RADIO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 94, 15 January 1936, Page 6

RADIO NOTES

Featured Items In Programmes

PROGRESS OF STATION AT TITAHI BAY

(By

Ether.)

Beatrice Pugh, the Australian soprano, is to give a recital from 2YA on Sunday evening, January 19. Accompanied by the piano, she will sing among other items, “La Cloche” “Who is .Sylvia,” and “Rose ■Softly Blooming.” The latter part of the iprogramnie from the same station consists of presentations from Beethoven interpreted by Jascha Spivakovsky. On Monday, January 20, New Zealanders will be able to hear a New Zealand soprano if they tune to IYA at 9.43 pan. At that time Hinemoa Rosieur will be singing old English sougw, including “My Lovely Celia.” Slation 4YA is Staging, a thriller the same evening entitled “The Case of the Missing Agent,” The Dunedin station on "Wednesday, January 22, includes in the evening a programme of stars in famous flongs. The item begins at 9.14, and continues for three-quarters of an hour. The Royal Choral Society is to present “Hiawatha” from 2YA on Thursday evening, January 23. This recorded version, conducted by. Dr. Malcolm Sargent, includes such wellknown experts as "Walter Glynne and Elsie Suddaby. Enthusiastic followers of the poet Burns should make a special note of Burns’s anniversary on January 23. A Scottish concert Ims been arranged at 3YA in honour of the event. The Scottish Society’s Pipe Band will be included in the programme, as well as many other artists expert in Scottish music and wit. Listen to the Clarsach. The radio authorities have engaged Miss Russell-Ferguson to sing Scottish folk songs to New Zealanders from all the main transmitting stations. Miss Russell-Ferguson brings ‘something unusual into her folk songs, in that she accompanies them herself on the Scottish harp, the clarsach. She arrives in a few days direct from England, and will be heard on her clarsach singing songs of Scotland from 2YA 'before the end of the month. Titahi Bay. There is as yet. nothing spectacular to be seen at the Broadcasting Board’s new site at Titahi Bay. Work, however, is steadily going ahead. At the moment constructional work is being undertaken in the formation of a new road juet under a quarter of a mile long. It is hoped to have this road completed in a few weeks. That done, tenders will immediately be called for the buildings themselves. These buildings consist of the transmitter house, two cottages for the staff of four, and a garage. The mast is already under construction in Australia, and will be shipped over in sections. Before the end of this year there is every hope that the new station, the most powerful in the Antipodes, will be transmitting programmer. Television Costs. That the 8.8. U. give both the Baird and iE.JI.I. systems a good innings can be judged from the fact that the apparatus is being bought outright. 'The old 30-line gear at Broadcasting- House was rented. If the llllswater Committee should recomanother £750,01)0 grant Io the 8.8. C. out of the ticeure funds, this would .not be 100 much to operate the television service until the end of the year. Expenses in the initial stages arc proving to be enormous; people at the Alexandra Palace are beginning to wonder whether the Television Committee in recommending the £lBO,OOO grant., was looking through the wrong end of the telescope. Merit Awards. Annual wards for outstanding radio work—similar to the Pulitzer literary prizes'—are being devised by America's broadcasting and radio manufacturing organisations. 'The plan is to make awards for outstanding public service. There would, for example, be an annual award to the broadeasting station performing the greatest single service to its community, such a« by the radiation of relief information during a hurricane or flood. The most meritorious series of programmes might be duly recognised with individual awards to the outstanding announcer and programme producer. In the technical realm awards might be conferred for the greatest single engineering feat such as a stunt broadcast from plane or submarine, or for an emergency “book up” Io describe a lire, explosion, plane crash or other catastrophe. A station or engineer making an outstanding scientific contribution Io radio would also be rewarded. Additional interest is lent tn the scheme by I lie fact that ear’ll prizes as well as medals are under consideration. The Radio Manufacturers' Association of America has intimated that it will contribute from 25.000 to 30.000 dollars toward the foundation.