RADIO

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1929, Page 7

RADIO

GENERAL PARAGRAPHS.

(By

“B.C.L.”)

All stations are now coming in well, especially those across the Tasman, which are received at good volume any time after dusk. The New Zealand stations are well received in Australia apparently, as a recent report shows that 2YB has been heard at Cobden, near Melbourne, on one valve.

2YB’s “old time” night was an undoubted success and enthusiastic comment has been heard on all sides. Those responsible for the evening’s entertainment deserved the hearty congratulation of all listeners on their ell'orts. Future good things of a similar nature are promised by 2YB’s program me "dir.ector, Mr. A. B. Macdonald, whose position is one of the most difficult of those connected with the station.

The common and often embarrassing question of “What did you do in the Great War, Daddy?” will be asked at IYA next Thursday evening, but the answer will be„ varied and interesting and should occupy the greater part of the evening in a very acceptable manner. One of the principal items will be part of a concert in the Y.M.C.A. hut behind the lines, and there will be snatches of war-time songs and humour liberally scattered through the programme elsewhere. On the score of the difficulty of sound effects actual trencn life has been omitted, so that the sparetime side of “Daddy’s” activities will be concentrated upon—with success, it is hoped. It was the intention of the Broadcasting Company to arrange for the relaying to all stations of the concerts to be given by the Queen Alexandra Band (Wanganui) on Tuesday, July 30, and by the Whangarei Band on Sunday, August 11, but the Post and Telegraph Department has advised that a relay line from Auckland to Wellington will not be available on those dates. Therefore, the Dominion-wide broadcast of the Whangarei concert will have to be postponed. The Wanganui concert will be broadcast by 2YA, 3YA and 4YA. but not by IYA.

THE RADIO EXHIBITION.

2YA PREPARES PROGRAMMES.

One great attraction at the radio exhibition at Wellington will be tne actual performance of programmes for broadcasting. This will be done in full view of the public, so that visitors to the exhibition who have never before , witnessed the “staging” of a radio programme will be able to see how it is done. They will also have the opportunity of seeing many artists who have so far been known to them only on the air. The full programmes will not be broadcast from the Town Hall, only sections, thus giving time for visitors carefully to inspect the exhibits The official opening of the exhibition will take place on Thursday evening, the ceremony to be performed by the Postmaster-General, the Hon. J. B. Donald. The Wellington Municipal Tramways Band will supply the instrumental items of the evening’s entertainment, the vocal portion of the programme being provided by the Welsh choir (who provided listeners with some very fine choral numbers on St. David’s Day), and the following artists: —Miss Nora Gray (soprano), Mr. Ernest Short (baritone). Miss Hilda Chudley (contralto) and Mr. G. Austin Blackie (tenor). The popular entertainer at the piano, Mr. E. A. Sargent, will be heard in several numbers.

It is the intention of the station to give half-an-hour’s programme from the exhibition and then switch back to the studio for approximately twenty min-

utes to give the visitors a chance to look at the various exhibits. The programme during the Radio Exhibition will commence at 8 p.m. and conclude at 10.30 p.m.

NEW PLYMOUTH LICENSES. New Plymouth listeners will be surprised that the license figures for the district for the year 1929-30 are only 448, of which 55 are crystal sets. The figures for 1928-29 were 366, an increase for the current year of 82. To one who is in intimate touch with the radio pulse of New Plymouth, the only conclusion that can be drawn rrom those figures is that there are man> pirates That there may be some excuse in tlie case of juvenile crystal users, perhaps, is admitted on the ground that the younger members of the community are not in a position to pay 30s tor a license. In the case of valve users there is no excuse, and they will not have the sympathy of any listener if called upon to explain their failure to take out a license. Crystal users, “8.C.L.” considers, should be put on a different basis to the valve set owner. The present system practically makes a law-breaker of the enthusiastic boy who wants to listen-in. .His parents in all probability are not in a position to pay lss in a lump sum and yet might help the youthful Marconi if the fee were, say, 5s a quarter or even half-yearly. The P. and T. Department argument against this is that it would involve considerable extra clerical work and more inspectors, but as far as inspectors are concerned no more would be required than to round up the undoubtedly large number of pirates all over the country.

WIRELESS TALKS FOR FARMERS.

A scheme for a service of regular talks for the farmer was submitted ■by the Broadcasting Company to a representative meeting of delegates from Canterbury agricultural bodies at Christchurch last week. The meeting approved the scheme in principle, and set up a sub-committee to go into the details. Apparently the proposal owes a good deal to the energy of Dr. Charles Chilton, who lately retired from the rectorship of Canterbury College. Dr. Chilton addressed the meeting at length upon the proposals. So far as can be gathered from the official report, the idea is to have talks delivered at regular intervals from the four main stations, either by the experts who prepare them, or by the station announcers. It is also hoped, by the assistance of the Government Meteorological Office, to supply special weather forecasts and to answer listeners’ questions about farming problems.

A part of the scheme is to set up local advisory committees, presumably one for each station, to work on the same lines as the musical, religious and children’s committees already formed. The sub-committee appointed last week represented in its personnel the Lincoln Agricultural College, the Canterbury A. and P. Association, the Department of Agriculture and the Canterbury Progress League. The scheme is a praiseworthy one, and should succeed if it is placed on a Dominion, and not merely a Canterbury basis. Differences of climate, soil, and farming practice make it necessary that the special needs of each district should be catered for. Northern dairy farmers will scarcely be satisfied unless the resources of the Massey Agricultural College are drawn from. The Broadcasting Company admits it has come rather late into the field, but obviously it could not very well act until its public relations machinery had been put into working order. From t-he company’s point of view the development should be advantageous, because the expense to the company will probably be small and by catering for the farmer it will help forward its already active campaign to create more listeners in the smaller towns and country I districts. * •

AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING.

j Mr. Stewart F. Doyle, chairman of directors of the Australian Broadcasting Company, speaking of the policy of the newly-formed company, indicates that some revolutionary changes are to be made, although it is claimed that much better entertainment will result. In connection with broadcasting stage entertainments the company has the co-operation of Mr. H. P. Brown, Dir-ector-General of Posts and Telegraphs, who has agreed to supply technical transmissions for such longer hours as both mutually agree to be expedient. Duplication is to be avoided. As far as possible a continuous musical programme will be given from one station while the transmission of news, mails, ■shipping, markets, racing and children’s sessions will be from the other station. Mr. M. A. Ferry will be retained in his capacity of racing announcer, due to his past and present success. Women’s features will be given special attention, but less time will be occupied with birthday calls for the children. In fact, it is proposed to place the children’s session in the early morning programme of one of the stations so as to allow the children’s evenings to be devoted to entertainment and matters of an educational nature.

Three permanent instrumental combinations arc to be established, and the company intends to develop a public taste for symphony orchestral performances by a series of reciprocal relays of programmes in which the best orchestras of Sydney and Melbourne will be featured.

Luncheon music between 1 and 2 p.m. will be a feature, and the company will encourage restaurants to install sets to have lunch music for their customers. Church services will be carried on with the same denominations as usual, but there will be more co-operation with the church to make the service one specially for Ilteners. .Radio artists will assist in the musical part of the church service. The sermon will be of national interest. Two services will be broadcast on

Sunday mornings, but only one—from 2BL —on Sunday nights. Station 2FC will open programme at 7 a.m. with early rising music, weather, mails, shipping news and children’s birthday calls. It will close from 8.15 until 10 a.m. Then will come a sporting talk, an organ recital, household and cooking hints, light orchestra, stock exchange, markets, closing down at 12.30 ■p.m.

At 1 p.m. the lunch hour orchestra will commence, followed by a session for the public and private schools, of an educational character.

At 2.30 a matinee will be broadcast, leading studio orchestra and prominent artists. From 5.45 the children will be entertained with educational matter, and a musical dinner session will be followed by a talk on sporting. After a short organ recital the big evening will commence. Here the new company promises the very best talent. At 10.15 dance music will follow until 11.30.

Station 2BL will open at 8.15 after 2FC has completed its early session. From I*2 to 1 p.m. music will be brdadcast for the early business dinner hour. When 2FC dinner music starts at 1 p.m., 2BL will discuss news items.

COMMONWEALTH STATISTICS.

License statistics for the Commonwealth up to the end of May,. when there were 298,551 licensed listeners, indicate that there will be at least £lBO,OOO annually available for national broadcasting in z Australia as from this month, when the company appointed recently by the Federal Government as the contractors for the supply of news and entertainment programmes takes over the stations 2FC, 3LO and 2BL. The other stations will be transferred when their permit expires, or possibly before that under mutual arrangement. New South Wales, with its 98,550 licensed listeners, shows an increase of over 22,000 for the past 12 months, while Victoria, with 143,344, increased by only 6832. It would seem that saturation point has been reached in Victoria; or i' may be that numerous listeners are discarding crystal sets and have not replaced them with valve re•erers.

That happened in New South Wales about two years ago, when listeners in Mosman and North Sydney gave up crystal sets in disgust because of the interstation interference caused by 2GB. The same thing happened in the eastern suburbs where the proximity of 2BL made it impossible to receive 2FC and ether stations.

Since then there has been a steady increase in the popularity of selective valve receivers, which eliminate interstation interference. The joint control of 2FC and 2BL enabled better and more varied programmes to be put on the air, with the result that the radio trade in Sydney has steadily improved and the number of licensed listeners increased.

Queensland has now 24,681 licenses, an increase of 54 for the month; South Australia, 23.573; Western Australia, 3799, an increase of 32; and Tasmania, 4604.

The new contractors will be allowed 12s per annum in respect of each licensed listener. The minimum amount available on last month’s license figures would be £179.000, but the average increase in licenses last year was about 3000 monthly, so the contractors’ payments Mould increase at the ratio of £lBOO jjjonthly during the currency of the contract, which is for a period of three

WIRELESS PROGRAMMES

NEW ZEALAND STATIONS. IYA, Auckland. —3 p.m. afternoon session; 4, literary selection; 4.8, studio items; 4.25, sports results to hand; 6, children’s session; 7, talk, Mr. Frank Sutherland; 7.15, new and market reports; 7.40, talk Rev. H. A. G. Clarke; 8, chimes; 8.1, overture; 8.9, vocal quartet, Clarion Quartet; 8.13, instrumental, studio trio; 8.22 bass solo, Mr. Duncan Black; 8.26, Grand organ and cornet, Arnold Grier; 8.30, vocal duet, Miss A. McGriier and Mr. J. Simpson; 8.34, violin solos, Miss Ina Bosworth; 8.38, lec-ture-recital, Mrs. Daisy Basham and Mr. William Gemmell-; 8.53, selection; 8.57, tenor selection, Mr. J. Simpson; 9.1, weather report; 9.3, talk, Mr. A. B. Chappell, M.A.; 9.18, soprano solo, Miss Alma McGruer; 9.22, Russian folk song; 9.26, vocal duet, Miss Beryl Smith and Mr. I D. Black; 9.30, instrumental, studio trio; > 9.39, lecture-recital, Mrs. D. Basham and Mr. W. Gemmell; 9.51, contralto solo, I Miss Beryl Smith; 9.54, orchestral, Chic- I ago Symphony Orchestra; 9.58, vocal | quartet, Clarion Quartet; 10.2, close down.

2YA, Wellington.—3.l, selected gramophone items; 3.40, relay; 4, selected gramophone items; 4.30, sports results to hand; 5, children’s session; 6, dinner session; 7, news session, market reports and sports results; 7.40, lecturette, Mr. Dan McKenzie; 8, chimes; special presentation by the Etude Quartet of the musical comedy “The Cabaret Girl”; 8.1, overture, orchestra; 8.9, baritone solo, Mr. Ray Kemp; 8.13, pianoforte solo, Miss Eileen Goodson; 8.20, contralto solo, Mrs. Ray Kemp! 8.24, humour, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Russell; 8.31, selection, orchestra; 8.39, vical duet, Mr. Will Hancock and Mrs. Ray Kemp; 8.43, tenor solo, Mr. Will Hancock; 8.47,' instrumental, Victor Olof Sextet; 8.51, soprano solo, Miss Gretta Stark; 8.55, instrumental, orchestra: 9.3, weather report; 9.5, soprano solo, followed by soprano and tenor duet, Miss Gretta Stark and Mri Will Hancck; 9.9, vocal duet, Mr. .and Mrs. Raj Kemp; 9.13, violin solos, Fritz Kreisler; 9.21, humour, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Russell; duet, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Russell; 9.28, cornet and trombone duet with orchestral accompaniment; ■ 9.32, vocal duct, Messrs. Will Hancock and Ray Kemp; 9.36, baritone solo with chorus, Mr. Ray Kemp and Etude Quartet; 9.40, chorus, Etude Quartet; 9.44, Grand organ solos. Edwin H. Lemare; 9.52, instrumental, orchestra; 10, close! down.

3YA, Christchurch. —3 p.m., afternoon session; 4.25, sports results to hand; 6, children’s session; 7, news session; 8, chimes; studio concert by the Commercial Travellers’ Male Choir and concert party; 8.1, overture (rebroadcast of 2YA, Wellington); 8.9, part song, male choir; 8.14, soprano solos, Miss Merle i Parry; 8.21, instrumental, Savoy Orj pheans; 8.25, recital, Mr. A. E. Romerill; 8.31, bass solo, Mr. W. H. Taylor; 8.35, Xylophone solo, Victor Sterling; 8.39, part song, male choir; 8.44, baritone solo, Miss Maggie Richardson; 8.57, sea song, Mr. W. Toomey; 8.48, violin solo, Mr. Robert L. Clarke; 8.53, contralto solo, Mr. W. Drake; 9.1, medley, Savoy Orpheans; 9.5, weather report; 9.10, part son, male choir; 9.14, medley, Savoy Orpheans; 9.17, baritone solos, Mr. K. W. Connor; 9.24, mezzo-soprano solo, Miss Merle Parry; 9.28, xylophone slo, Victor Sterling; 9.32, recital, Mr. A. E. Romerill; 9.37, tenor solo, Mr. G. W. Parry; 9.41, selection, Scvoy Orpheans; 9.45, part song, male choir; 9.49, contralto solo, Miss Maggie Richardson; 9.52, violin solo, Mr. Robert L. Clarke; 9.57, baritone solo, Mr. W, Toomey; part

song, male choir; 10, dance programme 4YA, Dunedin. —3.1 p.m. selected gramophone items; 3.15, talk on “Fashions” by Miss Buccleuch; 4.25, sports results to hand; 6, children’s session; 7, news session; 8, chimes; 8.1, overture, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; 8.5, presentation by the 4YJ Harmonists of the song cycle “More Daisies”; 8.40, instrumental, 4YA Broadcasting Trio; 8.46, recitals, Mr. Lester Moller; 8.56, orchestral, mandolin band; 9.4, weather report; 9.6, violin solo, Miss Eva Judd; 9.11, tenor solo, Mr. H. A. Johnston; 9.15, relay; 9.25, chorus, Grand Irmler Choir; 9.29, instrumental; 9.35. soprano solo, Miss Mae Matheson; 9.39, pianoforte solo, Mrs. Ernest Drake, 9.44, recital, Mr. Lester Moller; 9.50, ’cello solo, Mr. P. J. Palmer; 9.54, band selection; 10.2, close down. AUSTRALIAN STATIONS. . ' 2FC Sydney.—7.ls p.m., children’s session; 8.0, news, markets, and-sports results; 8.40, dinner music; 9.30, selected programme of concert items. 2BL Sydney.—7.ls p.m., children’s session; 8.0, news and sports results; 8.10, dinner music; 8.40, market reports; 8.55, advertising talks and studio items; 9.30, selected programme by the Marrickville Silver Band and assisting artists. 3LO Melbourne.—7.ls p.m., children’s session; 8.35, news and market reports; 9.16, lecturettes; 9.30, selected programme of vocal, instrumental and other items. 4QG Brisbane. —7.30 p.m., general news; 7.35, dinner music; 7.55, commercial; 8.0, children’s session; 8.30, news, markets and lecturette; 9.30, classical programme by the Richmond party; 10.30, selected studio programme; 11.0, impromptu programme by the Citizens’ Band.