OVER THE AERIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 16, 20 January 1933, Page 12

OVER THE AERIAL.

RADIO NOTES. FROM FAR AND NEAR. (By PHONOS.) A new high-power station .is being erected at Capetown by the Marconi Company. As far as equipment and efficiency are concerned, it will be the last word in transmitters, and it is quite possible that, with its 10 kilowatt output, it may occasionally be heard in New Zealand in the hours just preceding the dawn. With other, high-power plants being ordered for Australia, New Zealand will soon be the small broadcasting voice among the Dominions.

Hitherto it has been to America that the Australian manufacturer has looked for indications of what is new, and for inspiration in the matter of circuit design. ' But from reports of the Olympia Show, held in London about five weeks ago, it is clearly evident that, whilst the American radio trade is suffering under a staggering burden of depression and "dump" merchandise from previous overproduction, the English manufacturer is enjoying remarkably fine prosperity, and this "is reflected in the positively stunning technical improvements noticed on all sides.

The question of licensc fees will become an important one to listeners in about two months. For the past two years, in this column, there has been a periodical appeal for a loosening of existing conditions, so that the fee could be paid in instalments. The telephone system has benefited considerably through allowing a monthly as well as a half-yearly rental. Now, in the worst period that broadcasting has experienced since its inception, there is a chance to maintain and increase the popularity of listening by allowing a quarterly fee of say 8/ as an alternative to the 30/ annual demand. The result would be worth the extra expense, but it will not be obtained unless there is a widespread request for it.

From time to time come complaints of items presented by some stations—items that are regarded as not in the best of taste. The latest complaint concerns a recorded item recently put on the air from a minor station. The complainant points out that such a type may be quite suitable for a music hall, but that it is hardly the kind to which a parent would wish to sit and listen in company with juvenile members of his family. Unfortunately one cannot switch off such a recording until the damage is done, bo that there is need for a much stricter control over the material used in the broadcast programme than there is upon a stage presentation, where, beforehand, one has tit least some idea what to expect. It is to the credit of IYA that it is not a transgressor in this respect.

It is not pleasing to have to make comparisons against one's own city, but in radio entertainment any comparison between the programmes of Wellington and Auckland would be all in favour of the former. This is specially noticeable in the case of the two orchestras. Over the air, that of 2YA is much preferable to our own. No slight to the personnel of the IYA orchestra is intended in this comment. Those who have heard Harold Baxter's instrumentalists in places of public entertainment, and have then heard this orchestra, augmented, over IYA, notice such marked difference in tonal quality that they arc astounded. One is inclined to the opinion that the failure of the IYA orchestra to be the attractive feature it should be is in the main not due to instrumentalists or conductor, but to some inherent studio acoustic fault, that all experiments have failed to rectify. Surely, to get the best from the sum expended on tho orchestra it would be worth while trying it on relay from some outside hall where the acoustic properties are known to be good. The experiment might prove a revelation.

Ball by ball the crickct Tests are described to Australian listeners, through the painfully slow Bcoring that has marked the third game in particular. One would think that such descriptions would become monotonous, and that those who own seta would become tired of tuning in to this special and costly service, but so great is the interest in the games in and beyond Australia that the present Test broadcasts have a popularity that is exceeded only by the running account of the Melbourne Cup. Much of the interest in a cricket broadcast lies with the man at the microphone. The Australian Broadcasting Commission is fortunate in possessing at least a couple of announcers who know the game thoroughly, and paint it well in word pictures. The writer has spent many hours since Friday in listening to VK3ME, the A.W.A. short wave station in Melbourne, which has been giving three sessions daily of an account from the Adelaide ground. From the length of time taken in play, the similarity of incidents, and the slowness with which they occur, cricket becomes the most difficult of games for a running account. If New Zealand sports announcers have listened to the two gentlemen from Adelaide, they will have learned something of what is essentially an art, and we may expect better than we have heard in the past of Plunket Shield games in New Zealand.

FROM IYA NEXT WEEK. Sunday—7.o, service from Beresford Street Congregational Church; 8.30, orchestra {"The Gondoliers") recordings, Phyllis Hazel (contralto), Arthur Ripley (tenor), orchestra, Phyllis Hazel, duct (Gladys MoncrlelT and John Valentino), orchestra, Arthur Ripley, orchestra. Monday—B.o, S. Stephenson (baritone); 8.22, novelty instrument, Matt Trio; 8.34, songs by Sayers Duo; 8.46, Jean Mlddleton (mezzo-soprano): O.i, weather forecast; 9.3, reserved; 9.18, S. Stephenson; 9.30, Matt Trio; 9.42, Sayers Duo; 9.54, Jean Mlddleton. Tuesday—B.o, selected conccrt programme, relayed to IZH Hamilton, including items by Szigcti, John Drinkwater and Berlin State Opera Orchestra. Wednesday (Burns anniversary)—B.o, recordings: 8.30, Auckland Highland Pipe Band; 8.30, A. L. Macpherson (poetry); 8.48, Mrs. M. Robertson (contralto); 8.54, Highland Band: 9.2, J. O. Kerr's talk on "immortal Memory of Burns;" 9.17, band; 9.22, Mrs. Robert-

Thursday—B.o, recordings; 8.9, male quartet and Lyric Quartet; 8.23, orchestra ("Pinafore"); 0.33, Clement May (recital); 8.56, 11. Richards and E. Thomas (duet); 9.2, travel talk by Percy Ilamblin; 9.17, 9.39 and 0.53, orchestra; 9.23 and 9.46, two quartets. Friday—B.o, recordings: 8.9, Arthur Wright (bass baritone); 8.22, Hawaiian Trio; 8.35, Kay Christie (mezzo-con-tralto): 8.49. Ray Jury (xylophone): 9.3, talk on law by JUllus llogben: 9.21, Arthur Wright; 9.34, Maori melodies and Hawaiian Trio; 0.43, Kay Christie--9.50, Ray Jury. Saturday—B.0 t recordings; 8.5, Gwenda Weir (soprano); 8.15, liohemlan Duo; 8.21, orchestra; 8.28, "Sybil and Eric" (vocal and piano Items); 8.30, 11. Pearmail (oboe solo); 8.40, Ernest McKinlay (tenor): 9.2, sea stories; 9.21, Bohemian Duo; 9.38 and 8.02, orcHestra: 10 0 gports nummary,