THE NEW 3YA

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 144, 15 December 1933, Page 10

THE NEW 3YA

OFFICIAL OPENING

BROADCASTING BOARD'S PLANS

NEW PROGRAMME SYSTEM

The Broadcasting Board's new Christchurch station, 3YA, was officially opened last evening and broadcast its first regular programme. Wellington listeners who had •heard the station during its testing period were already familiar with its power and fine tone, and these characteristics were fully displayed in the first full-dress broadcast. The official opening speech was delivered by the Mayor of Christchurch, Mr. D; G. Sullivan, M.P., who spoke (by telephone) from Parliament. He gave some interesting particulars about the new station, especially regarding the impressive 300 ft steel towers which have become a feature of the Port Hills landscape. • Mr. Sullivan was followed by the Hon. A. Hamilton, PostmasterTGeneral, who also spoke from Wellington. He commented upon the marvel of electrical transmission by which his voice, sent from his office by wire to Christchurch, was broadcast there and reproduced,in the adjacent room at the same instant. Broadcasting was now so important a factor in national and social life that it was impossible to visualise what the effect would be' if it suddenly ceased. Mr. Hamilton refer.red to the great increase in the number of licensed listeners: 3000 in 1926, 71,000 at the end of 1931 when the Broadcasting Board took over the service, and approximately 110,000 now. He concluded by wishing his hearers a Merry Xrnas and a bright and prosperous ,New Year. Mr. J: H. Owen, chairman of the advisory council, which consists of five North Island and three South Island representatives, spoke briefly, pointing out that the council afforded the listeners a means of direct representation. He expressed the opinion that the board had a prospect of developing a service second'to none in the world. THE BOARD'S INTENTIONS. Mr. H.-D. Vickery, chairman of the Broadcasting Board, after referring to the setting up of the. Coverage Commission and its recommendations regarding the establishment of more powerful stations in Christchurch and Auckland, said that the board had decided to proceed first with Christchurch, and the new station had cost £22,000"f0r land, buildings, and plant! The contractors for the transmitting equipment were Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., and for the buildings Messrs. C. Graham and Son. Auckland would next receive attention, and tenders for the plant would close next month. The new, transmitting station would be located about twelve- miles north of the city. The present studio premises were entirely unsuitable, and tenders for new premises would be called for shortly. The board, Mr. Vickery said, had no capital fund to draw upon for new construction, and had to rely upon accumulated revenue for this work. In addition, it was giving financial assistance to eight privately-owned stations, costing about £4500 ' per annum. The changes in wave-length lately put into operation, Mr. Viekery said, were not made capriciously, but were decided upon as the result of careful design and in co-operation with the Australian authorities. One object had been to assure as high "field strength" as possible, so as to extend the coverage of the stations over as wide an area as possible. ! Auxiliary services had already been established at Wellington and Auckland; next month Christchurch would be similarly served, and later Dunedin. This would mean that each centre would have two programmes to choose from, and the new 3YA would, in most places, provide a third. A new scheme of programmeconstruction would be instituted, Mr. Viekery said, ear]y in January. This would provide for a different type of programme from each main station every night, and a programme of alternative character from each subsidiary station. Hitherto the board had endeavoured to satisfy a wide variety of tastes from each station, but this it was impossible to do, and the ,new system would give a long-desired opportunity to the programme staff to endeavour to meet the tastes of the listeners more effectively^ He remarked that while correspondence in the newspapers represented mainly those who found fault, nine-tenths of the correspondence received by the board was complimentary. The board, however, did not take this as meaning that it should feel satisfied with what it was doing., "