Radio Broadcasting

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 813, 6 November 1929, Page 16

Radio Broadcasting

DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICE General Manager Interviewed THE development of radio broadcasting was dealt with by Mr. A. R. Harris, general manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company, in the course of an interview at the Radio Exhibition.

Mr. Harris expressed his appreciation of the enterprise of the Auckland radio dealers in organising such an admirable and imposing exhibition. ITe felt sure that their enterprise would be rewarded as it deserved to he by a much wider patronage of the broadcasting service. The thousands who had visited the exhibition could not have failed to be impressed by the convincing practical demonstrations of the remarkable efficiency of the modern receiving sets, and by the utility of the broadcast service which these sets made available to them. INCREASE IN LICENCES As indicating how that service was becoming more and more widely used, Mr. Harris mentioned that at the end of the company's year, July 111 last, t he licence figures showed an increase of 7 per cent., having risen from 43,000 to 46,000 full-time licences. A point worth noting, as being of particular interest to listeners, was that the increase in the number of licences had been followed automatically by a more than corresponding increase in the service given. For instance, the hours Of operation at all four stations had been substantially increased. During the year a dinner music session had been inaugurated at the Wellington station, 2YA, giviug listeners an additional six hours’ service a week. Recently, a similar session had been instituted at the Auckland. Christchurch and Dunedin stations. At the Dunedin station, 4YA, ihe hours of service had been doubled, with the result that listeners 4o that

station were now getting 40 instead of 20 hours’ service each week. During the year under review (which did not include all the additions to service above referred to) -the company’s main stations were in operation for a total of 7,475 hours, which meant, in effect, that the 7 per cent, increase in licences had been followed by an increase of service efficiency of 16 per cent. Mr. Harris mentioned that in addition to the development of the service of the lour main stations, the year had witnessed the installation by the company of a 100 watt installation at New Plymouth, which was being operated in co-operation with the North Taranaki Radio Society. This had been done to meet the peculiar radio conditions prevalent in that district. Another enterprise of importance more recently accomplished had been the erection and equipment, of the new station and studios from which 4YA was now operating. PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT In conclusion, Mr. Harris said he would like again to emphasise the fact that increased licences and increased revenue meant increased service to listeners. The company having now reached the point where the provision of equipment and organisation had been virtually completed, so far as the four main stations were concerned, the bulk of the revenue accruing from licence fees could now be largely devoted to the development of the programme side of the service. “And let me just add,” he said, "that it is very gratifying to the directors to know that the service for which they are responsible is impressing its value increasingly upon the national consciousness. Radio broadcasting, young as it is in this Dominion, has ceased to be regarded as a toy, or as a luxury of the well-to-do, and instead has come to be looked upon as a necessity and as a service of inestimable value both to the individual and the community.” 4QG’S PROFITS The Queensland Government station 4QG made a profit of £5,211 during the past financial year. The revenue received from licences was £23,276, and from other sources £3,950. Salaries amounted to £5,389, maintenance £3,124, artists’ fees to £7,344, copyright charges to £1,938, incidentals to £2,925, and interest on capital to £1,240. These figures are interesting as showing how much it costs to run a broadcasting station. During the year 820 artists, including band and chorus members, were employed by 4QG.

I RELAY BROADCASTS MANAGER’S REVIEW The activity of the Radio Broadcast- | ing Company in regard to relay broadcasts was referred to by Mr. A. j R. Harris, general manager of the j company, in an interview with a Sun man. Mr. Harris said that from the national point of view this linking up of the provincial centres with the main broadcasting stations constituted perhaps the most striking development j of the year. With the sympathetic and very efficient co-opefation of the Post and Telegraph Department the 3'ear had seen a great development in this important feature of the broad- ; cast service. In addition to some 20 relays between Auckland Welling- ; ton and Christchurch and Dunedin, by ; means of which radio programmes presented in the four cities had been ! broadcast throughout the entire | Dominion, a large number of" relays from provincial centres had also been j successfully carried out. The milei age of land lines used for these relays 1 during the year aggregated 1,540. | Among them were relays from Whangarei, Hamilton, Hastings-Napier, E Wanganui, Palmerston North, Hawera, ; Masterton, Otaki, Dower Hutt, Timaru, t Waimate and Invercargill. The value , of these relays to provincial centres i was becoming more and more keenly i appreciated, and the chain was being i constantly extended. Quite a numi ber of attractive relays had been . scheduled for the immediate future, c some from centres which have been previously broadcast, such as Wanga- . nui, Palmerston North, Timaru, . Temuka and Invercargill, and others 5 from Rotorua, Otorohanga, Taumarj unui and Ashburton.

Mr. Harris made it clear that no charge was made to the musical organisations concerned in the relays, but it was necessary for the company to an assurance that the projected programme was likely to be of general interest.

ON SHORT-WAVES DISTANT STATIONS KGO’S CONCERTS Short-wave sets are attracting an increasing following among amateur set-builders and experimenters. The reports of extreme distance, excellent reception during summer months, and the experimental possibilities offer diversion for those who feel that they cannot find anything new in the ordinary broadcast band. Building a short-wave receiver is reasonably simple, as there are not many parts to wire. The main units are several condensers, a valve-socket or sockets,, a coil sockej, and a radio-frequency choke. The rest of the units are made up of coils, panel, baseboard, binding post strip, and dial. Distancegetting, of course, is a matter of location, but a short-wave set is superior to a broadcast set in this respect at all times.

The short-wave station VPD at Suva, Fiji Islands, has been broadcasting some very good programmes. On a recent Sunday the service from Jubilee Church was heard on the ■. It was stated that this church was known throughout the world, and visitors to Suva made a point of always visiting it. The singing of the native choir was an outstanding feature of the service. The wave-length of this station is 20.79 metres. * * * 2ME, Sydney, has been carrying on long conversations with London during the week. Mr. Farmer, the speaker at 2ME, is most entertaining and his listener in Dondon must enjoy his talks. * * * KGO, Oakland, California, on shortwave is heard at great volume in Auckland. The station has no regular hours of transmission, but can always be heard on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Good items are heard from this station. * * * To any short-wave listeners receiving a comparatively new phone station, which uses the call sign KIXR, these details will be interesting. The station is an auxiliary to the wellknown Philippine Island broadcasting station KZRM, the location being the Manila Hotel, Manila. The station works with crystal control, using a power of one kilowatt, on a wavelength of 49 metres. Transmissions lake place every week night with the exception of Monday. Excellent reception has been reported from Wellington and the station has also been reported from Christchurch. Acknowledgment cards have been received signed by a woman as “Broadcasting manager.” * » * A short-wave broadcasting station that has been heard recently is Bangkok in Siam. The items consist mostly of speech and music. One listener states that he heard this station saying “Hullo! OZKD Bangkok, Siam, calling.” Station OZKD is probably a Danish ship station. Commander Byrd in the Antarctic has also reported that the Siamese station has been heard at Little America. Bangkok broadcasts on about 29.5 metres. TALKS ON CRICKET The famous international cricketer, W. A. Oldfield, is to give a series of short talks on cricket from station j 2FC Sydney, on Friday evenings at 9 i o’clock (New South Wales time).

LISTENERS DELIGHTED j MUNICIPAL BAND TO BROADCAST AGAIN FIRST CONCERT SATURDAY Listeners will hail with intense sat- i isfaction the news that once again they i will be able to hear the Auckland Municipal Band on the air. When it was announced a little over a year ago that negotiations between the Broadcasting Company and City i Council had been broken down, listen- ; ers were greatly disappointed. It j was generally conceded by owners of j radio sets that the band was easily the | best item heard from ITA, and the | hope was freely expressed that it would not be long before the popular and talented combination was on the air again. However, the council and company could not agree on the terms under which the council would permit the band concerts to be broadcast, and listeners had to be content with the other fare provided. It is not necessary to go into the details of the dispute between the council and company; listeners were not greatly interested in details. They had heard and enjoyed the band and wanted to hear it again. ISTow they can do so, and they will congratulate both council and company in exhibiting a spirit of give-and-take, and thus making it possible for listeners to enjoy the programmes by Mr. Christopher Smith and his excellent band.

On Saturday evening, it is safe to predict, most owners of radio sets wiil be tuned in to IYA to hear the first concert by the band, and the following weekly concerts will be awaited with interest.

RADIO BRINGS LUCK NEWSBOY SINGER WINS £I,OOO ROMANCE AT BRISBANE One of the most romantic stories which has yet been woven around the broadcasting movement was unfolded at 4QG Brisbane, recently. For many months past a bright-eyed healthy, little Australian laddie has been selling newspapers in Elizabeth Street outside the State Insurance Building in which 4QG is situated. The members of 4QG staff going on duty between 5 and 6 o’clock have been in the habit of purchasing their evening papers from him and have at all times found him to be a bright and respectful little boy. Some few weeks ago "Uncle Ben,” who conducts the bedtime story session on Tuesday and Saturday nights was talking to little Johnny, the newsboy, as he was affectionately termed by everybody at 4QG, and happened to find out that he was able to sing. “Uncle Ben” asked him if he would like to come up to 4QG and let him hear him. Johnny readily agreed. He visited the station and proved to have a charming boy soprano voice. “Uncle Ben,” after talking to the director of the station, then asked Johnny if he would like to come along to one of the bedtime story sessions and sing for the boys and girls and naturally the little fellow was very delighted. The staff at 4QG got to know him very well and found that he was at school all day and was selling news-

papers in the street to try and help to keep his mother. His singing became quite popular both with the listening public and also with the staff of 4 Q. G. After singing at 4QG one night, “Uncle Ben” suggested that Johnny should be given a small present for his services and the Station readily agreed that he should be paid. Little' Johnny the newsboy was presented with 10s for his services and he left the station a very proud little chap. Nobody knew what he intended to do with his money, but it appears, unknown to other people, he invested half of it in a golden casket ticket. When the results were drawn Johnny had been lucky enough to win the second prize of £I,OOO. It is quite safe to state that nowhere in Australia was there so much joy over this event as among the staff at 4QG who realised just exactly what the £I,OOO would mean to Johnny and his mother.

AMATEUR MOVIES EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF PICTURES FILMS IN THE SCHOOLS By “HOMOVIE” The following excerpt from “The Past, Present and Future of Educational Motion Pictures,” a paper presented before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood by Edward Mayer, executive secretary of the Department of Visual InUniversity of California, contains some interesting data concerning film distribution.

“Here in California,” he states, “the Department of Visual Instruction is supplying over three hundred organisations each month with educational films as well as a few entertainment subjects. The distribution of this department averages approximately 200 motion pictures each month between September 15 and June 15. Little or no distribution is carried on during the summer months for the reason that the schools are closed for the vacation period and few other organisations use films during the hot season.

“During the past ten years there was an increase in the number of films distributed from 837 in 1918-19 to 8,583 in 1927-28. The distribution for this fiscal year has, so far, exceeded the distribution of the preceding year by 15 per cent. This annual increase is due to several factors, the most important being that each year additional schools, churches and other organisations equip themselves with projection apparatus. “Secondly, new additions are made each year to the film library, and a •third and very important reason is the fact that educators are more and more appreciating the value of educational motion pictures. Sixty-five per cent, of the total of motion pictures distributed by this department is used in the school field, 20 per cent, by churches and allied organisations, and the balance by clubs of all kinds, farm advisers, and farm bureaux, industrial concerns, state insitutions and other organisations.” AMATEURS RECOGNISED Formal recognition of the Amateur Cinema League and its representative, the Cleveland Movie Club, at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio, has been made by Clifford Henderson, manager of the races. The Cleveland Movie Club has been delegated by the League to provide for making amateur film records of the events connected with the races. The Cleveland Movie Club has appointed A. H. Bemis to represent it as the official photographer. This is the first national event of which the League has officially made provision for a film record. With the co-operation of other clubs it is planned to cover future outstanding events in a similar way. The Washington Cinema Club has furnished the Club Film lAbrary with its first film of national importance, “The Inauguration of Herbert Hoover,” and it is hoped that other clubs will follow the lead of the Washington and Cleveland clubs.