KING'S JUBILEE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 12

KING'S JUBILEE

Arrangements For

Broadcasting

THREE-MINUTE SPEECH BY

HIS MAJESTY

An announcement has. been made by the British Broadcasting Corporation of its arrangements for broadcasting the celebrations of the silver jubilee of King George V. It is emphasised, however, that the plans are still in the preliminary stages, and full details must be reserved, for publication later. Outstanding programmes for transmission 1, which is specially designed for New Zealand and Australia, have been planned for each day, except one, between May 6 and May 11.

Or. Monday, May fi, at 7 a.m. (approximately), Q.M.T., there will be a talk by the Prince of Wales on the silver jubilee thankoffering fund. This will be an electrical recording. At 7.20 a.m. (approximately), G.M.T., a topical talk on the jubilee proceedings will be given by Mr Philip Thornton.

On Tuesday, May 7, 5.15 a.m., G.M.T., a special jubilee feature programme will be broadcast. This is at present being composed by Dr. Harold Temperley and Laurence Gilliam. This programme will consist of a review of the 25 years of the King's reign, with special reference to the various constitutional and social activities of his' Majesty during this period. It will conclude with messages of loyal greeting to the King, relayed direct from various parts of the Empire. Address by His Majesty The King will then address the people of the Empire from a room in Buckingham Palacei, the microphone installation being similar to that adopted for the Christmas Day broadcast from Sandringham. His Majesty will speak from a room on the ground floor overlooking the palace gardens, the control point being in a room adjoining. The microphone circuits will be connected through this control and the palace telephone switchboard to Broadcasting House. His Majesty is expected to speak for approximately three minutes. This also will be an electrical recording. At 5.15 a.m., G.M.T., on May 8, an electrical recording of the thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral, attended by their Majesties, the King and Queen on May 6, will be broadcast. In addition the route from Temple Bar to the cathedral will be wired to enable two commentators to describe the scene as well as for effects to be picked up from various places. Heretofore it has been customary during an outside broadcast to make the commentaries the main .feature, but a different method will be adopted on May 6.

A Sound Picture Descriptive detail will be reduced to the minimum, and the British Broadcasting Corporation will provide listeners with a sound picture supported by brief descriptions by eyewitnesses. The voices of London will be left as far as possible to speak for themselves. After the service, which will bo broadcast in its entirety, their Majesties' departure will be described from the gallery in the facade of the cathedral. The microphones will be so placed that, as the Royal- procession advances, the cheers of the spectators will be heard by listeners almost continuously from Aldwych to St. Paul's. Twenty-seven circuits in all will be used for the commentaries and service; one of the four outgoing main circuits in the gallery of the west facade of St. Paul's will be reserved exclusively for a foreign commentator. This will be an electrical recording. On Friday, May 10, at 7 a.m., G.M.T., his Majesty will be heard a' second time by listeners to transmission 1, when an electrical recording will be broadcast of the proceedings when his Majesty goes to Westminster Hall on May 9 to receive a loyal address from members of the Lords and Commons. On Saturday, May 11, at 6.15 a.m., G.M.T., there will be a speech by Mr Rudyard Kipling following the banquet of the Royal Society of St. George.

HOW IT IS DONE T> ,T :CORDS MADE OF SPEECHES Though the British Broadcasting Corporation announces that in its special King's jubilee programmes, messages of loyalty will be "relayed direct" from various parts of the Empire, this is apparently merely playful deception, for Christchurch radio listeners with short-wave sets heard some of these greetings being transmitted to London for recording last night. It is the recordings being made now that will be used for the "direct relay." The radio telephone station at Sydney was working direct with London, sending a message from Dr. Earle Page, Acting-Prime Minister of Australia. This message was itself recorded, for Dr. Page himself was 600 miles from Sydney, holding an election meeting. A fervently loyal message from "a man in the street" wai3 also sent to London and recorded. After the Australian messages had been satisfactorily preserved on steel tape or wax, London turned its attention to New Zealand. Presumably r.n expression of loyalty from the Hon. E. A. Hansom, Acting-Prime Minister of the Dominion, was to be "canned" for use on May 7, but a fault developed in the Wellington transmitting apparatus, which produced a noise more like an angry crowd at a wrestling match than a Ministerial greeting. No doubt the British Broadcasting Corporation, playing safe, Is recording ail its Empire messages in case conditions are bad on May 7. Apparently it is held that loyalty does not deteriorate with keeping.