Radio Notes

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LII, Issue 8475, 21 December 1923, Page 4

Radio Notes

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An exhibition of Radio appliances was held at Wanganui recently under the auspices of the local Amateur Radio Club and wa s a marked success. Transmission and reception were demonstrated and explained, and home-made sets exhibited. This is a movement that needs fostering, since it gets the general public into direct contact with radio enthusiasts and tends to break down the air of mystery that attaches to wireless. _ By permission of Fullers, Ltd., the Linn-Smith Royal Jazz Band gave selections per radio at the rooms cf the Wellington Broadcasters, Ltd. Mr Linn-Smith at the piano, Paul Teacle at the saxophone, and Dave Meredith as trombonist gave a good entertainment and the evening was concluded by introducing the execut ants per radio to their 1 invisible audience. No finality has yet bear reached in regard to the Broadcasting situation, 0 and the meeting of the trade members held recently in Wellington has not resulted in any concerted policy bein gdecided upon. It would seem that unless there is no unanimity in the trade that the Government will' have to move on their own account It was expected that the Prime Minister’s return from the Conference would see some important trade development, but the political situation in the Old Country makes any immediate move problematical.

The Farmers’ Broadcasting Service (Sydney) started on the sth of the month and ran a test week, giving vocal and instrumental items in a wave length of 1100 metres, using only Ik.w., with only one-half of their aerial system operating. The cede call is 2FC. The items are transmitted from the studio in Pitt Street, amplified and carried by land line to the big station at Willoughby, on the north side of the harbour, whence they are broadcasted. Fanners ask for reports from listeners-in and will be glad to hear from any on this side of the Tasman. ..

An amusing incident is reported from IYB. A leading musician had given an item, and asked afterwards > in regard to his experience, said it was a new sensation for him to get an encore- from Suva. It appears that a broadcatcher in Fiji phoned the station there and got them to radio to the Auckland Government station, which in turn rang up IYB and expressed; the Fijians wishes for a repetition of the item. The Chairman of the Associated Radio Manufacturers of America lias been addressing the British Broadcasting Co., and some of Iris remarks are worthy of record. He explained that! broadcasting entertainment items have greatly helped the gramophone companies in the sale of records, nor has it interfered with the audiences attending the theatres and music halls. He also contended 'that, far from being in its decay, broadcasting in America was on the increase. Any movement with a popular appeal was broadcasted, but political propaganda was prohibited and advertising only allowed to be shot from a station specially licensed for that purpose, and then only for a limited

distance from the station in question. The average cost of receiving sets used in America was round about £ls. In conclusion, the visit or admitted that the 8.8. C. programmes were quite good with the reservation “considering the short time broadcasting has been popularized’’ in Great Britain. "■ Scotts “Wireless Handbook” is the name of a local publication issued from Dunedin, selling at one shilling. It is proposed to re-issue the hand-book every six mouths so that the information in it shall be kept up-to-date. Included in it are the Government regulations, N.Z. Aerial programmes, N.Z. Amateur station, Abbreviations, and other general information. Dominion Road, a shopping district of suburban Auckland, - has been running a local carnival to stimulate trade. Amongst the features was a free demonst’ation of the IYA programme. Over amplificar lion distorted the items and the feature was far from being a good advertisement for radio. However, a fine concert of the game sort was radioed from a loud speaker at a local dealers in Queen Street, Auckland, and it brought such crowds that the trader in question was mulcted in a fine for a breach of the civic by-lawa