OVER the AERIAL WIRELESS NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR.

Auckland Star, Issue 265, 8 November 1929, Page 16

OVER the AERIAL WIRELESS NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By "PHONOS.")

Listeners who care to tune in 2FC, 2BL, or 3LO at 11 p.m. on Sunday night will hear an Armistice Day address delivered by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth, Lord Stonehaven.

Christchurch, following in the steps of Wellington, Dunedin and Auckland, opens a radio exhibition during the coming week.

Under the baton of Mr. Arthur Wilson, the Baptist Tabernacle choir will render a programme of negro spirituals on Tuesday evening.

The writer heard an excellent baritone on the air from IYA on Wednesday night, but, alas, there was no announcement of the name of the performer. Even from the publicity point of view alone, it is time that there was a change from this "air anonymity" of artists.

The Municipal Band will again be welcomed over the air to-morrow evening, whereat there will be great rejoicing in thousands of Auckland homes. The announcement of .the re-engagement of the band, and the notification that the license fee for amateur transmitters will be, reduced, are the most important radio items of the week.'

In this discussion upon extension of hours, one would havj liked to have heard something definite about relaying of programmes, of which such use is now being made in Australia. The Broadcasting Company has now been experimenting for months with distant relays, and has achieved some conspicuous successes. It is time that it evolved a definite policy regarding the big possibilities of relaying. An explanation of definite future intentions would do much to forward its own interests, especially in the summer season when reception of distant stations is more limited. One point Mr. Harris did admit. It was that experience had proved a much smaller range of reliable reception for broadcasting stations than had previously been claimed for them. It was 'tantamount to admitting that 2YA, in particular, could not really live up to the reputation of being able to cover the whole Dominion in the manner hoped for. This has been an invariable experience in ' broadcasting, and the R.B.C. is.. not alone in its discovery. Whether higher power or relay stations is the better means for adequately serving distant country • areas remains to be ascertained by experiment.

There is universal delight over the announcement that "the band" is coming back on the air, for to radio listeners there is only one band Auckland's Municipal. With this excellent instrumental combination broadcasting again, and with the new octet appearing regularly, listeners should be highly satisfied with the band and orchestral items which will be provided for them. Our programmes are most emphatically on the up grade, and vocally .the IYA choir is playing quite a good part in this improvement. The one broadcasting feature which yet requires more serious consideration, is, paradoxically, comedy. Our New Zealand programmes still lack a sufficiency of those light touches which are an essential of almost every programme. The difficulties of securing ihiimoiir upon "tliG ftir &tg mo.nifold, for,, to stress one point alone, humour must be fresh, novel and real, and cannot be rebroadcast at frequent intervals in the way that ordinary instrumental and vocal music can without losing appreciation from listeners. However, now that other phases of broadcast programmes are shaping themselves in more appreciated fashion,; the company may be able to give more effort to securing those regular touches of real comedy and lightness which bring the laugh to every home.

THE RADIO EXHIBITION IN REV lit W

Now that the Auckland Radio Trade's initial venture in running an exhibition has passed, it may be appropriate to pass a few comments. The first point <>f note is that the trade itself is very generally satisfied with, the resulcs achieved by its efforts. The organiserts set out with the object of popularising radio- reception, and that tney did so is already evident to them in the increased interest which is being evinced in radio trade 'at a period when usually it is slackening off. The displays, as. trade displays, ' and that was all they attempted to be, were comprehensive and well set out;- the demonstrations of the quality of reception by _ modern apparatus were most convincing; and the afternoon and evening entertainments provided from the temporary studio were in themselves well worth the. price of admission [to the show. These summarise the main features of the exhibition, and they were quite • sufficient to attract all. who. were_keen on listening and whatever appertains to it. On the next occasion, an Auckland radio exhibition may. provide 'more of the novelty or sideshow element so beloved of average exhibition visitors. Experience may show this to be advisable, especially if a profit is aimed at, biit for the first effort there is every reason for gratification with the success' achieved in the main object—that of bringing broadcasting prominently before the public.

ARMISTICE DAY ON THE AIR,

Some weeks ago there was a cabled announcement that the -well-known war drama, "Journey's End," would be broadcast on short wave from SSW for an Armistice Day round-the-world transmission. At the time of writing there is no official confirmation of this news, nor is there any indication in the official IYA- programmes for the coming week that any re-broadcast of English transmissions will'be undertaken. IYA, in fact, is observing its first silent night for weeks. "From 2YA, ,at 10.45 a.m.; there will be a relay of the special Armistice, Day service in the Town Hall, Wellington,- and at O p.m. there will be presented a special -programme provided, by the League of Nations Union. 3YA will be engaged during the day with accounts of the Riccarton race meeting, and during the evening vith the function connected with ths official opening of t 3> band rotunda. r t

There is still a state of glorious uncettainty regarding the future of broadcasting in Australia. It is known that many of, the Labour members in the Commonwealth House of Representatives strongly favour the assumption of complete Government control of broadcasting on the lines of the 8.8.C. Until the Federal Labour caucus discusses the situation it-.is doubtful what definite line of:policy will-be-undertaken.

"Eugene Onegin," an opera by Tschaikowsky, will be broadcast under the direction of Vladimir Elin from 2FG on Wednesday night.

The first mechanical device to be placed in front of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald when he arrived in New York was a microphone, and seldom during the Prime Minister's visit across the Atlantic was this essential feature of broadcasting absent during any public appearance. Millions of Americans who never saw the British statesman heard his voice through the efficacy of broadcasting. THE DEALERS' PLEA. Speaking at the radio trade dinner on Monday evening, Mr. C. Camp, organiser of the recent exhibition, and the official of the employers' federation who is in closest touch with the radio trade throughout the Dominion, put very pointed demands to the Boardcastiug Company: He assured the latter that the trade was quite satisfied with the quality of the programmes gererally submitted, and contended that they were equal to anything in the southern hemisphere. What was desired, however, was an extension of broadcasting time. He considered that broadcasting in New Zealand, had now reached a stage of assured public support which justified the inauguration. of a regular morning service. He pleaded that this should be undertaken, and that the silent night should be consigned to the limbo of forgotten things. Mr. Camp's contention was that a seven-day broadcasting service, with morning sessions would justify itself to the company by the rapid increase in patronage which would ensue.

In commenting upon the requests Mr. Harris, managing director of the company, explained the difficulties ahead. The company, investigating future developments, was fared with the problem of whether these should take the form of increased service from present stations, or whether they should concentrate upon the development of relay stations in ksub-centres. There were many points both for and against a step in either • direction, but -the company would proceed definitely upon permanent improvement, following a policy that would ensure steady advances with no retrograde movement as the result of too hasty attempts at proposals which could not be sustained. Mr. Harris mentioned that one of the advances contemplated for next winter was a systematic broadcasting of organised community singing. If such is to be successful it will most assuredly have to be organised, for some of last winter's broadcasts of public community singing gatherings were more of a burlesque than a musical entertain-, ment.