OVER THE AERIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 28, 3 February 1939, Page 14

OVER THE AERIAL.

RADIO NOTES. FIIOM FAR AND NEAR. '• (By.TtJXK-IN'.). The former .^Auckland' sopVano, • (Alma McGrue'iy;* will give another Empire broadcast' from .the. 8.8.C. at- 9.2;"> p.m. ('Xew Zealand . time), on ; February 0. This will consist- of . a recital of .songs ny Rachmaninoff, including "JTo>v .Fair This Spot." "The .Silent "Xiglit,". "Before Thy Window,"-"The Little Island" and "The Lilacs."' ' .

Four different -pronounciatiohs of Tapanui were heard last week—Tapanui, Top-anui. Tarp-anui and. Tup-anui. These were front YA' stations, lint what some commercial announcers can do to the Maori languagtY is past belief..

One of the things promised by the Minister : for Broadcasting is a shortwave station to tell the world how'tilings political and 'economic are done 1 in the Dominion. -Skip-distance will prevent such a transmitter from being . audible iu Xew Zealand, and it"-;will .need .mam moth power if it is .-to"be heard overseas above the liabel of shortwavers now crowding the suitable * channels 'on the short-wave bandl '

The X.B.S. «ot poor value for the money it paid for.the'right to rebroadcast the last two "talks" by Mr. H. Ci. Wells. Atmospheric conditions were

extremely bad for the third of the series, and the speaker's thin voicc was almost unintelligible. For the • final of the series, reception was somewhat better, but there was a good deal of strain in listening. Mr. Wells is less inspiring as a lecturer than as a writer, and if his talks from Australia had been given by most people they would not have excited much enthusiasm.

Members of YA orchestras are combining in an endeavour to obtain higher fees. The present rate is £2 per member for the weekly performance and rehearsal. The view of the X.B.S'. probably is that for a quarter of what it pays each musician it can play recordings of greatly superior combinations, hut for an organisation with an annual revenue of f.'100,000 fhe Xew Zealand •broadcasting authorities arc decidedly niggardly in many respects. The fees paid for some services which cannot be imported are scandalously meagre and it is a marvel that capable people arc willing to accept them. \

Three thousand six liuiulred persons were fined in Australia la**t year for ope'ratlnjr unlicemsed receivers. * Considerinf? that the number of registration* exceeds a' million the percentage of pirate* does not look liigli; but it is suspected that only a fraction of tliem are detected. The Department lias issued a threat that if the present extensive contempt of the law continues it will have to consider enforcing- the confiscal ion power invested in it. A -bigproportion of sets is subject to hire purchase agreements, and it is considered that dealers would* take care that such machines were covered by a license if the.drastic provisions of the Act were enforced. I

Mr. H. CI. Hill, formerly conductor of a brass .band in Ohristeliurch. and now. holding a similar position at Maitland: (Xew South Wales) is credited with the statement that with careful selection and coaching "local talent can make recordings quite up to overseas standard." One would he inclined to doubt that Mr. Hill made any such statement were it not. backed up by the assertion tliat "the Maitland Municipal Band, of which Mr. Hill is conductor, made a scries of recordings which -vvere played over the air without announcement. Certain people were asked to name the band, and all picked the Grenadier Guards!"

For years the British Broadcasting Corporation' and the British Government took no stops to combat -broadcast propaganda. The unrest 111 Palestine led to special Arabian programmes on the short-wave, but these were regarded a* additional to the ordinary activities, of the corporation, devised to meet a special position, and were not a part of a general policy. Lately, however, the corporation has amended all its programmes to provide for news bulletins in foreign languages for reception in Europe. These are put on the air over a variety of wave lengths ranging from 1;100 metres to 2.1 metres, 12 distinct transmitters ibeing employed daily. These European broadcasts give, the news in French, German and Italian. There is also another special service for- Britons abroad in Europe, news bulletins being provided four times daily. FROM IYA NEXT WEEK. Sunday.—o a.m., selected recordings; 11 a.m., relay from St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church; I p.m., dinner music; 2 to 4.30 p.m., selected recordings; 6 p.m., children's song service; 7 p.m., Anglican service lrom St. Mary's Cathedral; 8.30 p.m., concert programme, featuring 8.8.C. Wireless Military Hand and Band or Grenadier'.'Guards; 0.5 p.m., "Diary for 193<i." Monday.—S . to 9.30 , p.m., recorded serials; 9.20 to M) p.mV, .'concert programme, featuring studio orchestra, George Grcenaway, Gretl Vernon; 9.10 p.m., rebroadcast from London. of message frpm High Commissioner. . Tuesday.—-7.30 p.m., talk for farmer's on "Subterranean Clover"; 7.-to p.m., talk by member of Young Farmers' Club; S p.m., orchestral music; 5.5 to S.IO p.m., recorded features; 9.5, talk on world a trail's by Mr. L. K. Munro; 9.20 to 11 p.m., dance music. \ ;\ At intervals from 11:10 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday there will 'lie running commentary on the Pluuket Shield match between Auckland add Wellington. Wednesday.—S p.m., concert programme, featuring Loner String Quartet, Keith Falkner (baritone)., Ina Jiosworth (violin), Klisabeth Schumann (soprano), "Coronets of Kngland" (serial), (Wand Symphony Orchestra, Clem Williams (baritone), Albert Sandler Trio and llcyn's Gesangs Guitnrrlstcn; .10 p.m., music, mirth and melody. Thursday.—B to 9 p.m., dramatised featnrette "Westwood lio!" Win and Wiiulle, Milan Symphony Orchestra, Herbert Krnest Groh (tenor), "Fourth Form at St. Percy's"; 9.5 p.m., talk, "The Cradle or IS'ew Zealand"; 9.20 to 9.52, studio concert by the band or the Ist Battalion or the Auckland Hegiment, also "Dad and Dave," and Peter Dawson (bass-baritone); 10 to it p.m., dance music. Friday.—Sports talk; 8 p.m., reading from the classics; orchestral programme; 10 p.m., music, mirth and melody. ' Saturday.—From 11.30 a.m., rnnning commentary on the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting at Alexandra Park; S to 9 p.m., selected recordings; 9.5 to 9.52 p.m., ! variety concert; 10.10 to 11.15 plm., dance ! music.