AIR RACE BROADCAST

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 92, 16 October 1934, Page 10

AIR RACE BROADCAST

BOARD'S ARRANGEMENTS

"Tho Broadcasting Board is arranging for a first-class service in connection with the Melbourne Centenary air race," said Mr. E. C. Hands, general manager of tho New Zealand Broadcasting Board, 5n an interview with a "Post" representative today. Mr. Hands returned from Australia yesterday afternoon by the Monowai. Cable and radio would be used for the service, ho said, and frequent broadcasts would be conducted throughout the day and up to a late hour at night. Everything possible would be dono to give progress reports of the race from the time the machines left Mildenhall until they reached Melbourne.

"I saw Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in Australia, and I found ho was a most disappointed man," said Mr. Hands, when referring to tho airman's withdrawal from Hie race.

Mr. Hands expressed amazement at the elaborate arrangements being made in connection with tho Centenary celebrations at Melbourne. Already, he said, the city looked very gay. In the main streets there were about five miles of coloured posts which would be used for the purpose of flood-light-ing. These had been specially erected for tho occasion, and each post cost about £7 10s. They were less than a chain apart, an<J one section he saw illuminated produced a wonderful effect. He could foresee great difficulty in. regard to accommodation. "The Melbourne Cup crowd severely taxes the accommodation, and when added to this there are the Centenary visitors ono can well realise what a problem it will be. T/hc Centenary Committee has tho matter in hand, and extra accommodation is being arranged," Mr. Hands remarked.

His visit was made in connection with equipment for the new studio and transmitting station for IYA, Auckland. Tne new station, he said, would have a, power of 10 kilowatts, and it was hoped to have it in operation before Christmas. The transmitter would he at Henderson and the studio building in Shortland Street.