RADIO NOTES

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 91, 28 November 1928, Page 3

RADIO NOTES

(By "GRID LEAK.)

St. Andrew's Night will be duly re cognised in, a special programme from IYA on Friday next. Within five years the. number of radio receiving licenses in Britain has risen from 150,000 to nearly two and a-hal.f million. In New South Wales, in 24 months, there has been a, jump from. 40,000 to 90,000—an increase of 125 per cent. "When the financial position warrants it j dinner music will be provided from 2YA." Such is the somewhat indefinite official pronouncement regarding ta pi/6mise made months, ago. Listeners and others who have heen concerned at the Reform Cabinet's refusal to disclose particulars' of the Zealand Broadcasting Company's balance sheet will be anxious t ( > know the attitude, of the future (Government to what was a very general demand.

An up-to-date blind man in Wellington is using audio amplification traslormers, and radio valves to boost up and improve the tona of his gra- ; maphone. He also employs a highclass, radio loud-speaker for his gramaphone. The latter can be heard any. day in .the city streets. How much music is put on the air jby a) broadcasting iSQaJcicMi? Some I figtxres given by the New South Wales Broadcasting Co. are astounding. The, two big Sydney stations between ; them, are sending musical items ev- \ ery week. On this basis it is probable that our "YA's"' which operate, for much shorter daily periods, are themselvesi totalling somewhere about a thousand items weekly, it Us a stupendous quantity (if not quality), and it is hard to realise the | amount of rehearsal outside broadcasting hours which such a weekly do ; livery demands. Those who complain of too frequent repetitions should ': think seriously over these figures.

i It seems that thq excellent radio j orchestra which so many have heard 'from 2FO. lias been disbanded, and I thajb it has. been supplanted by a quintet comprising Mr. Horace Keats (piano-conductor), Mr. Bryce Carter j ('cello), Miss Dlultye. Blair (violin), Mr. Vincent Aspoy (violin) and Mr. ; Crosby Brown (clarinet). 2YA Wellington and 3LO Melbourne are ap- ! parcntly the only southern, stations , which now boast a lull orchestra.

A novelty in the way of debates frill be heard, from Sydney to-night, after 11 p.m. The Sydney School of Arts Debating Society will discuss the-" White Australia" problem from two studios. | An affirmation of the policy will be undertaken by speakers at 2FC, while others from 2BL will traverse 'the arguments. Each side will heap" .the opposing contentdons per medium of a loud-speaker, and listeners will have to follow the arguments by tuning in alternately to each station. For Sydney the. affair will be merely a novelty, but the innovation suggests possibilities for future debates carried on across different State.s, or even across the Tasuiau.

RELAY IN WELLINGTON. WANGAN'UI ENTERTAINMENT An attempt will b§ made 01;. Friday, December 7 X to broadcast from 2y;A Wellington, an entertainment relayed from Wellington, 12-5 mites [ distant. This, will be Ijhe longest i relay by landline. yet attempted, by the New Zealand Broadcasting Company. | The Wanganui entertainment will ,'probably occupy the entire evening I programme, from 2YA. One of the i artists will bo Mr. Hubert Carter, ! who, although popular throughout the Dominio«i| by virtue of his concert work, will make his debut before the microphone in New Zealand. He has a lino tenor voice. The rest of the. programme wiil be furnished by noted Wanganui artists, and. the band of the Queen Alexandra's Own Regimenty the champion band of New Zealand. j AUSTRIAN LICENSES. j FEE BASED ON INCOME.

Radio is making rapid progress in Austria undei a licensing system that would scarcely appeal to a British community. In t.hej last 12 months 45,870 listeners .have been added, bringing the. total to 2 ( J3,408. Licenses are required on many receivers, tin; subscription, which goes to the. broadcasting company, being graded according to the income of The head of the household- The minimum fee is Is 3d a month ou earnings below £2O a month and 3s 6d if above that figure. On the other hand, a large, number of private individuals and. institutions are exempt. Present there are

4373 households of deserving unemployed, 922 blinci persons and 186 hospitals and kindred establishments which are not assessed. In deserving cases the cost of installation is borne by the broadcasting company.

IN CANADIAN WILDS. WIRELESS DEVELOPMENT. The Canadian Government takes the greatest interest in the development of radio within the Dominion. All the Government radio 1 stations on the Atlantic and. Pacific coasts are equipped with radio directionfinding apparatus. This service is of the greatest value to mariners endeavouring to find a correct coursein times of bad. weather, when the ordinary system of dead reckoning cannot be utilised. The latest development in Canada. is the erection of powerful radio stations in the Arctic circle to assist in the development of the. new sea. route via Hudson's Bay and the Hudson Straits to the Atlantic, the objenf' of which is to shorten th</ journey and 1 reduce the cost of trans-, porting grain from Canada to the European markets. Badio was used in the aerial survey as well as in the opening of the route in order that there might be the fullest information regarding the weather conditions and ice traffic. It is expected to have, four powerful, radio stations in operation m the Arctic circle early in 1930. Each station will have an officer in charge and three skilled operators. The staff will be. relieved yearly. This is an illustration of how- radio is assisting in developing the most »°Jthem parts of the British Empire. The United States Government has also a number of radio stations in Alaska. Radio stations operated on similar l.ne.s would, it is contended by radio experts, do much to assist in the peopling and developing of the northern parts of Australia.