RADIO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 257, 14 July 1926, Page 5

RADIO NOTES

(By

"Aerial.”)

Following is tho schedule of the Wellington station, 2YK, for the ensuing week: — To-morrow.—7.3o p.m.: Miss Jean Turner's Banjo-Mandoline Orchestra and studio concert party, including Miss Jessie Shmitb, of 3LO, Melbourne. Relay of Manuel Hyman’s Exhibition Dance Band from the New Adelphi Cabaret. 10.30 p.m.: Close down. Friday: 2.45 p.m.: Studio items and relay of Manuel Hyman’s Exhibition Dance Band from the New Adelphi Cabaret. 4.45 p.m.: Close down. 7 p.m.: Children's hour. Aunt Jo and Uncles Ernest and Bert. 8 p.m.: Studio concert of Bristol’s latest rolls and records. 10.30 p.m.: Close down. Saturday.—B p.m.: Special dance night. Relay of Bird’s Columbians from the Kilbirnie Cabaret. 10.30 p.m. approximately: Close down.

Sunday.— 6.55 p.m.: Relay of evening service from the Terraco Congregational Church, conducted by the Rev. Ernest It. Weeks. 8.15 p.m.: Relay of Wellington Municipal Tramways Band concert from His Majesty’s Theatre. 9.45 p.m.: Close down.

Monday.—7.3o p.m.: Special Winter Show transmission. Studio items and a relay 10 p.m.: Close down. Tuesday.—7.3o p.m.: Studio items and relay from the Paramount Theatre of orchestra under the direction of Mr. J. J. Caulton. 8.10 0.m.: Studio concert by Mrs. E. F. Hollands and concert party. Thursday, July 22. —7.30 p.m.: Studio concert by Miss Gwen Wing and party and Miss Nora Burt and party. Relay from New Adelphi Cabaret of Manuel Hyman’s Dance Band. From last Wednesday night a fallingoff in the strength of some of the Australian stations as beard in Wellington has been noticeable. The Sydney station, 2BL, wont up on super-power on Monday of last week, but so far has been an utter disappointment to Wellington listeners. The strength of tho Australian stations ns heard in Wellington during tho past seven nights may be assessed as follows: —fOG. Brisbane. 1(1 points: 31,0. Melbourne. 8 points: 2BL. Sydney. 7 points; 2FC, Sydney, 6 points: SCE, Adelaide. 5 noin's. Tho recent evclonio disturbance in the north was associated with excessive static on Monday night. Tho 'Wellington station, 2YK, was hoard with innch belter tone on Sunday night, when the Port Nicholson Silver Band’s concert at (he Grand Opera House was broadcasted., Suburban residents, however, report marked fading, and relative weakness in transmission.

Radions should bo satisfied to make some sacrifice for the benefit of the overwhelming majority of the community. "Aerial” cannot agree tn a telegraphed suggestion from Palmerston North to enter an emphatic protest against tho Daylight Saving Bill, on the ground that if it becomes law the Australian stations wiU not commence thetr venine programmes till 16.30 p.m., New Zealand time, during the summer, instead of at 9.30 p.m., ns at procent. "Daylight snv'ne” is a thoroughly praiseworthy scheme for tho benefit of nil sections of fbe community. More sunlight is wanted for the human race, .and tho majority of every community spend tho most of their time indoors.

The Auckland "Star” reports ‘There N ample evidence of activity at the location of Auckland’s new station. All the materia! for the masts is on the road. In fact. Ihe derrick rigged for the lifting of this gear has been taken by some as part of one of those masts. Special girders, bolted to the main stool beams of the concrete roof, arc now in position, and will form part of <he base of each tower. The transmitting plant is also on the snot, and is being housed. The new Christchurch station, which will bo completed two or three weeks after the Auckland ons. is being erected on a site at the rear of the municipal offices in Manchester Street.” Tho schedule for station 4YA, Dunedin, for the ensuing week, is as fol-lows:—To-night. studio concert by the 'fiussOlburgh Presbyterian Choir; Friday.' students’ cappin'- concert, relayed from His Majesty’s Theatre; Saturday, studio concert bv the Returned Soldiers Choir: Sunday, service from hirst Church, and Hanover Street Choir: Monday. studio concert, and Eninire Theatre Orchestra; Tuesday, gramophone recital, the operas. "Carmen” and "Thais.” What may be regarded as the only logical outcome of the recent difficulty over the duties and powers of honorary deputy radio insiiectors. Ims taken the form of a letter sent by the secretary nf the G.P.O. to each of the honorary inspectors, in which be states "I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you. that it has been decided to cease employing members of ratliq societies as honorary deputy radio inspectors." The secretary of the G.P.O. concludes "T am very glad indeed to take this opportunity of expressing my (hanks and appreciation for the assistance given during your term of appointment.” The position.' in the first place, was of necessity a distasteful one. The honorary inspectors were required Io act ns

"policemen" by the Department in order to detect listeners who had not taken out licenses. The honorary inspectors, however, were led to believe by the officer of the Department to whom they were responsible that they possessed full official status, and in view of this the appointees conceived a means of endeavouring to reduce interference occasioned by the use of prohibited circuits and mishandling or receiving sets, which would be of far more service to the general body of listeners than merely acting as policemen to round up “poachers.” The secretary of the G.P.O. subsequently published a statement which virtually countermanded tho ruling of one of his officers, and he made it quite clear that the. honorary inspectors had not full official authority. This prompted tho honorary inspectors to review the situation, and the writer is in a position to state that they had finally decided to tender their resignations to the Department, before the above-mentioned letter of the secretary of the G.P.O. had been received by them. The Minister has taken the correct step, for honorary radio inspectors without official standing are of little service to the great body of listeners. "Duped" (Kelburn) writes: "There can be no denying the fact that the broadcasting by the New Zealand stations is utterly wretched, both in tone and strength, and after paying the Government 30s. for' the privilege of listening to this torture I find that I must look to Australian broadcasting for my entertainment. But I am not permitted to enjoy even the trans-Tasman entertainment without frequent and, I venture to say, unnecessary ‘interference from the Government morse code station, VLW, on the Tinakori Hill. Take last Saturday night,' or, rather, early Sunday morning as an example. Shortly after midnight ■when I and several of lily friends were listening to most interesting news items from 2BL, Sydney, the ‘man on the hill’ called a steamer no fewer than seventeen times without a second’s interval. Tf tho ship’s operator could not hear the call after it. had been repeated twice or throe times it is not at all likely he would pick, it up at all. The listeners have long since come ro regard the P. and T. Department as more concerned in the raking-in of license fees than in the welfare of broad-, cast listeners, but under the new regime n better state of affairs was anticipated. I may assure you (hat my receiving set is ultra-selective, but is not proof against 'interfereore’ from that weird alfnlir ‘on the hill.’ I might mention also we had QTC ("Have you anything (o transmit?”) ad nauseam from that delectable outfit, VLW, on Saturday night- and early Sunday morning. We all know that traffic must be carried on, but this continuous calling could be reduced, and the equipment of VLW needs attention in order to eliminate much of the ‘interference’ it causes.” The secretary of the G.P.O. has issued a circular to listeners, headed "Interference to Broadcast Reception caused by Radiating Receivers,” which must, be taken as a warning to users of prohibited circuits, to those improperly tuning circuits employing reaction, and to users of circuits of* the superheterodyne tvpe with other than a loop aerial. The circular states ‘"The Departments iadio inspectors, as well as officials of radio societies, will gladlv ' give advice on these subjects. Those failing to seek such advice, and continuing to offend against the Department's regulations and tho canons of good taste in radio telephone reception, will render themselves liable to the prescribed penalties, which, in the interests of successful broadcasting In New Zealand, must shortly bo enforced.” The circular explains “The causes of this unlawful radiation are usually found to be duo to straining after weak signals outside the range of the receiving apparatus employed. in spite of the fact that pure reception of such signals cannot he cbtainerl while the set is being forced, in this manner.” It is three years since New Zealanders were promised an up-to-day broadcasting service by the then Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coates), and owrers of one or two-valve sets are still compelled to strain their tuning in order to hear broadcasting from New Zealand stations, other than the local one. During the past week the New Zealand broadcast stations have provided many programmes, but the transm.ssion on the whole lias not been satisfactory. The Wellington station, 2YK, has been weak, and (he tone has been far from pleasing There is a rushing sound in the transmission of 2YK which is being freely commented upon by city listeners. General dissatisfaction is expressed at the failure of the P. and T. Department to see that good transmission. is given to the hundreds who are paying their 30s. license fees. .New Zealand is now well behind every , other portion of the Empire. Australia has almost 130,000 licensed listeners. The Dominion., on the same basis in regard to population, should have almost 26.000 licensed listeners. whereas they total only about 3000. There is no cloaking the fact that broadcasting has been permitted to drift shamefully in Now Zealand.