RADIO IN THE HOME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22580, 19 November 1936, Page 5

RADIO IN THE HOME

PROGRAMME FEATURES BROADCASTING CONCERTS NATIONAL STATIONS POPULAR BY ALL-WAVE A relay of the concert to be given in the Town Hall by the Royal Auckland Choir, under the eonduetorship of Dr. W. E. Thomas, will be carried out to-night by ]YA between eight and nine o'clock. The programme will include solo items by Helen Dykes, soprano, and Dr. Trevor de Clivc Lowe, 'cellist. The second portion of the concert session of IYA will feature 01i\e Ball, mezzo-contralto, in two short recitals. Vincent Aspcv and ilaydn Murray will present from the studio at !).-0 o'clock on Friday night Spohr's duo in D Minor for two violins. Sundays after-church session is to consist of a complete musical presentation of "Cosi Fan Tutte," a comic musical plav in two acts, the text by Lorenzo da Ponte and the music by Mozart.

The Wellington Harmonic Society, conducted by Mr. H. Temple bite, will broadcast over 2YA during tho second portion of to-night's concert session. Tho soloists will include Zell O'Kane, mezzo-soprano, W. McLean, violinist, S. McLean, 'cellist, and Ormi Reid, pianist, Myra Sawyer, soprano, and Ida Coventry, contralto. On Thursday, at 8.46, and again on Friday, at 5.30, Kirimamae, soprano, with string ensemble, will present recitals of Maori songs from the studio of tho Christchurch station. On Saturday at 8 p.m., Will Bishop will present a further "Eight O'clock Revue." over 2YA. These features, described as "a grownup children's hour," have proved very popular. On Sunday listeners will have a choice in radio plays, 2YA presenting "The High Road," a comedy by Frederick Lonsdale, and 3YA Oscar Wilde's "Tho importance of Being Earnest."

The March questionnaire reveals the overwhelming popularity of the national stations. This is the more remarkable in that under "types of entertainment"' the voting shows the programme casting to have been very wide of the desires of listeners. Light music and radio plays are tho prime favourites, but tiie listeners have polled heavily against the presentation of classical, symphonic and chamber music. Radio talks and vocal solos are not, in much better favour. It now remains for tho National Broadcasting Service to reorganise programme schedules to meet, after duo regard to the wishes of minorities, the expressed desires of listeners. Otherwise the questionnaire will have been in vain.

Sporting broadcasts are receiving increasing attention by the National Broadcasting Service. Already plans have been made, using a short-wave station, for descriptions of the M.C.C.Australia test matches, it is intended to broadcast half-hourly commentaries on the play and to supplement these with a resume each evening. Yachting, rather neglected for some time, is to be the subject of a talk next Friday over IYA. Mr. George Dennes, president of the Heme Bay Sailing Club, will be the speaker and his subject, " The Youth and His Boat," will interest many listeners.

Empire-wide service, once the ultimate object of Daventry's short-wave transmissions, has given place to an ideal of complete and unexcelled world coverage. The three existing plants are to be retained lor programmes to less distant parts, and three new 50kilowatt transmitters, each of five times the power of the existing stations, are expected to put down, in tho most remote corners of the globe, programmes of "local" strength. With the purchase of an additional 90 acres of ground, room has been found for tho erection of eight more 300 ft. masts. These, in conjunction with the existing masts and towers, will sup port 24 "beam" aerials, many of which are to be fitted with reflectors to ensure maximum radiation in any desired direction. Covering '3686 square yards, the new buildings to house the plant are almost completed. The transmitters aro in course of manufacture and are expected to bo in operation early in 1937.

A waistcoat-pocket transmitter, designed primarily for programme work in crowds in which the announcer must move quickly to any given point, has recently been perfected. It weighs less than a pound and is contained, apart from its two lOin. aerial rods, within a 3in. cube, and so is easily grasped in one hand. Current is derived from a small 90-volt. B battery, and the transmitter has a power output of .2 watts, ensuring a range of four miles. Tho transmitter is the result of exhaustive tests with short-wave apparatus, and works on tho 300,000 k.c. wave-band. It has shown a remarkable capacity for penetrating through intervening structures.

Jladio-phones are used in New York Harbour for the control of a large fleet of tugboats. The shipboard installations are of low power, operated on short wave, and aro simplicity itself. When the shore station calls any particular vessel the receiver on board rings a boll, and the captain merely lifts off a hook a desk handset, and tho conversation proceeds just as with an ordinary telephone. Another unusual radio device has lately been marketed in the United States. This consists of a combined transmitter and receiver, which permits of two-way inter-office or inter-building conversation merely by plugging the apparatus into a light socket. There is no necessity for aerials or for connecting wires between tho two instruments.

FROM IYA To-day: S p.m., concert by Royal Auckland Choir; 0.5, talk, D'Arcy Cresswell, "The English Sonnets"; 9.20. recorded music by tho H.H.C. Wireless Military Band: 9.32. Olivo Hall, mezzo-contralto, "Still as the nrid "Angus Mucdonald." and at 9 10. "The Poor Man's Garden" nnd "Little Coon's Prayer"; JO to It, music and melody. Tomorrow: 8 p.m., studio orchestra, ]( Ihe Nightingale," "Sunset" and "Longing ; 8.21, recording. "The Children's Corner": S.-V2, studio orchestra. "Varsang"; 0.5. talk. Juno Mander, "Women's Modern Struggle : 0.20. Vincont Aspoy, violin, and ilaydn Murray, violin, present Spohr's "Duo in D Minor tor Two Violins"; 10 to 11. music and melody. Saturday: 8 p.m., Margaret Trafford, pianist. Bruliins' Scherbo. Op. Debussy's Prelude to "Bergamusquo" and Saint Saens loccato No 0; 8.10. Jean McFurlane, contralto. "My' Dear Soul," "Five Little Piccaninnies," "Bright is the Ring of Words" ;.nd "When Children Say Their Prayers"; N.lO. /red Huker, baritone. "Young loin o Devon, A Didder Courtship" and "Lighterman 'lorn : fifteen minutes of rhythm by the liarmony Trio, followed l»y recordings; 11). talk, J. li. Lovelock, "Runners .[ Have Met"; 10.15 to J 1.1 .*». dance music. Sunday: 11 a.m., morning service from All Saints' Anglican Church; 7 p.m.. evening service from lleresford Street Congregational Church; tu 11. complete musical presentation of "Com Pan Tutte," a comic musical play in two acts, music by Mozart, text by Lorenzo du Ponte. Monday: 8 p.m., "The Melody Ends, a radio play presented by Norah \\ lniu-ray and company; 8.00, radio sketch, "'I he Good Old Coaching Days": 9.".. wrestling relay; 10 to 11, music and melody. Tuesday: 8 p.m., "The Voice of tho People"; 8.8, Alf lleal.v and his Novelty Pour, "Down South ' and "Lovely Lady": 8.15. Eb and Zeb: 8-21, "Leaves from the Case Book of tho luno Detective"; 8.3(1. Alf Healy's Novelty Four, "lou Are My Luck.v Star"; 8.11, Japaneso houseboy episode; 9.5. talk, Professor \\. A. Howell, "Recent Developments in the Modern Stago ; 9.20 to 11. dance music. Wednesday; 8 p.m., studio orchestra presents Tsihaikowsky's suite for strings; 8.10. J. McGregor, clarinet. Harold Taylor, 'cello, and Dorothea R.van, pianist, present Beethoven's Trio in B Flat; 9.5, talk, Sir Alexander llerdman. "A Famous Man I Know— William Ferguson Massey," followed by recordings; 10 to 31. music and melody.