A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 210, 5 September 1930, Page 14

A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.

Commenting on the statement as to the wonderful success of the broadcasting of the Test matches in Australia, Mr. F. W. Larkins, of A.W.A., who is now on a business trip to New Zealand, stated that it was undoubtedly one of the most successful achievements of Australian broadcasting of recent years. The whole of the five Test matches were described, ball for ball, in a realistic manner that was of absorbing interest to the listeners-in. The announcer described every feature of the game as if he were watching it. The broadcasts commenced about 9 p.m. and finished at about 3 a.m. Sydney time. A notable feature of the ball for ball broadcasting was that it was put over the air by a class B station, viz., 2UW. The broadcasting of the Tests was carried out principally by means of the Amalgamated Wireless Company's Beam service from Great Britain to Australia, and enormous cost of radiograms —several thousand pounds—was borne by some half-dozen national advertisers, who considered themselves fully recouped by having their names associated with the Test cricket broadcasting. This enterprise has had a very definite influence on sales of radio receivers in Australia, with the result that quite a boom has been effected, in radio trading. To those knowing the enormous popularity of "licensed," or what are known as class B, stations in Australia in contradistinction to national broadcasting stations, the lack of stations of this type in New Zealand is very marked. The programmes of classical music put on the air by, Station 2UW are a delight to every music lover. At least one evening a week a complete grand opera is broadcast from records. It is of interest to note that the greater proportion of such progremmes are "sponsored programmes," the name of the firm contributing to their cost only being announced. Then follows a high-class musical entertainment of the best in operatic records. The system of ■sponsored programmes is the system that is widely used in broadcasting in U.S.A. In Sydney there are to-day four class B stations, while Brisbane will shortly have two.

A BUSY RADIO CENTRE. The Amalgamated Wireless '£™™™ l ± ting-Centre at Pennant Hills s to- a> the largest and most modern transmit tingetation in the southern hennspheie. The principal services are:— . The wireless telephony service to Great Britain and 22 European countries. The Jieam feeder transniittere operating with Melbourne. ; - ■ ./. . > ,■ The Island radio service, comniuinca--ting with A.W.A. stations at loit Moresby, Babaiil and Fiji. The coastal radio service, communicating with Adelaide, Perth, Townsville and Brisbane. ■ «•■. i • The service to Noumea, New Caledonia. The.marine wireless services to ships at sea. . , The New South Wales police transmitters, communicating with police patrol cars in the city of Sydney. Sydney shore-wave telephony transmitters, communicating with trawlers operating off the Australian coast. Broadcast transmitters of the Australian Broadcasting Company's station 2FU Twenty k.w. short-wave transmitters for experimental telephony and worldwide broadcasting. Practically the whole of these services are operated cither from the A.W.A. receiving centre at La Perouse (some 1C miles from the transmitting station), or from A.W.A. headquarters in the city of Sydney. The police transmitters, however, are operated from police headquarters, Sydney, while the Australian Broadcaeting Company's programmes emanate from their studios.