NEWS AND NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES

One Reason “These exclusive commentaries arc brought to listeners through the most elaborate radio hook-up ever attempt- j ed in the history of broadcasting in New Zealand.” This epoch-marking; achievement really amounts to the link-j ing up of two low-powered commercial stations, stales a writer in the “Timaru Herald.” “Hooey” of this kind is more likely to excite derision than to impress listeners, and constitutes one of the reasons why so many people dis-1 like radio advertising. j Radio’s Proportion America has developed radio advertising to an extent unknown in any other country, and It comes as a surprise to learn from the Bureau of Statistics that only 15 per cent, of the amount spent last year by U.S.A. advertisers went "over the air.” Newspapers received 371 per cent., and magazines and periodicals 26 per cent, of a total of £81.000.000 paid by the nation’s manufacturers, distributors, traders, political parties, and others. Transmitting from Mecca A transmitter has been installed at the Holy City of Islam to broadcast the teachings of the prophet and to develop Arab culture for the 240,000,000 Moslems of the world. As only true believers are admitted to Mecca, King Ibn Saucl sent four Meccans to London to learn the radio art and how to install the apparatus. Soprano and Baritone to TouiIn the near future Barbara Lane (soprano) and Cuthbert Matthews (baritone) are to tour the main stations under engagement to the National Broadcasting Service. They are both well-known English artists who have appeared as soloists at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Negotiations are proceeding with several other overseas artists whom it is hoped to bring to the Dominion before the close of the year. Radio Ailments Free medical advice is now given from Italian broadcasting stations. The scheme is being operated in much the same manner as that adopted by newspapers in some countries, in which the sufferer writes to the paper concerning his symptoms, the question and answer J being published for the benefit of roadI ers. In the case of the Italian broadi casting service, however, either the post or the telephone can be used to describe the symptoms, the treatment being broadcast at a certain hour of the day which is devoted to this service. Presumably the identities of patients are not disclosed. Broadcasting Union The International Broadcasting Union concluded its 1937 summer meeting at

Oiirliy, Switzerland. The technical committee of the union considered (he problems that had arisen from con-; geslion on Ihe long, medium, and short-1 wave broadcasting bands, and reported dial it had not, so far, been able to solve the problem satisfactorily. The committee pointed out that crowding of the shorl-wave bands was becoming acute in that (here weie ton many sla-j lions in the narrow coniines of the individual bands. The committee has arranged a series of tests involving the fullest co-operation from both European and American short-wave .stations, and the results of the experiment. which will lake place within the i next few months, are to be cummuni-j cated in the International Radio Com-1 munientions Conference to be held next I year. At ibis meeting it is hoped to! prepare a plan for world-wide allocation of short wave bands. Ultra-Short Waves Information has been received by Mr D. B. Knock, owner of experimental station VK2NO at Waverley, New South Wales, which indicates that fivemetre telephony signals from his station have been picked up in North Wales by Mr C. Mellanby, a listener whose previous work does not allow this report to be treated lightly. The report, although unconfirmed, because the last letter of VK2NO's call sign was missed, is interesting, because signals o r this type have always been held to have a very limited range. Original estimates have now been greatly exceeded. because of the greater numbers of experimenters now working on these wavelengths all over the world. It is predicted by Mr Knock that during the coming summer there will be many unexpected results with five-metre signals. New French Station A sum of ten million francs has been sel aside by the French Government to build a high-powered broadcasting transmitter in the neighbourhood of Tunis. The station will be erected on high ground, and will probably have a power of from 120 to 150 kilowatts. Browning Mummery, the famous tenor, has been engaged by the National Broadcasting Service to make a tour of the YA stations next month. Later in the year a New Zealand artist, Miss Miliicent O'Grady, who has become prominent through her musical work in Australia, will broadcast recitals from 3YA and 2YA. Recently she was associated in a recital with Henry Fann. who is considered to be one of the foremost pianists in Australia.

The number of listeners’ licenses in New Zealand is now well above the quarter million mark, and the revenue is more than £300.000 per annum. Of this more than a quarter of a -million pounds is or should be at the disposal of the National Broadcasting Service.

Comparison of the New Zealand radio license roll at the end of each year since 1928 onward reveals a remarkable growth towards the end of the 10-year period. In thousands, the annual increases have been approximately as follows:—8, 8,7, 16, 21, 35, 34, 43. 50. * * * * The two big American broadcasting concerns. National and Columbia, do a lot of relaying of features from England, and, like other friendly foreign countries, are given free use of the studio and transmitting facilities of the 8.8. C. A charge of £2 per minute has to be paid for the Transatlantic radio telephone, but a half-hour session is cheap when it is remembered that eacli company has a huge network of stations in U.S.A. which rebroadcast the programme. During the abdication crisis Columbia sent over 150 special broadcasts out from London, news bulletins being interspersed by commentaries by prominent Englishmen. V * * * An entirely new form of wireless interference which can truthfully claim to be called man-made static is said to have been brought to light by the Radio Club of Ostrau, Czechoslovakia, which is investigating the case of two men who are said to cause interference when they are in the neighbourhood i of a wireless set. They are to be sent to Prague for a special examination. ** # * -is A new frequency, GST, 13.92 metres, or 21.55 megacycles, has been notified) for use by the 8.8. C. for its Empire transmitters. Although it is not proposed to operate on the frequency immediately. it may be used from time to time during the English summer. As the letters GS are common to all 16-call-signs associated with the Empire service, announcers are now emphasising only the last letter as an identification. For clarity and emphasis the stations will announce as Aerial. Broadcasting, Corporation, Daventry, Empire, Fortune, Greeting, Home, Ireland, Justice, King, Liberty, Ocean, Progress and Transmitters, the initial letter of each word corresponding with the terminal of the call-sign of each transmission.