THAT S.O.S. MYSTERY

Evening Star, Issue 21724, 19 May 1934, Page 4

THAT S.O.S. MYSTERY

Everyone will have read of the alarrir that was caused by the playing of a certain record from 3YA recently, when storm effects and the S.O.S. signal were introduced very realistically. Mr J. M'Kenzie, director of 3YA, made the following refnarks to a reporter:— “ That shows the necessity for trying out records before they are put over the air. This is the first occasion on which 1 have known of such effects being introduced, except as a background or accompaniment to a song. “It is quite possible for listeners to be deceived by certain effects, especially if they have 'not listened attentively to the context. Anyone reading during a song may suddenly become alarmed when other effects burst in on them.” An instance of this was given by Mr M'Kenzie. Ho said that some time ago a scene from a play had been put over the air, by means of a gramophone record, in ’Wellington. In the play a round or two of a wrestling match had been given, and that was * followed by a court case concerning the death of ono of the wrestlers, who had been killed in the bout. .ne Wellington listener whose interest had apparently flagged after the bout sat bolt upright when the voice of a doctor in the play was heard to exclaim; “Heavens! He’s dead!”* The listener, added Mr M'Kenzie, spent most of the following morning in going round Wellington inquiring the name of the man who had been killed in a wrestling bout in that city the night before.