RADIO TALKS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21715, 24 February 1936, Page 9

RADIO TALKS

TO THE KMTOB OF THK PBISS. Sir-I quite appreciate the remarks made by "Observer" in Saturday.B issue of "The Press" on my letter to you dated February 15- To make it suresi have gone through three weeks programmes, but couldn't find a talk on "Watt," which I am sure none oi up would have missed. We can quite realise the difficulty the New Broadcasting Board finds ui pleasing the majority of listeners-m. One tmng is certain regarding radio talKs. ine subject must be of general interest, 11 mustn't take too long, say, aboutjw minutes; the delivery mustn t be tast, the speaker should infuse into mstaiK humour and facts relevant to ject, and we are sure to look forward to them. We do appreciate good taiKs weli delivered, and we say so. I can mention here a few very interesting talks we had last week, well delivered and in good English, which is imperative to all speakers, ivijss Ethel Jacobsen, M.A., gave us an excellent exposition of a good, interesting subject. Her delivery was tauitless; her listeners were in rapt attention. Mr D. J. Sidey, B.Agr.Sc. spoke well and interestingly, though the subject was hardly of individual interest. On Friday we heard Mr Allan Curnow who aroused our interest, though his subject was rather obscure. He spoKe succinctly and with a pleasant, audible delivery. We find lady speakers with contralto voices speak admirably; men voices seem to carry the sound over the radio exceedingly better than those with soprano or high-pitched voices. All radio speakers, including the announcers, should avoid rapidity in speech, and should be endowed with baritone voices, or, at least, avoid highpitched sounds. There are a good many speakers who seem to swallow some syllables or connect one word with another wrongly, so that we miss the context, thus losing the interest in the talk altogether. 1 must express our appreciation to some Chrislchurch announcers, who are rthlly an example of pronunciation, clarity, good English, and splendii celivery, which is not the case with announcers in Australia. Before I close, let me say that what I stated is all in good faith and should be more as advice than critic cism or complaint.—Yours, etc., E. D. BERNSTEIN. February 22, 1936.