OVER THE AERIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 10, 12 January 1934, Page 12

OVER THE AERIAL.

RADIO NOTES. FROM FAB AND NEAR. (By PHONOS.) There has passed the second year since broadcasting in New Zealand came under the control of a Government nominated board, with tha Postmaster-General and his Department as important factors behind it. The fight to remove broadcasting from a private monopoly to a public utility was no small one, and, looking back on all that has happened since that battle was waged and won, there is the temptation to speculate on how much of what was confidently anticipated has been realised. The policy of the board has been, basically, plant first, programmes next. It may have been the wiser course, but it certainly has not been the more popular one. It has meant that the provision of modern iind powerful transmitting equipment to cater adequately for future listeners in scattered districts, as well as for those now served, has become a first financial charge upon revenue, at the possible expense of making listeners dissatisfied with the present service. Perhaps a wiser poiicy would have been one on the lines followed in Australia, where the avowed objective was good programmes first and foremost, with service extensions to follow as revenue permitted. Still, though the board's angle of approach to its task may be criticised, t must be admitted that it has set its course and kept to it very well. It has been given the task of running a national service, but it is to be feared that its independence in this work is not such as will enable it to function to best advantage. Already there have been evidences that political expediency may exert a. power given by Act and regulations, and that our board is unlikely to have the freedom enjoyed by the system on which it was modelled. But within the scope allowed it, the N.Z.8.8. has done much for the improvement of radio entertainment in the past twelve months. By the erection of a more powerful 3YA it has given Canterbury, Westland and most of the South Island reliable all-day reception. It proposes to confer the same benefit upon Auckland province, during 1934. When last year commenced, our national system utilised four YA stations and some minor relay points. To-day, in addition, it operates three "Y" plants, providing alternative services, as a result of the Government purchasing the three principal B transmitters. It is worthy of note that though three stations were bought, only one, the late IZK, is being utilised in running these alternative eervices. What fate awaits-the Wellington and Christchurch purchases is yet unknown.

In providing programmes the board has extended the policy it first adopted, of securing prominent visiting artists for musical relays. It has taken the new step of dependence mainly on recordings for programme material. This is in marked contrast to the original plan for New Zealand radio programmes. When the old company was given its monopoly epecial restrictions were placed upon the amount of recorded music it used in evening transmissions. It was feared in those days that the public would resent gramophone presentations. The novelty of broadcasting gave the human voice of the local performer a epecial attractiveness, even though the quality of the performance was often, to say the best of it, mediocre. Those, too, were the days before electrical recordings gave to the disc the fidelity of enunciation it now possesses. The B stations first demonstrated how popular a wholly recorded programme may become, and it was inevitable that the old restriction should lapse. The present YA programmes, with their reliance chiefly on records, backed by a few local artists and a nightly talker on a topical subject, are perhaps the most that can be expected under the conditions which our service has to face. We obtain through the recordings the best that the talent of the world supplies, and the main point of criticism is whether the selection of the discs by the programme organisers is the most suitable to the taete of the vast body of listeners who have grown up in association with good music.

That listeners will remain content with recordings is doubtful. It will be unfortunate for broadcasting in New Zealand if they do, for one of the greatest benefits this twentieth century invention provides is a facility to develop our own national characteristics in entertainment. If our broadcasting eystem does not encourage our writers, speakers, vocalists and instrumentalists to the fullest it will fail in one important national aspect.

The 8.8.C. takes listeners fully into its confidence in ite annual Year Book. The 1034 issue contains a remarkable amount of information, even the minutest detail of spending the license revenue being supplied. It tells that of the 10/ paid by listeners, 5/5 goes direct to the Government, 4/ to the Treasury, 1/ to the Post Office and 6d to the Income Tax Department. When it ie remembered that there are over five and a half million licensees, it can be seen that national revenue in Britain benefits to the tune of over a million per annum from the operation of broadcasting. Fortunately for New Zealand, the Government here does not help itself to over 50 per cent of our fees, being content, in the meantime, with tlie appropriation of one-sixth of them, and undertaking all collection, registration and inspection expenses with that. .. FROM IYA NEXT WEEK. Sunday—li a.m., service from Baptist Tabernacle; 3.30 p.m., recorded talk on "Time and Space"; 7 p.m., service from St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church; 8.30, studio orchestra; 8.13, Mrs. Harold Owers, soprano; 8.50, records and orchestra; 9.30, Mrs. H. Owers, soprano; 0.37, records and orchestra. Monday—B p.m., studio orchestra; 8.10, radio travelogue; 8.50 and 9.20, orchestra and records; 9.2, reserved. Tuesday-—8 p.m., concert programme or selected records; 10 p.m., dance music. Wednesday—B p.m., Haydn Trio; 8.3 i, records; 9.2, talk by Alan Mulgan on "World Affairs"; 9.20, dance music. Thursday—B p.m., 8.20, 8.44, 9.20, records; 8.10, J. M. Clark and Company in a one-act play, "The Little Wretch"; 8.29, "The Warming Pan"; 8.50, "A Matter of Duty"; 9.2, reserved. Friday—B p.m., 9.20, 9.38, 9.54, recording's- 9.2, A Warburton, "Early Days on the Otago Goldfltelds"; 9.28 and 9.44, Frank Sutherland (baritone) and Sarah Stacpoole (soprano). Saturday—B p.m., 8.36, 9.20 and 9.57, the studio orchestra; 8.10 to 8.36 and 846 to 9.0, recordings; 9.2, talk by Old Wire Whiskers; 10.10 to 11.10, dance music. I FROM IYX. | Alternative musical programmes, from iYX daily from 7 to 10 p.m.