OVER THE AERIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 128, 1 June 1934, Page 14

OVER THE AERIAL.

RADIO NOTES.

FROM FAR AND NEAR. (By PHONOS.) For the information of the many followers of wrestling over the air, it may be mentioned that the board's officials who describe these contests in the four centres are: IYA, Gordon Hutte-. 2YA, Captain J. A. Duffy; 3YA, N. S. Batchelor; and 4YA, R. McKenzie.

According to Mr. Vickery, the new IYA will be on the air before the end of the year. If all contractors are up to time, the station should have passed the testing stage and be well into its stride in November, but at the present juncture the chairman is wise in keeping to a conservative time estimate.

Local officials at IYA deserve thanks of listeners for the promptitude with which they arranged the special broadcast of items by the Clem Dawe Company on Tuesday evening, it was very refreshing to have real flesh and blood numbers from talented professional performers. Such opportunities, unfortunately, seldom occur, but how welcome this latest one was may be judged , from the favourable comment upon it heard from many quarters. On behalf of them "Thank you, IYA."

It is assured that the cricket Tests will stimulate short-wave listening in New Zealand. There is no simple means of obtaining accurately the number of short-wave sets operating in both islands, but the writer referred the question to people in close touch with the radio" trade, and their estimate places the total short-wave sets, converters and adapters at a minimum of 15,000. The figures are surprising, but they seem to indicate the marked effect that Daventry and other important overseas stations are having upon our listeners. Now that Te6t cricket on the air is a prospect, dealers are receiving increased inquiries regarding sets capable of bringing in Daventry. What must the demand be like in Australia?

I Australian stations will extend themselves over tho broadcasting of ■ the Test games in England. The Australian Broadcasting Commission promises its listeners the most complete and accurate service ever given in connection with a sporting event. It has dispatched to England the New South Wales batsman, Wendell Bill, who is to supply a ball-by-ball story of the Tests. When possible, which will be only for a part of the play, short-wavo messages will be transmitted direct from the cricket grounds to Melbourne. At intervals the beam telephonic service will be taken advantage of when necessary. At the Australian end, M. A. Noble, Clem Hill, C. E. Pellew, A. Beckett, ex-Australian Eleven men, and well-known eports commentators like Mel Morris, C. A. Moses, and Norman McCance will build up a Test story, and a special cricket statistician will deal with Test figures. During the early part of the night, when shortwave will not bo possible, a "synthetic" description will be broadcast. From the Australian studio an attempt to provide a Test atmosphere will be made, with "applause" from the crowd—in the studio—and other "effects." The B chains are making similar arrangements, one combination being "sponsored" up to £20,000 by four big advertisers. 3DB (Melbourne), 2UW (Sydney), and 4BC (Brisbane) will have- Vic. Richardson at 3DB, with Eric Welsh and other sports experts, and well-known entertainers to fill in the gaps. The combinations headed by 2UE and 2GB will do their part, and with such keen competition listeners can expect good service.

In New Zealand stumps scores, and possibly some details, will be broadcast by the YA stations during the breakfast sessions, roughly about two houre after the close of the day's play in England. Those who possess shorfr-wave sets will have the additional advantage of hearing with early breakfast a r3eume of each day's play sent out from Daventry, which will supply a commentary at 20.00 Greenwich mean time. This corresponds to 7.30 a.m. in New Zealand. , ,

Canada has recently jumped to the forefront of radio countries. There are now 1,100,000 receiving sets in operation in the big Dominion—roughly about one to every nine of the population. This completely eclipses the progress made in Australia and New Zealand, but it has to be remembered that besides its own service, much of. Canada's most thickly -populated areas have access to regular programmes from . both U.S.A. and Britain.

The rebroadcaet of the Sydney welcome to Mise Batten was well received locally, thanks to the good behaviour of the radio telephone service across the Tasman and the Auckland-Wellington land line. It was notable, too, that with IYA out of the way as a background, the Auckland lady's touching little speech could be picked up well from 2FC direct. The 2YA rebroadcaet sounded clearer than the local transmission, but wait till we get our new station.

In his speech at the opening of the Wellington Radio Exhibition last week Mr. H. D. Vickery, chairman of the Broadcasting Board, mentioned two items that are of more than passing moment. Both have reference to future programmes. One is that the board hopes soon to make arrangements for broadcasting Gilbert and Sullivan operas; at present there is a definite ban on the use of both words and music over the air, though instrumental selections are permitted. Further, there is the declaration that another instalment of the 8.8.C. recorded programmes is due this month. * This will be glad tidings for those who found much to enjoy in the first series.

A listener of the youngar sot voiced his complaint to "Phonos" this week. "Can't the Broadcasting Board be stirred up," he queried, "to cater decently for the young people fond of dancing in private homes? It hae two stations in each centre. Surely it could afford to allot to one of them the service of providing dance music on at least one night per week, for a period from 8 to 12. At present we get dance music or so-called dance music in small pieces, and usually commencing far too late. If the board gave us a whole evening of it, there would be a hearty vote of thanks from , hundreds of young men and women." The writer hae already stressed the desire for a weekly or biweekly dance programme for a whole session. Some of the B stations realise the value of this, and are winning increased popularity by their catering for those who follow a world-wide pastime.

The action of the Wellington Rugby Union in withholding permission for continued 'Rugby broadcasts if they are to be interrupted for descriptions of horseracing has brought a prompt change of procedure by the board. It has decided to preserve the continuity of the football descriptions, and to give racing resuUs from the alternative plant in Wellington. Presumably the same proceduro will bo followed in the other centres. The step will be welcome to football enthusiasts in the country districts, but what about the widespread anxiety over race results? Will the public in general and certain persons with direct financial interest be satisfied with the small voice? So far as IYA is concerned, there has been as yet no official intimation in the programmes of any change from the custom followed in the past, but if headquarters decides to keep step here with the Wellington i change, listeners will be fully advised over tho air.

FROIYI IYA NEXT WEEK. Sunday. 11.0 a.m., morning , service, from Epsom Methodist Church: 3.30 p.m., recorded talk by Sir Oliver Lodjre; 7.0, service from St. Mary's Cathedral; 8.30, band concert from Town Hall, vocalist Nancyo Hannah. Monday, 11.30 a.m., racinsr relay from Ellcrslie; 8.0 p.m. (to IZH), theme programme, "Hither and Thither"; 9.20, FranK Parsons (violin recital); 10.0, old and new favourites in records. Tuesday, 8.0 p.m., recorded programme; 9.2, D'Arcy Cresswell, "Modern Poetry"; 9.42, new releases. Wednesday, 11.30 a.m., relay from Ellerslie; 8.0 p.m., chamber music; 8.36, Haydn Murray and Eric Waters; 9.2, Albert Bryant, "Music in Other Lands"; 9.30, dance music. Thursday, 8.0 p.m. (to IZH), 8.8.C. recording, repeat performance of "Postman's Knock"; 9.2, talk by member of the 8.M.A.; 9.28, Irene Alnsley (contralto); 10.0, music, mirth .and melody. Friday, 8.0 p.m. (to IZH), the orchestra; 9.2, illustrated musical talk, Walter Impett and Lili Welsh; 9.20, R. D. Lebeau (baritone). Saturday, 8.0 p.m., recorded variety programme and vocal items by F. Baker (baritone); 9.2, H. J. Gillmore, "Aspects or Life in Ceylon"; 9.30, "We Await Your Verdict"; 10.0, sports results; 10.10, dance music.