RADIO TALKS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21714, 22 February 1936, Page 22

RADIO TALKS

TO THE EDITOR OT THE PRESS. Sir,—May I offer help to "Ariel" by answering the questions he asked on Saturday? I listen to broadcast talks and have enjoyed many a one. I discriminate, that is to say, I scan the programmes in "The Press" to see what is "on," and tune in to what I think will be worth hearing;,and if it proves to be not worth listening to, I tune into another talk. I listen :rbecause the title sounds interesting, and I also listen.to speakers I,have heard before and whom I consider will be worth

hearing again. If disappointed, I tune in to something else. . The delivery of the speaker counts, a good deal with me.' I have listened to many of Mona Tracy's accounts of the early history of New Zealand with great enjoyment, which was enhanced by her very pleasing voice and calm fluency. A few years ago I enjoyed some hair-raising yarns by Major-General Merlin, but I thought little of what I heard of his recent series about the Tsarist court. I often listen to Leicester Webb's "World Affairs" talks, and enjoy his slangy and chatty style, information, and views; but his pronunciation is—'nuff said, though not as bad as the intonation of another"world talker." The other two I have found boring. I have liked some of John Stanley's stories. The one the other night about Mackenzie and his dog was very good, and he told a thriller once about castaways who built a boat now to be seen in the Museum; His smooth voice is easy to listen to. but a trifle mournful.- The best Christchurch voice I ever heard was Keith Palmer's, whose narratives were always interesting. No person with a voice JeSs good than his should ever be engaged as an announcer. Before Christmas I enjoyed a fascinating talk about the Book of Job and some weeks ago one about schoolboys. The W.E.A. talks that used to be given between 7 and 8 o'clock a year or two ago were well worth hearing, and I particularly remember series by Messrs Sturrock and H. C. D. Somerset and Professor Sinclaire. "Ariel" has advocated a publication by the New Zealand Broadcasting I Board which would incliidfe notable | talks that had been given and advance programmes, and such should be issued. Frequently there are talks I would like to hear again, but if they could be perused on paper later it would be even better. ■> One thing the board might do about the evening talks, and that.is put them on one at a time instead of two. Hoping this will be of assistance to "Ariel" and that he is receiving many private letters.—Yours, etc.,/.,, VALVES. . February 19, 1236.

TO THE EDITOE OF TEE PEESS.

Sir,—Mr E. D. Bernstein, asks for radio talks on Scott, Dickens, Shakespeare, Thackeray, other famous literary men, and musicians, inventors, explorers, and religious leaders. Surely our national stations have already covered a good deal of this ground in their talks. There must have been talks on Shakespeare, Dickens and Scott, and Cook the explorer, to name only four, and there have been numbers of talks, some of them illustrated, on composers. This correspondent can recall a number of talks oh-the great writers. Mr Bernstein mentions Watt. A distinguished New Zealand civil engineer talked about Watt,at 2YA .on Saturday, February .15, the day .on which Mr Bernstein's letter, appeared. Mr. Bernstein must bear in mind, however, that not everybody likds such talks.- He says himself that often an apathetic member of a household will shut off a talk "even if it is interest-' ing." Here at any rate is something for which the broadcasting authorities cannot be blamed. They supply the entertainment; it is the listener who says whether he will have it or not. As for "Ariel," the most interesting feature of his article on talks is this, that he made a comparison between talks here and talks in England without making any allowance whatever for the immense governing fact that the supply of talent in England is fifty to a hundred times greater than it is here. "Ariel" cannot be ignorant of this fact. What then is his criticism worth?— Yours, etc., OBSERVER. February 20, 1936.