard as "highbrows" and "lowbrows," but the mission of national broadcasting is failing in its objective if it is not continually making such distinctions an anomaly. We believe that the frequent bringing to these shores of men and women of high attainment in the world of music is having an appreciable effect in the cultivating of taste for what is finest, and the Commission has an undoubted duty in fostering such progress by all the means in its power. With alternative stations there is now less excuse than ever for supposing that the appetites and patience of listeners are satiated and exhausted by an hour of orchestral or recital music. THE opening of 4QR in Brisbane was a necessary and most commendable step towards the attainment of better ideals of broadcasting in this country, and it will be a matter for surprise if the stimulus thus given to wireless enthusiasm does not produce an enlargement of the circle of listeners that will financially justify the outlay. But that is, of course, an entirely subsidiary consideration to the. main purpose of bringing within ever more accessible reach of the community the enlightenment and pleasure which this miracle of science has made practicable. With licence fees at a guinea a year we are still farther from the truly national aspiration of broadcasting than should be the case, and the cheapening of the service is the next reform, to which the Government should set its course.

Photos of meeting of ABC senior staff and 4QR power board

PHOTOS. A CONFERENCE of Australian Broadcasting Commission executives was held in Brisbane yesterday, before the opening of 4QR. Left to right: Messrs. T. W. Bearup, A. Jose, A. N. Finlay, B. H. Molesworth, F. D. Clewlow, E. Chappell, C. J. Moses (general manager), and Dr. Keith Barry. Right: The power board of 4QR.

1938 11

Bearup comments on various developments while in Brisbane oversighting 4QR/4QG studio arrangements

NEW STATION FOR COUNTRY. A.B.C. Short Wave From Perth. Far western and northern stations and towns in Queensland will have an additional short wave service early next year, with the opening of station VLW Perth. Special transmissions will be made for primary producers in this State. At present they receive Australian market and pastoral reports, news, and weather notes, through VLR (Lyndhurst, Victoria). With the alternative station sending a beam across the continent, a service will be assured in all conditions. For a huge State of Queensland's size, the short wave service is more economical than a network of trunk lines and regional stations, as in smaller States. The early opening of the new station was. announced yesterday by Mr. T. W. Bearup, Federal supervisor for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, who is supervising the installation of equipment for the permanent studios for 4QG and 4QR, in Penney's Building. This week he will go to Toowoomba to supervise the establishment of the transmitter at Dalby and the studio at Toowoomba for the new regional station, to be known as 4QS, Dalby, which will be opened in February or March. WAVE LENGTH ALTERED Mr. Bearup asked that Queensland listeners, particularly in the country, should report to the commission the results of the change of wave length of VLR from 32 to 25 metres for daylight hours. The alteration had been made to reduce interference so that national programmes could be heard more clearly by those too far from regional stations for good local reception from the previous wave length. The new Brisbane studios would have the first complete "setup" in Australia of the new system of a control panel in each studio, for a technical and a presentation official to operate side by side to co-ordinate each broadcast in the two phases, said Mr. Bearup.

1940s

1945

1945 12

One new transmitter being installed, another on order for 4QR/4QG

EQUIPMENT FOR RADIO STATIONS. Mr Francis, MHR, has been advised by the acting Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs (Mr L. B. Fanning) that the first of the new 10 kilowatt transmitters to replace the existing units at 4QG and 4QR has been delivered and was now being installed. This work is expected to be completed by the end of February. When works now in progress on 4QG and 4QR transmitters are completed, there will be a marked improvement in the national broadcasting services for Ipswich and country districts surrounding Brisbane, said Mr. Francis, Queensland's representative on the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Broadcasting. Because 4QG and 4QR temporary transmitters were transferred to the Bald Hills area as a war emergency it was inevitable that the service to the opposite side of the city should suffer. An order was now being placed for the second transmitter. Delivery is expected in September, 1946, and the unit should be ready for service by the end of 1946. Although the order for the proposed 650 ft. mast for these stations was placed several weeks ago, the contractor was unable to give a firm date for the completion of the structure because of the uncertainty of the steel position. Normally a mast of this type would require about three months to complete.

As previous, much greater detail, background to WW2 emergency shift to Bald Hills and resultant loss of service to Ipswich (& Gold Coast)

IMPROVED NATIONAL BROADCAST SERVICE FOR THIS DISTRICT. When works now in progress in connection with 4QG and 4QR transmitters are completed there will be a marked improvement in the national broadcasting services for Ipswich and country districts surrounding Brisbane. "According to advice I have received, these improvements will provide a national service equal to that of any part of Australia," said Mr. Jos. Francis, M.P., who is Queensland's representative on the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Broadcasting. Mr. Francis, who has just returned from the southern States, where he attended sessions of the committee, stated that ever since he became a member of this committee he had made strenuous efforts to improve the reception and transmission of the two Brisbane national stations. Mr. Francis explained that before the new station at Bald Hills centre could be completed the Pacific war extended, and Brisbane air-raid precautions required the removal of conspicuous radio masts from the city. There also was an urgent need to disperse essential services. National transmitters were moved to sites further from the city than would have been desirable technically, considering their relatively small power and low masts. Because temporary transmitters were transferred to the Bald Hills area the service to the opposite side of the city (towards Ipswich) suffered. Owing to war conditions affecting manufacture, it was impracticable to obtain transmitting equipment of sufficient power to effect much improvement. Efforts continued, however, and the department itself found means of constructing apparatus to increase the power of the 4QG transmitter. Mr. Francis persisted with his representations, and has now been advised by the Acting Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs (Mr. L. B. Fanning) that the first of the new 10 kilowatt transmitters to replace the existing units is being installed. This work is expected to be completed by the end of February, 1946. Tenders also have been received for the supply of the second transmitter, and an order is being placed for this equipment. Delivery is expected in September, 1946, and the unit should be ready for service by the end of 1946. The department admitted that, although the order for the proposed 650ft. mast for these stations was placed several weeks ago, the contractor was unable to give a firm date for the completion of the structure because of the uncertainty of the steel position. Normally a mast of this type would require about three months to complete. Mr. Francis, who raised this subject at the sittings of the committee in the southern States, said last night that he regarded it as of front-rank importance that rural areas in particular should have all the facilities for radio reception enjoyed by people in the cities and metropolitan areas. For that reason he had been unremitting in his efforts to improve radio services for the country dweller.

1946

1946 08

4QR and 4QG swap programme streams, 4QR to take national programmes, 4QG to take light entertainment, country listeners now get a composite

RADIO HIGHLIGHTS. National System Makes Big Change. A COMPLETE changeover in the programmes of the national stations will begin next Sunday. The national programmes, to be transmitted by 4QR, will contain all sessions of a serious nature, such as symphony concerts, chamber music recitals by overseas and Australian artists, dramatic plays, and discussions. Station 4QG will take over the interstate programme to feature all the light entertainment shows and sessions. In line with the changeover between stations, Sunday programmes will be brighter, consisting of popular music and other light sessions. Regional listeners in all country districts will take a composite of the two programmes instead of being tied to one transmitter as at present.

1946 09

4QG receiving new higher power transmitter

MORE NATIONAL STATIONS IN QLD. New broadcasting stations at Cairns, Gympie and Mackay would soon be installed, the Postmaster-General (Senator Cameron) announced today. "I am anxious to give as wide and up-to-date a broadcasting service as possible, particularly in outback country areas," he said, "and the establishment of these stations will greatly improve conditions there. "Work on the Cairns station is well advanced, but is temporarily held up pending the erection of a building to house the equipment." A site had been chosen at Gympie, while negotiations were proceeding for a site at Mackay. Within a few months, Senator Cameron said, a station would be completed at Pialba to serve the Maryborough-Bundaberg area, and at Longreach a temporary transmitter would be provided until such time as a major regional station could be installed. "Listeners to 4QG, Brisbane, will also have an improved service," he added, "as new and more powerful transmitting equipment is being constructed."

1948

1948 03

Construction of Mast for 4QG/4QR progressing well

650 FEET UP (Photo) BUT HAS ONLY ONE FOOT (Photo) TOP picture is an ant's eye view of the new A.B.C. aerial mast being built at Bald Hills. The armature on top is 60ft. in diameter. LOWER picture shows how the mast is balanced on a single insulated cylinder on a concrete base. Guy ropes hold the mast in position. 2 Radio "Bills" On Big Mast PROGRAMMES of radio stations 4QR and 4QG will be broadcast at the same time by the most powerful radio transmitting mast in Queensland. From midnight to 5 a.m. each day five highly specialised technicians of the P.M.G. Engineer's Branch are working on the mast, 650ft. high, which stands in a large, open paddock at Bald Hills, about half a mile from the railway station. It has been built to replace the present transmitters at Bald Hills, temporary structures specially erected during the war. A P.M.G. branch official .said yesterday that while the mast was not as high as the 710ft. Dalby mast, an armature 60ft. in diameter at its top gave it the advantage of more than 100 extra feet. "You just can't go on building up and up into the sky to get extra power," he explained. Built entirely of metal, the mast weighs about 80 tons, and stands on a porcelain insulator about 12in. in diameter. "An 80-miles-an-hour wind would almost double the weight of the insulator, but porcelain, when compressed, is almost as strong as steel," the official said. He added that it would be several months before the mast was ready for use, as numerous tedious adjustments had to be made. These could only be done at night, when the stations were off the air. Advantage to radio listeners will be better reception of the two stations.

1948 06

Details of the Qld portion of the restack planned for implementation 1 Sep 1948 including 4QG

11 RADIO STATIONS SWITCHED. Eleven Queensland radio stations will occupy new positions on your radio dial from September 1 this year. Changes in the frequency channels on which 24 Australian radio stations now operate were announced yesterday by the Postmaster-General (Senator Cameron). The alterations followed discussions between New Zealand and Australian authorities, and changes in frequencies of New Zealand stations would be made, Senator Cameron said. The discusions were held in Melbourne recently to formulate plans to allow development of the existing amplitude modulation broadcasting system, and to ensure that the least possible interference would be caused to stations operating on the same wavelengths. Of the 24 changes in Australia, only 12 would materially affect the position of the callsigns on receivers. New Frequencies The new frequencies for the Queensland stations affected will be (in kilocycles):— Now. New. 4AY Ayr 970 960 4BH Brisbane 1380 1390 4CA Cairns 1000 1010 4KQ Brisbane 650 690 4MB Maryborough 1000 1010 4MK Mackay 1390 1380 4QB Pialba 560 910 4QG Brisbane 800 790 4QL Longreach 690 540 4QR Brisbane 940 590 4RK Rockhampton 910 940 Biggest Change Biggest change in frequency of Brisbane stations is that of 4QR — from 940 kilocycles to 590. This means that it will move from its present position past 4QG and 4KQ and close to the end of the dial. 4KQ will be moved 40 kilocycles nearer the centre of the dial, to the present frequency of 4QL, Longreach. 4QL will be even nearer the end of the dial than 4QR's new position.

1948 09

Issues resulting from implementation of the 1948 restack, including 4QG

ADJUSTING RADIO TO NEW FREQUENCY. CONSIDERABLE confusion has arisen among radio listeners as a result of the change of broadcasting frequencies on September 1, and many people have reported that they have been unable to locate some stations on their radio dials. This difficulty is caused because most modern radios show only the call signs of the stations on their dials and do not calibrate the frequency lengths. In addition Pialba listeners have reported considerable interference when tuned to the local regional national station, 4QB. A supervising radio engineer, in an interview yesterday, explained that the change of frequencies was brought about by the necessity for New Zealand to have radio channels. A conference between that country and Australia affected Queensland more than any other State. In all, 11 Queensland stations were affected and the result was, generally, improved reception locally for metropolitan stations. This was partly due, he said, to the use of the new 800 foot mast at Bald Hills for the national stations 4QG and 4QR. The change in frequency of 4QR to 590 kilocycles was considered to have improved reception of that station, which usually carries parliamentary broadcasts, which had not been favourably received here during daylight hours. The engineer said that there had been little change in the frequency of 4MB, Maryborough, and few listeners had difficulty in finding the new dial position which was separated from the old position only by the width of the dial pointer. The regional station, 4QB, Pialba, was moved nearer the centre of the dial, but few Maryborough listeners had detected any change in the signal received. However, the new frequency of the station, 910 kilocycles, has had the unfortunate result of causing what is known as heterodyne whistle on all stations received on certain radio sets. This affected those receivers having an intermediate frequency of 455 kilocycles which will be seen to be half the frequency of that of 4QB. This particular trouble can be remedied, he said, by alteration to the intermediate frequency, or minimised by the use of a wave trap. He advised listeners to have this work done by a qualified radio service mechanic as there are several complementary changes involved. A radio firm in Maryborough said that most sets at Pialba would require alteration to the frequency. Older sets and in particular those in the Pt. Vernon area, would require in addition a wave trap. These alterations could be effected at a reasonable cost. (The new frequencies of stations affected in Queensland are: 4QL, Longreach, 540 kilocycles or 555 metres; 4QR, Brisbane, 590 and 508; 4KQ Brisbane, 690 and 435; 4QG, Brisbane, 790 and 380; 4QB, Pialba, 910 and 330; 4RK, Rockhampton, 940, 319; 4AY, Ayr, 960, 313; 4CA, Cairns, 1010 and 297; 4MB Maryborough, 1010 and 297; 4MK, Mackay, 1380 and 217: 4BH, Brisbane, 1390 and 216.)

1950s

1950

1950 01

Power failure puts 4QG off air for 35 minutes

Break in radio. A power failure at the Bald Hills transmitter put the A.B.C. station 4QG off the air for more than 35 minutes about 10.45 last night. The station closed at 12.5.

A.B.C. replies to E.C.W. on Regional needs. IN referring to a broadcast, "Christmas Cavalcade" — (4QR, 2.00/-2.30 p.m., 25/12/49), — your contributor E.C.W. (S.M., 1/1/50) inferred that a decision had been made "down south" by which children in the country had been unreasonably deprived of a good broadcast item which was particularly intended for them. That inference is not, I think, fair to our central programme office. In the first place, the broadcast was designed for children, but not any more for country than for city children. In the second place, through an unfortunate combination of circumstances, the programme department in Sydney only learned details of it at a very late stage, when any alteration to existing plans would have been especially inconvenient. Apart from that, the Armchair Chat, which E.C.W. somewhat contemptuously dismisses, was in itself a Christmas feature, prepared by a B.B.C. expert in the talks field, and had been widely advertised as such. Finally, the country listener is admittedly at a considerable disadvantage. In the majority of cases he can receive at the best only one national and one commercial transmitter. The more fortunately placed city dweller can hear two A.B.C. and up to six commercial programmes. The balance will not be fully redressed, as far as the National service is concerned, until every regional transmitter is duplicated — a vast and enormously expensive undertaking, which is not the commission's responsibility, and which is complicated by such questions as the availability of frequencies and of suitable programme channels. A composite regional programme, selected with the greatest care, is the best expedient which can be devised, with present facilities, to cater for all the country listeners' needs, but any method of selection will inevitably cause some disappointment. — E. K. Sholl, Queensland manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.