BROADCASTING RECORD

Evening Star, Issue 22773, 7 October 1937, Page 18

BROADCASTING RECORD

ACHIEVEMENT OF 4ZD FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED Fifteen years of continuous broadcasting—a record for New Zealand—stand to the credit of the Otago Radio Association,, owners of station 4ZD. To celebrate the attainment of the association’s fifteenth birthday officials and friends gathered in the studio _ last night, when several speakers wished the association continued success in its activities, and a special birthday proframme was presented, the whole being roadcast for the benefit of listeners. POPULAR PROGRAMMES. W© enter our sixteenth year of broadcasting with feelings of gratitude to our members and supporters for the help which has enabled us to stem the tides of the past 15 years,” said the president (Mr R. Bruce). “ Our experiences have been many and varied, hut through all we have maintained th© amateur status,- of which w© feel proud. We are out as amateurs to improve our knowledge of radio broadcasting and to give the listening public the benefit of our experiments.” The association had introduced many new ideas in the presentation of programmes, in. methods of announcing current world topics, biographical sketches, feature and theme programmes, and last but not least a popular type of listeners’ hour. The children’s hour was still as popular as ever with the young people. There were over 100 performers on the Smile Family roll, and as an entertainment presented by children for children there was little to be desired when the limited time allowed for rehearsal was taken into consideration.. He expressed thanks to the parents for allowing the children to participate in the sessions.. To the staff, and especially th© chief annpuncer, thanks were due for their ’.work. The announcer spent many hours each week writing and arranging his programmes, themes, plays, news budgets, detective and other special features. The association had had the pleasure of presenting the Green Island Band this year, and it was hoped to broadcast this combination again after the next contest.' To th© University debaters, the Civic and Labour Party’s Debating Clubs, and the elocutionists who had contributed to the radio players sincere, thanks were offered. PERIOD OF USEFULNESS. “I am happy to be present at the, fifteenth, birthday of this station, the, oldest B, ''stJtfiqn; in the Dominion, *and to tender my congratulations, to its promoters; oil its long and successful period of usefulness,” said 'the mayor (the Rev." E.. T. Cox). ‘.‘(Radio has developed beyond all expectation, both as to the pleasure of its reception and in the number of its listeners. It has thus "become a great pleasure ground to the' people, giving them the typo of interest, they most desire, with the multiplicity of stations they can tune in to in any part of the world and select programmes that appeal. In this, city, we have the advantage of tuning in to 4ZD three times weekly, the pioneer broadcasting station of New Zealand, and we are often thrilled by its programmes, and, at least, we are never disappointed.” OTHER SPEAKERS. Mr (R. S. Black congratulated the association-pn its long-,,period of vice to listeners. The radio inspector (Mr F. J. O’Grady) stated that the association was purely an amateur body that had carried on for no other purpose than that of the scientific interest. He expressed the hope that the association would continue to prosper in the same amateur spirit as in the past. He congratulated the association on attaining its fifteenth birthday. Mr C. Young, on. behalf of the 4ZD listeners, thanked the association for the pleasure it had given listeners. FIRST RECORD. A special programme entitled ‘ Through the Years ’ carrying th© audience in imagination from 1922 to the present year was broadcast, the opening recording, ‘Ta Whoo,’ being the first ever played • by the association’s original station. The programme also introduced former and present station announcers and other officers, the fol-, lowing taking part:—Mr R. T. Stedman, Mr J. J. Hayes, Mr H. Tattersfield, M r A. Brown, Mr C. Brown, Mr D. Silverstone, Mr G, Kerr, Miss M. Connolly, Mr JV H. Kemnitz, and Mr A. Coutts. , * During the evening several messages of congratulation were read.