OVER THE AERIAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 238, 7 October 1932, Page 12

OVER THE AERIAL

RADIO NOTES. FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By PHONOS.)

The Dunedin •'"Star" states that Mr. H. Niiinis has taken up the position of announcer at 4YA. This is Mr. Howard Ninnis who with his wife, was actively associated with Auckland broadcasting in its early days. 2UE, one of Sydney's outstanding B stations, will soon be operating from its new transmission site at Port Hacking, south of the capital. It is anticipated that the new plant will provide better New Zealand recepion than any other Commonwealth transmitter. The growth of, the radio industry in Britain is illustrated by recent figures quotfcd at a trade meeting in London. The turnover was practically nil in 1922, had grown to £7,000,000 in 1920, and then jumped to £25,000,000 in 1931. Radio manufacture wp,s now competing very closely for first place in the' British group of electrical industries. •> The Australian Broadcasting Commission is earmarking £50,000 for the' improvement of its Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth stations. Increases in power are forecast, a step which will be widely welcomed in New Zealand, for we shall have better Australian service next winter without additional cost to the local listener. Various concerns have been undertaking recordings of the programmes sent out from 8.8.C. stations. That body is now interesting itself in this new avenue, and is endeavouring to bring about an amalgamation of recorders, so' that the cream of its programmes may be available 011 special discs for stations in various parts of the Empire. Few people consider the large number to whom broadcasting in New Zealand now means permanent employment. The latest license figures give the total number of dealers as 1004. One of the largest radio manufacturing firms in the Dominion employs about 70 hands. It is quite safe to say that over 1500 people in the two islands now depend upon radio for a livelihood. Wellington tops the dealers' figures, with a total of 458, against 289 in Auckland. As a manufacturing centre for receiving sets, however, our city easily leads the Dominion. The Szigeti relay on Tuesday night marked a new epoch in New Zealand broadcasting. Never before had there been such a complete link-up of stations, and never before had an artist of such repute appeared before a New Zealand microphone. The relay was an outstanding triumph for our service. A very slight line hum developed at times in Auckland, but its tendency was quickly checked, and, judged by our standards, reception for almost the entire relay was technically perfect. Its artistic perfection was attested by many competent to appreciate, and by the "atmosphere" created by the wildly enthusiastic audience, invisible but far from inaudible. Among thousands of listeners the relay was the one topic of conversation 011 Wednesday. The writer heard dozens of encomiums, considerable praise for the board for its enterprise, and one disgruntled comment from a listener, who declared that he had "110 time for this fancy fiddling." Which simply goes to prove —well, congratulations to the board's officials on their part in an artistic treat.

Doubts have been expressed regarding the reliability of the Empire broadcasting system which will be initiated by the 8.8.C. early in the New Year, but these doubts are not entertained by American engineers, who consider that, when properly tested and operating, the service will compare in efficiency of reception with the trans-Atlantic, and the London-Australia beam telephone services—already proved successes. The outlay 011 the big British short-wave station with its seventeen aerials, is expected to be £40,000, and its annual running cost £50,000. The present intention is not to seek Dominion contributions to this big sum for upkeep, but there is a possibility that the Crown Colonies, for whom the new transmissions will be an inestimable boon, may be asked to contribute a license fee of 5/ per set. The new venture may be regarded as a definite challenge to static. It will mark a vast improvement upon the service given by SSW, and will provide something far better than a fragmentary snatch of music or speech fighting a losing battle with Morse and elcctrical uproar, such as has? previously passed for Empire broadcasting. Perfection will not be achieved immediately, but future prospects are regarded as decidedly bright, and a new virility will bo infused into broadcasting in many parts of the world through this patriotic effort of the 8.8.C.

FROM IYA NEXT WEEK. Sunday.—7.o, St. David's Church Service; 8.30, Municipal Band. Monday.—ll.o, Miss Peat; 5.0, Jill; 7.30, Agricultural Talk, "The Potato Crop"; 8.0 (to IZH), Wrestling relay. Tuesday.—ll.o, Health Talk; 5.0, Uncle Dave; 7.30, "The Rousillion; French » Catalonia and the Catalonians"; 8.0, recordings; 9.2, "The North-west Frontier," Captain Falcon; 10.0, dance music. Wednesday.—ll.o, "Interior Decoration"; 5.0, Uncle Reg; 7.30, W.E.A. Session; 8.0, relay from Hamilton of "The Belle of New York," followed by dance programme. Thursday.—ll.o, Cooking by Gas; 3.15, Home Science Talk; 5.0, Skipper; 7.30, W.E.A. Session; 8.0 (to IZH), concert of the Aeolian Orchestra from Lewis Eady Hall. Friday. — 11.0, Home Industries Talk; 5, Nod and Aunt Jean; 7.30, sports talk; 8.0 (to IZH), Miss Norma Joll (contralto),, the Orchestra; Bert Watson (song and dance), Sybil and Eric (vocal and piano); 9.3, "Life and Litigation in the 16th Century," Mr. J. Hogben. ' Saturday.—ll.3o, Racing relay from Avondale course; 5.0, Cinderella; 7.30, Horticultural Talk; 8.0, Lyric Four, Ingall's Hawaiian Trio, and Mr. Tom Harris; 9.3, "Story of British Sports and Pastimes —Dancing";' 10.0, sports summary; 10.10, dance music. An interesting relay is promised for Wednesday, when Hamilton will take a turn in providing radio entertainment for Auckland. The Operatic Society in the Waikato centre is to produce, on [that night, the ever-popular "Belle."