RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AND RADIO BROADCASTING IN THE SOVIET UNION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00280R000200150073-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2011
• Sequence Number: 73
• Publication Date: November 19, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

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 RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AND RADIO BROADCASTING IN THE SOVIET UNION
Vestnik S zi communications A. D. Fortushenko, Candidate
Herald, No 5, 1955, Moscow, in technical science, vice-
pages 3-5 chairman of the technical
council of the Ministry
of Communications USSR
The great invention of A. S. Popov, radio, born in our country, is
developing at an exceptional rapid rate and in the most varied directions
of its use.
Radio communications occupy an important place in the general system
of electric communications of the Soviet Union with its boundless spaces.
In many directions radio communications are combined with wire systems of
communications; but in a number of cases radio is the sole means of
communication. This refers above all to the communications of the center
with remote points of the North and Far East many thousands of kilometers
away. Moreover, radio communication rem,+inn an irreplaceable means of
communication under conditions of the impassable wilderness of Siberian
forests and other natural obstacles difficult to surmount.
The main role in radio communications over long distances belongs
as before to short waves. The technology of short-wave radio communica-
tions is being steadily perfected, the stability of communications at any
time of the day and year, and also the passing capacity of the radio
line are rising. The main feature of modern short-wave trunk line radio
communications is the wide installation of frequency keying systems in
telegraphy. These have substantially higher resistance to interference
when compared to amplitude keying. Equipment of 2-channel frequency
telegraphy, DChT, has been created in USSR and put into widespread use
since 1949. It was worked up by I. F. Agapov in developing a proposal
of A. N. Schukin. Each channel of the DChT system is loaded with several
start--stop telegraph sets. A considerable number of transmitting and
receiving sets that formerly operated only with amplitude keying have
been shifted to the system of frequency keying.
In recent years industry has begun to produce radio transmitters of
new types for main line and antra-Oblast communications, such as KV-678,
KV-5, PK-2, PK-4 which have high quality indexes. All these trans-
mitters allow for operations both as telegraph and as telephone.
Frequency and amplitude keying can be applied in the telegraph operation.
Industry has developed and put into production a new type of receiver
for trunk lines of communications.
Despite the substantial results achieved through use of frequency
keying and the improved equipment, on days when short-wave passing con-
ditions are particularly difficult, intermediate relaying has to be set
up on certain long distance lines of communication. For the relay
stations special equipment for regeneration of the forms of telegraph
signals has been developed and installed. Especially noteworthy herewith
is the method of integral reception with employment of the principle of
storing the condenser charge. This device gives signal correction even
under strong distortions and breakings; moreover, it has interference-
proof properties.
In the Soviet Union, in addition to long distance radio comunications
on short waves, there is a big network of low power radio stations that
 provide communications over comparatively short distances of several
scores of kilometers. Belonging to this local subordinate radio network
are above all radio stations of the "'Uroshay" type which serve internal
farm dispatch communications in the rural economy. Practice has shown
how great a role such communication plays in the matter of better+rt{i-
zation of the huge amount of technical equipment which has been assigned
to agriculture. The local radio communication has particularly great
importance in the campaign to bring virgin and waste lands under culti-
vation.
Many other branches of the national economy also make wide use of
the means of radio communication. However, it shoulc: be acknowledged
that there is still much disorder in this affair. In particular, the
stability of radio-transmitter frequency and the discipline in use of
radio frequencies is inadequate, with the result that mutual interference
is great.
Local radio communication can service the requirements of the national
economy much more effectively. Both the Ministry of Communications USSR
and industry, and also.the communication departments of the respective
branches of the national economy, at whose disposal are found the radio
means, must pay a great deal more attention to this matter.
The development of radio communications is characterized by the
exceptionally rapid growth of the number of radio stations of the most
varied designation, which is accompanied by the increase of mutual inter-
ference. Therefore, along with heightening the stability of the frequency
of transmitters and research in methods of more economic use of the
spectrum of frequencies in the short-wage range, successful work is being
conducted in the broad mastery of still more short waves: the meter,
decimeter, and centimeter waves. Radio stations on ultra-short waves
are being increasingly installed in local communications. In those cases
when communication with employment of ultra-short waves must be established
at distances upwards of 40 to 50 km, radio relaying is arranged. When it
is necessary to get several channels, a radio relay set with phase impulse
modulation is applied, for it does not require special equipment of high
frequency packing:
Centimeter waves have proved a remarkable means for organizing wide-
band communications and at considerable distances (thousands of kilometers)
by means of arranging a circuit of consecutive relays of signals from one
intermediate station to another. Such radio relay lines of communication
permit the creation of radio trunk lines of several hundred telephone
channels; besides, standard coaxial cable packing equipment is employed.
V. I. Lenin, the great genius of mankind, first indicated the
special importance of radio as a means of uplifting the political and
cultural level of the broad masses of toilers.
The main task in the field of radio-broadcasting technology now
is to bring radio broadcast programs with high-quality sound to the
whole population of the Soviet Union. In broadcasting, as in the field
of communications, this task is being solved by complex use of various
technical means depending on the concrete conditions of definite terri-
torial zones.
From its birth in 1922, radio broadcasting's fundamental technical
means have been long-wave and medium-wave radio stations. With the object
of enlarging the zone serviced, station power has in proportion to tech-
nical progress been gradLally increased.
 Recently, however, the reception conditions of radio-broadcasting
stations in the European territory of USSR has greatly deteriorated,
owing to the substantially increased interference on the part of a number
of foreign stations. Such a situation has been caused on the one hand
by the steady increase in the number of radio-broadcasting stations of
Europe, but is mainly the result of the American occupation forces in
Western Europe having broken the international agreement on the distri-
bution of frequencies among stations.
Thus, according to the Copenhagen plan of 1948, the USSR received
for the territory to longitude 400 east, 16 frequency channels of ex-
clusive use and 20 channels of joint (with foreign stations) use. At
present we do not :in fact have a single channel of exclusive use in
consequence of the fact; that the Americans and certain states of Western
Europe have built a number of powerful stations that operate on wave
lengths assigned to Soviet stations.
In conditions of greatly increased radio interference and difficulties
of direct reception, the value of a system of wire broadcasting has been
confirmed. Work is at present underway on perfection and development of
a radio relaying systera of broadcasting. In large cities which embrace
more than 10,000 subscribers of radio rebroadcasting networks, the systems
are being widely reconstructed according to the 3-member construction
with the object of improving the quality of sounding, and reducing the
cost of their erection and operation. Every such network has booster
substations, the power of which reaches 50 to 60 kw in a number of cities.
Besides automat'_c sere:cing of substations, remote control of their
operation is being widely promoted.
As a rule, programs are sent to the large radio rebroadcast networks
along special broadcast, channels of interurban main line communications,
which secures high-quality sound without any kind of interference.
However, a great niunber of radio rebroadcast units receive programs
on radio receivers., Deterioration of radio reception conditions there-
fore leads in many cases to unsatisfactory quality of the sound of radio
loudspeaker points. W_'.th the object of drastic improvement in the
quality of broadcasting, a number of new radio stations are at present
being built in accordance with directives of the Twenty-ninth Congress
of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Equally with this, the acute need has arisen to realize new technical
means that will provide radio broadcasting free of radio interference.
Such means are the ultra-short waves whose radius of action is limited
to 50 to 60 km under average conditions and with transmitting antenna
approximately 120 m in height.
By-employ.:ng frequency modulation of the ultra-short wave trans-
mitter, high quality reception is easily obtained. In order to organize
reception of programs over an extensive territory, it is necessary to
erect ultra-short wave radio stations every 100 to 120 km apart. The
program must be delivered to these radio stations along wire channels,
but in many cases it can be rebroadcast, reception of the transmission
being accomplished from the neighboring ultra-short wave station.
The number of tranE.mitters that are installed at one or another
point depends on the number of programs (central wad local) which must
be transmitted in the .given district.
Considering the great advantages of radio broadcasting on ultra-short
waves, the Twenty-Ninth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
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pointed in its directives to the need of its wide development. However,
this directive is as yet being bad::y fulfilled. It is quite necessary
in the near future to begin practical realisation of the Congress
instructions.
Radio broadcasting is one of the very effective means of embracing
the widest mass of the rural population in the cultural and political
life of our country, It must nevertheless be noted that radiofication
of rural localities still continues to lag badly. In accordance with a
decree of the Council of Ministers USSR'and of the Central Committee of
the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the radiofication of inhabited
rural areas must be completed in the near future. To accomplish this
task it is necessary to carry out a large task in the construction of new
rural radio centers and the development of a radio rebroadcasting network.
Some time ago in radiofication of rural-area, low-power collective-
farm radio units, snits of approximately 10 w capacity or less -i+ere
installed. Such units could not get high quality service and were un-
profitable. Now, in the radiofication of rural places, it is planned
to construct sufficiently large intercollective farm units, and also to
install widely remote control of collective farm radio units and their
supply.
In localities where reception free of interference cannot at present
be secured by means of radio receivers, delivery of programs to rural
radio rebroadcast units along wires by means of special high frequency
equipment will be widely installed.
Great success has 'Dean achieved in recent years in the field of the
technology of television, with the result that television broadcasting
is beginning to be widely developed. For the entire Soviet Union a
single standard of picture fidelity has been established, corresponding
to scanning in 625 limas at 25 frames per second. The band of frequencies
of video signals occup:.es 6 Mc, and the total width of the frequency
channel of each television station (together with the sound accompaniment
transmitted on ultra-short waves with frequency modulation) amounts to
8 Mc. Such standards provide high-quality transmission of pictures, and
the further technical perfection of television devices must be'done not
in the direction of increasing the number of lines of scanning, but by
means of the perfection. of all elements of the television line both i'
transmission and in reception.
The-Soviet population manifests great interest in television broad-
casting, one of the remarkable means of the communist education of
toilers. New television centers are being built in many cities.
Measures are being taken to expand the broadcast range of'television
centers. For this purpose construction is planned at a number of points
of rebroadcasting stations which will receive programs either'by cable
as programs are already being received in the city of Kalinin, or by
radio relay lines.
Our industry is alr-ady producing about 10 types of television
receivers with screens of various sizes, and in particular, the television
receiver t'Tempn which has a screen 240 mm by 320 mm in size. In 1954
about 300,000 television sets were produced, and this year their output
is being doubled. Besides, a number of improvements are being introduced
in the television receivers. For example, in the television receivers
"Temp" and "Avangard" a channel switch-over is being introduced, the
range is being enlarged to receive sound broadcasts on ultra-short waves
with frequency modulation, the sensitivity of the radio receivers is
being heightened. It is planned to produce television receivers with
STAT
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 rectangular picture tubes, the diagonal of whose screens will be 35, 43,
a~d 53 cm. A television projection receiver with a screen of about one
m is being developed. Such sets should find wide use in clubs, Red
Corners, houses of rest, etc.
Earmarked in plans for the next few years are the very wide develop-
ment of television broadcasting and the construction of television centers
in many cities of the Soviet Union.
The transition to color television is an important direction of the
further technical development of television. Our industry-has developed
a system of color television in which the basic colors red, green, and
blue are transmitted in turn, and reception is accomplished on a special
television set with a three-color disc light filter rotating in front of
the screen of the picture tube. Since the end of last year the Moscow
television center has conducted experimental transmissions of color
television by such a system.
However the technical council of the Ministry of Communications USSR
did not find it possible to accept the alternating system of color
television for wide installation, owing to its requiring a considerably
wider band of transmitting frequencies than the existing system of black-
and-white television. Therefore, and also for certain other technical
reasons, alternating color transmissions cannot be received on ordinary
television sets. On the other hand, it is impossible to receive trans-
missions of black-and-white television on the special television sets
of the alternating system of-color television. In brief, these systems
are incompatible. Meanwhile, modern technology permits the creation of
a system of color television with simultaneous transmission of colorb
within the limits of the frequency band apportioned in accordance with
the standard for black-and-white television. The chief new element in
this system is the special television receiving tube with a 3-color screen.
Appropriate elaborations are being conducted in laboratories, and Wide
installation of color television must necessarily be postponed until
their completion.
Contributions to the achievements attained in radio communications
and radio broadcasting have been made by the Soviet scientists and
engineers M. A. Bonch-Bruyevich, M. V. Shuleykin, A. I. Berg, B. A.
Vvedenskiy, V. A. Kotel'nikov, A. L. Mints, and many others who have
made a large contribution to the work of radio development. There is
no doubt that Soviet radio specialists will also in the future multiply
the achievements of Russian radio technology.
Radio technology in the service of the Soviet people plays R most
important role in the building of Communist society, and the consciousness
of this role inspires all workers of radio, from the academician to the
rank-and-file radio operator, to new scientific and technical achievements
for the glory of our fatherland.