Date : Sat, 18 Jul 1998 00:21:25 +0100
From : jgh@... (Jonathan Graham Harston)
Subject: Re: Age asks about broadcast of BBC software over radio
Glenn Mulcaster wrote:
>
> I am writing an article about the introduction of digital radio, which
> will be able to offer music or software downloads with multi-channel
> broadcasting. However, I note from your page that the BBC Radio 4
> programme, The Chip Shop, broadcast software data that could be taped on
> a cassette for uploading on the BBC micro.
> When did it happened?
Early '80s.
> what was the software typically?
Basic programs, written in a style called something like 'BasiCode'. The
main program occupied lines 1 to 9999 (or something) and there were
machine-specific GOSUB routines in lines 10000 onwards. You merged the
transmitted program with a 'library' for your machine. You got start-up
cassette with a program on it for reading in the (recorded) broadcast. The
program ended up looking something like this:
10 REM Sample BasiCode Program
20 REM By whoever, etc...
30 GOSUB 10000:REM CLS
40 PRINT "Sample BasiCode Program"
50 GOSUB 10050:REM Input to a$
...etc...
9999 REM BasiCode interface for BBC microcomputer
10000 REM Clear Screen
10001 CLS:RETURN
10050 REM Input to a$
10051 INPUT a$:RETURN
...etc...
> what was the announcement before and after
Something like '...and now for Chip Shop listeners, here is this week's
BasiCode broadcast. Start recording..... now!'
Then the broadcast, then Sailing By, then:
'... and here is the Shipping Forecast for 23:30 hours on Wednesday 23
February 1982. Viking, Cromarty, Forties: South-Southwesterly, fifteen
miles, slight percipitation in sight, good. North Utsera.... etc....'
> Who managed the radio show?
Can't remember, sorry.
> When did it happened?
Early '80s. The actual program was mid-evening (I vaugely seem to
remember about 7:30pm on a Tuesday....? )
> I don't think many people realise how close the so-called future of this
> software/recorded music delivery mechanism is to one of this early
> experiments in the PC revolution.
Fuzzy logic... demonstrated on a Beeb in 1981. Network computers... Beeb
on an Econet, 1981 or System on an Econet, 1979!!!!!!!
> Did you tape this software?
<Ahem...> Had a tape recorder, no radio with a sound output, no
microphone for the tape recorder.
> I am particularly interested to know whether the sound quality over an
> analog radio signal is sufficient to reproduce it?
Perfectly acceptable, it was comparable to the quality of tape-based
storage that the majority of early '80s users used.
> How long did a broadcast typically last?
Five to ten minutes, I think.
> What size of files were transmitted?
Not much more than about 20k, repeated several times in the broadcast, and
the same broadcast was transmitted each evening for the same week.
> Was it a one-off event, or was it a regular time slot?
00:15, Tue-Sat I think (ie, end of transmission Mon-Fri).
> What did it sound like? It must have been confusing to listeners tuning
> in their dial in the middle of the broadcast.
Hmmmmmm Weeee!!!!!!! Pause. Hmmmmmm Weeeeeee!!!!! Pause. Hmmmm
Weeeee!!!! Pause. etc. Ever heard a Beeb load from tape?
> Also, what happened to BBC Software, the software development arm of the
> BBC?
Not sure. Somebody else out there may know. I may have been absorbed
into BBC Enterprises.
--
J.G.Harston (JGH BBC PD Library) 70 Camm Street, Walkley, SHEFFIELD S6 3TR
BBC+Master / Z80+6502 / CoPro+Tubes / Econet+SJ / Devolution / Transport /
Planning / Highways http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~amilton/walkley.htm
jgh@... (( Anti-UCE address added by Arcade, not by me ))
- + - * NTAUS#3 24th-26th July 1998 * - + -
At my place again - Contact for details
--
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | Free Internet E-mail and Anti-UCE News |
| / \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \ | +44 181 654 2212 also +44 181 655 4412 |
| A R C A D E | Croydon UK - Fidonet#2:254/27.0 |
| The Definitive Acorn BBS | http://arcade.demon.co.uk at weekends |