MISTAKE IN THE TIME

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21466, 7 May 1935, Page 10

MISTAKE IN THE TIME

MANY LISTENERS MISS broadcast

TALK FROM LONDON ON JUBILEE SCENES

iiccause of a misunderstanding about the time it. was to be broadcast many New Zealand listeners missed Mr Philip Thornton's talk on the King's jubilee proceedings, which was to be rebroadcast by the New Zealand national stations last evening. Mr Thornton, speaking from a studio in London, gave his impressions of the early morning scenes in London on the day of the jubilee, which were broadcast from Daventry. According to information received by the New Zealand Broadcasting Board from the British Broadcasting Corporation, the talk was to begin at 6.50 p.m., New Zealand time, and was to last five minutes. This was published in the programme of station 3YA printed in "The Press" yesterday morning, and as late as 6 p.m. the talk v/as announced from 3YA to begin at 6.50 p.m. The programme for Davcntry published in "1 he Press yesterday gave the time as 6.30 Officials at 3YA, therefore, were in some doubt as to when the talk was actually to begih, and took the precaution of listening to the ventry programme some time before Mr Thornton was to start. As soon as Mr Thornton's talk began_ the dinner music programme was interrupted, in the middle of a record, and the talk was rebroadcast. It was then about 6.30 p.m., 20 minutes before listeners thought the talk was due to begin, so all those who were not listening to the dinner music but would have tuned in at 6.50 p.m. missed hearing the talk. It is believed that stations 2YA (Wellington) and IYA (Auckland) did not rebroadcast the talk at all, the officials believing that it was not due until 6.50 p.m. London Transformed The reception of Mr Thornton's talk by short-wave wireless sets in Christchurch was perfect. "It is one of the loveliest days we have ever had," he said. "London is a transformed city, and it is hard to recognise some o£ the streets because of the decorations. Bond street is a mass of freshly cut flowers of red, white, and blue. Even the buildings of Whitehall are for once gay with window boxes. "Last night, and for three or four nights before, the streets have been crowded with happy people, cheering and incidentally, blocking the traffic. I got up at 5 o'clock," said Mr Thornton, "and even then there were whole families on the route, including children of three or four, waiting to see the procession. Some of them must have been up all night. Everyone has to be in place by 9 o'clock, although the procession does not start from Buckingham Palace until 10.55 a.m." Mr Thornton then detailed the order of the procession to St. Paul's, arid clave the 1 route it would follow from the palace and on the return journey.