NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20820, 12 March 1931, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Radio licences in New Zealand will have to be renewed by the end of this month. Renewals may be made at the C.P.O. or any money-order post office. Listeners who do not intend to renew their licences must dismantle their aerials and sets, and notify the department. About 50 applications a day for licences are being received at the C.P.O. and listeners are advised to make their renewals before the seasonal " eleventh-hour" rush sets in.

The Unied States Department *of Commerce issues some remarkable figures showing the debt of the metal market to radio. In the States more than three million sets are made annually, for which steel, the metal most widely used, is consumed to tho extent of 110,000 tons; more than 1600 tons of this is in tho form of nuts, screws, and washers, tho rest in bar and strip. Copper is taken to the amount of 12,000 tons; alurpinium, 4000 tons; tin, 1800 tons; nickel, 1500 tons, and zinc, 1200 tons.

Considerable alarm is felt by the owners of the leading B class broadcasting stations throughout Australia at the new , regulations which have been issued by the Post Office Department governing the control and administration of B stations. These regulations givo the Postal Department absolute control over the administration of tho B stations throughout Australia, even to the extent of compelling their owners to submit balance-sheets showing what profits havo been earned by the stations during periods of 12 months and how tho profits have been allocated.

The statement that the Post and Telegraph Department had abolished thoir short-term licence concessions was made by a correspondent in tho Herald on Tuesday. This, however, is not the case. Schoolboys who construct their own crystal sets, invalids and unemployed persons, who can prove to the satisfaction of tho department that thoy are unable to pay the full licence fee, may oblain a six-months, and in soino cases a threemonths' licence. In the case of visitors bringing sets to New Zealand tho minimum licence period is three months. Arrangements can bo mado for the licenco to be operative in tho different contros of New Zealand.

An interesting ceremony was performed at tho Crown Street Women's Hospital, Sydney, on February 28, whon a radio installation, which was mado possiblo as tho rosult of money raised by the community singing concerts hold weokly under the auspices of tho A.8.C., was banded over to tho hospital. The cost of the installation was approximately £3OO and consists of two wireless receivers, 170 headgear telephones and specially constructed loud-speakers. There was over three-quarters of a mile of cable involved, the majority of it being effectively concealed by 3000 ft. of specially erected chair and picture rail. The A.B.C. hopes in the near future to equip other institutions.

The Australian stations are now being received with very, fair volume. The reversion to standard-time on Sunday will increase the popularity of the transtasman stations with New Zealand listeners. The Australian programmes for next week include the following attractions, the New Zealand'times being given in each case:— Monday, 9.30 p.m.: Relay of community singing by 21' C, Sydney; play, "The Silver King," from 3LO, Melbourne; Tuesday, 9.30 p.m.: Old time dance night from 2FC; play, " The Lily of Killarney" from 2BL, Sydney; Wednesday, 9.30 p.m.: Play, "Monsieur Beaucaire," from 2BL, Sydney; Thursday, 9.30 p.m.: Oldtime minstrel show from 2FC; Saturday, ;9.30 p.m. : Relay of Toe H. pageant at Melbourne Town Hall by 3LO.