BROADCASTING

Southland Times, Issue 22097, 18 August 1933, Page 7

BROADCASTING

POINTED COMMENT “TOO MUCH JAZZ ON THE AIR” VISITOR’S OBSERVATIONS (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, August 17. Pointed comment on the art of listening and the general policy of'broadcasting stations were made by Dr Cyril Jenkins, one of the adjudicators at the forthcoming Wellington Competitions festival who arrived to-day from England. In his opinion, broadcasting in general was not educating people musically, but is presenting listeners with too much of what could be classed bad art. “Unfortunately, during my travels,” said Dr Jenkins, “I found the standard of singing deplorably low. I have heard some excellent voices, but the performers lacked style. Style is a matter of perfection of detail. The best dressed woman, like the best singer, is not the loudest. If bad soloists are allowed to broadcast they are more than a mere nuisance. They constitute a menace to art because they have the approval of the executive of the broadcasting stations. The public accept them as models and as a result the general taste of listeners falls. It is difficult to conceive that the administration of experienced musicians could perpetrate some of the anomalies that seem to be well established in some young countries. The majority of programmes in these days seems to be made up of jazz, detestable crooning and other vulgarities. Therefore it is impossible to conceive how much progress will be made educationally with this wonderful new and sensitive, medium of giving music to the public.”