RADIO AND TROTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1928, Page 6

RADIO AND TROTS

COMPANY’S OPERATIONS.

(Special to “Star”)

CHRISTCHURCH, August 13. Complete circumvention of the New Zealand Racing and Trotting Conference ban on broadcasting from racecourses, was carried out -in Christchurch by the Radio BroadcastingCompany of New Zealand, Ltd., on Saturday. Somewhere near the Addington trotting ground, a. secret radio reporter, who visited the place, swore to keep dark the mystery in a sunny room of the house. Apparatus was rigged up at the course. A man who took the results as they came checked facts and figuies from a coign of vantage. The wore rushed to the battle-front as soon as possible, and there given forth into >a microphone by the announcer. It was all very interesting and quite exciting, giving a hint of the feeling that smuggler bands and secret service agents must feel. It was all fair and above board. The

officials explained that every man engaged in result-getting and broadcasting had his ticket for the trots, all paid for, in order that, although they were not used on the ground itself, they have the information they pay for, just as anyone on the course itself does. Microphones, land line, amplifier, batteries and announcer were arranged neatly. Normally, lace results tire' broadcast from the GloucesterStreet studio, but in this case, to save time, an auxiliary station was rigged up. Operators had race books bought bn the street. As soon as the results were got from the course, by perfectly legitimate means, they were taken to the house, where a brief outline of the race was put on the air. . Details, of scratchings', placings, and information passed right through to 3YA by land line. Instead of the usual method ot re-writing the information, there, however, a new stunt was adopted. A dine connected through at tile main studio to the main speech apparatus after being re-amplified, again passed into the transmitter from there, out to the listeners in. The main thing kept in mind by all at work was the necessity of getting it all through just as soon as humanly available. Certainly, there were no microphones on the racecourse. but they were not far away. Binoculars and portable telephones were at appointed meeting places for the race watcher, intermediate from the auxiliary station, where the announcer basked in the sunlight. A sense of well doing everything played part in the efficient operation of the system. The company had its hideout at Riccarton arranged for just as at Addington. Even if the messenger idea happened to fail, there are, it is claimed, other ways of doing it. So far no watch tower has been rigged up. Anv amount of assistance was offered the Company by outsiders. when it made known that it intended to defy the ban, and carry on just the same. ■These offers ranged from sites for a studio, coigns of vantage, down through telescopes to binoculars. Quite a number of sections weer offered at both courses, and that is just how 3YA put through its trotting broadcast.