BROADCASTING

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 112, 5 February 1926, Page 10

BROADCASTING

WELLINGTON MANAGER APPOINTED ORGAN RECITALS TO BE TRANSMITTED While all other civilised countries are enjoying up-to-date broadcasting New Zealand has lagged badly. Therefore there was widespread disappointment when it was announced recently that the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand bad been granted a further extension of time till June in which to erect the first two up-to-date stations in the Dominion.

Mr. W. Goodfellow, a director of the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand, Limited, in an official statement, says:—

•‘The majority of radio listeners are no doubt anxious to hear something of tlie progress that has been made in regard to the erection of the new broadcast stations .at Auckland and Christchurch undertaken by this company as an outcome of the Dominion scheme formulated by the PostmasterGeneral. . . . Preliminary investigations at once showed that the best interest of this country would be served by the purchase of complete Western Electric outfits. However, before that company could definitely undertake to supply, it was necessary for the London office to communicate with the Australian office, and also await the arrival in London of the Australian managing-director, who was en route to head office at this particular time. The interim was occupied by the interchange of necessarv technical details, all of which was carried out by cable. As an outcome of our efforts we have now received definite advice from the. manufacturers that every effort is being made to ship the plant for arrival in June, the two transmitting plants for the new stations at Auckland and Christchurch. • • • Dunedin and Wellington Stations. “In regard to Dunedin station, we have received many reports to the effect that the transmissions are being received very satisfactorily all oyer New Zealand, particularly since we installed a new amplifier early in January last. Summertime is a particularly bad time for broadcast purposes, but with the winter coming on even better results mav be anticipated. “The Wellington station was opened bv this company at the latter end of December last, and although the programmes have been more or less of a mechanical nature, due to the difficulty of arranging for artists over the holiday period, the reports have been invariably very good. “The present stations are, of course, only of a temporary nature, and with the exception of Dunedin we do not claim that the existing apparatus is the most suitable for obtaining maximum results. A few months more will see the inauguration of first-class services at Auckland and Christchurch. Meanwhile the improvements already effected have met with the general approval of listeners, aijcl resulted in a stream of encouraging good wishes, which we feel is distinctly gratifying.” Wellington Manager Appointed. Out of thirty-six applicants, Mr. H. A. Smelling has been appointed man-ager-organiser for the Wellington broadcast station 2YK, and is already carrying on the work. The general manager of the broadcasting company states: “It will be remembered tha’t this station only resumed operating about Christmas under the auspices of the Radio Broadcasting Company. Listeners’ reports on the transmissions are everything that can be desired, except for short fades due to outside influences. A land line has been laid to the Town Hall, from which it is intended to broadcast organ recitals on alternate Sunday evenings, as soon as the portable amplifier is received, probably during the next week or ten days. The new studio in Dominion Farmers’ Institute buildings is now draped-find furnished. But for the fact that the company were not able to work ■on it in the daytime, it would have been completed sooner. Special attention will now be paid to the programmes, and arrangements are being made for bi-weekly lecturettes of an instructive nature.”