RADIO PROGRAMMES

Southland Times, Issue 25796, 6 October 1945, Page 6

RADIO PROGRAMMES

Sir, —I should like to protest through your columns against the lifeless and I anaemic programmes which we re- | ceive from 4YZ. Ninety-five per cent. 1 of the music broadcast is of a negative ' character. By this I mean that nobody | greatly appreciates it or dislikes it. ; It’s just tolerable. The “Listeners’ i Own” programme is a classical example ■ of colourless music, and when compar- ! ed with similar programmes of northi ern stations, it would appear that Southland is inhabited by a different race of people. Northern stations give ! us Frankie Carle, Bing Crosbie, Count Basie, Mills Bros., and so on, but 4YZ forces an unwillingly majority to digest grand massed bands, Essie Acland, or some other 1920 entertainer. Southlanders who require modern music to buck them up have to turn to northern stations or, if the wireless is not powerful enough, have no music at all. I would like to make a suggestion. We should have two “Listeners’ Own” programmes—one for modern and one for old-time music. Everyone considers we have too much London news. But programme organizers don’t seem to care. It’s of little interest to us what is in the English newspapers, but all this unnecesasry gossip is thrown at us. The wireless should be a help and a friend in the home, but broad-minded Southlanders turn it off in disgust. People like modem music. I think a census would show that most people listened to ZB programmes. In conclusion, I would like to add my conviction that the above protest will not change the programmes of 4YZ the least bit —the wheels of officialdom need mightier pens than mine to move them. But I would like to plead to the station manager to give us more modem music. BEEN ABROAD.