THE MAGIC SPARK.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 12 March 1926, Page 13

THE MAGIC SPARK.

RADIO IN REVIEW.

CONDITIONS WITHIN EMPIRE. PROGRESS DTTHE. DOMINIONS. PROGRAMMES AND THEIR CRITICS. (By PHONOS-) Recently a local listener sent a card to a local broadcasting station. The card happened to catch the eve of the radio inspector, ■with the result that' the -writer received, and complied, with, a demand for an immediate remittance of thirty shillings.' In another case a launch owner put a set aboard when embarking on a cruise. Quite unwittingly he neglected the license, till he received a polite but emphatic reminder from one who had noted through newspaper publicity' that the craft had a listening-in plap*: aboard. . THE SITUATION IN BRITAIN, The .announcement of the finding of the committee set up by the British Parliament to investigate, and report upon broadcasting in the Old Country has created much comment, in.addition to considerable surprise, for it was not generally anticipated that nationalisation -would- be favoured. The vast future possibilities of radio-telephony have doubtless weighed in producing this decision. For some time there have been imaginings of an industrial upheaval in Britain, and were the sudden cessation of the normal activities of a nation to take place, or were there a great concerted movement to hold up communication and supplies, it -would be far better that an instrument with such powerful bearing public opinion as radio could have, should be' in-national'father than in private handsThe number of private sets in Britain is now about the two million mark, and . immediate touch could be obtained with 'virtually the whole public through .broadcasting. The report of the com-, mitte'.c iis a ••strong- emphasis . 0f... the national- character -that- the' greatest, marviol of the twentieth century has reached "in' England. ' The report should .be-, also a. guide to the ..policy in, the Dominions., ■which,- -in -more . than .oneinstance, have been floundering along without. -.;an-Tv clear- -.and - -encouraging plan. „ , ... .' ~■ . CONDITIONS IN. THE DOMINIONS. We .hear from time to time of radio developments in Canada,, and- recently particulars were . published of a relay station there in the - neighbourhood of the -Arctic" circle. The' astounding developments in the United States have bad their effect upon' Canadian broadctfstrng, and both private and Government "concerns have learned front Uncle Sam to what-uses'it can be put.' '•' Nor have they been slow to follow suit. It must be'.realisedi-howev.er^that-radio -is." playing no small part" in the "Americanising** ~of "Canada. ** The continual recejition of ne\ys and views from across the border must eventually have its effect Jipon the_' northern people. Canada, "tlierefore7 may "realise '''thai' it "will "lie" to. her own advantage''as a. portion of the: Empire to nationalise'-broadcasting and'truly.- develop .it-in the-interests of; ner'own people. -: -. • " .There is - a,-fairly'-general familiarity With conditions .-existing , in '• Australia, 'where - broadcasting, has emergecT from > a- state of . chaos and-dissatisfaction' to ■become a''feature of-which we New Zcalanders are most envious, but little is generally-- known of South African conditions.' •. •¥ rom..'.-what can: be gleaned, rfCdift therc';ie.:i.^->rathj;r ; .parlou.s' ■state. jThrea main stations -are operating; one each- at 'Cap'etpwn ; . : Johannesburg/ and Durban, but there -is no unity of control; and ■; among ■-..fadions /there .is a, croricral clamour for remedial ■legislation, arid for .the suppression of piracy,' which - is '■' so rampant. ..-The Johannesburg station has - 7000 licensed listeners (the annual- fee in South Africa is 40/), but it is estimated "that 'twere are no less than twenty-:thousand "in the ''Wit--watorerand district who:tune in nightly j to • Johannesburg "and pay no fees. 'It ; is stated that the/running costs-of this] station are- over' £1000 per month, as it pays for all talent it "employs. In Durban broadcasting, is municipally controlled. "Here, too, piracy was most pronounced 'until the authorities suddenly .employed "their electric light inspectors:to locate unlicensed sets, with the result that licensees jumped from 1400. to 3500 in. two mentis. ■'. There" is- ; every .prospect- that - South Africa will benefit more than any other dominion', from the development of high' power broadcasting ,in Britain. There is no great difference *of time between the.two countries; irid at present there is an": agitation -afoot il or' the -relaying of : fcbe British broadcasts:at-the-Cape. Of course, ' the- • ever-present menace-, of tropical static will .have to be reckoned with, but this does not : deter those/who urge-the-innovation. ""■.. .' '■ :;■'.:' THE HARD SOW OF BROADCASTERS. '•.-.The , - provision'"of radio programmes-is a : thankless job, for. it iis impossible to please everybody,, while some responsible bfticials . are pessimistic enough. to say that it is- impossible to: fully, satisfy' anybody.;,- Even-,\the' service supplied, by the B.B;C. has come in for- .a severe handling-by a'body of "critics, the-'chief burden- of . t eomplaint being, against. the plethora, *of- "prds^■ sbientifit: lecturettes. There -is a 'decided ■_ clamour for more music' arid ■.mdre'/joy,"but against' this the/apprieciators; of- tire -.'shighbrow:_stuff" vigorously/ champion . 'the educational Tiiaferiai-.proyided;- One.marked effect of broadcasting in Britain has been the gradual- but' steady'growth of .'approval of Classical: music.; 'In this respect ,the programme.are having a really beneficial national effect. In answer ,to its critics,, the B:B.C.*;h"a's published an analysis of ita programme. ' Incidental ly tb is summaty: showed' .that from its' various stations-there had been ' sent' out entertainments totalling over one thousand, hours per "week, -and that of the! material' broadcasted, Iβ per cent was "talk and twaddle,"- as a: critic described it, while s'per cent- was „news, the' balance being music of varied- types.' The company pointed out that-the principal adverse criticism by personal letters, of which.it received over 8000 "per week, was against the quantity , of dance music that was included: . . ■ /