RADIO.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18500, 22 February 1930, Page 16 (Supplement)

RADIO.

NEWS AND NOTES (By “MICROPHONE.”) SHORT WAVE STATIONS. PHl—Good modulation and good volume. W2XAD—Great volume but mushy. KDKA—Good volume and fair modulation. GBX—Volume 0.K.. but speech is not very clear. R97—Spoilt by static. KZRM —Not as strong as usual. W6XN —Poor at present. W2XAF—Strong at times. sSW—From fair to good. Zeesen —Not very strong. VK2ME—As usual—very strong. 2BL and 2FC are coming in very much louder now. 3LO and 4QG are improving in volume. SCL is still weak. 3AR and 7ZL have gone off lately. 2GB—Very consistent. IYA—Not up to its usual standard 2YA—Fading spoils this station. 3YA—Quite good all round. 4YA—Not consistent with its modulation. 3ZC —Good volume and fair modulation. 2ZM—Up to its usual. 4ZP—Modulation and fading spoil the transmissions. 4ZL—Weak. 2ZF—Good at times. RATIO OF LICENCES TO DWELLINGS. . An interesting compilation was recently made by the Australian Broadcasting Company ascertaining the ratio of licences to dwellings in the capital cities and various states of the Common wealth. The ratio of licences to dwellings in the cities is as follows: —

The ratio for the various States dif fers slightly from that of the cities an< is as follows:

INTERESTING COMPARISONS I> BROADCASTING PROGRAMMES. The Danish broadcasting authorities took a referendum recently, and 156.592 listeners representing 60 per cent of the total number of listeners registred their opinion as follows: 37 per cent, wanted less serious and classical music than was given at pre-

sent, whilst 53 per cent, wanted more orchestral music. 33 per cent, wanted less chamber music, piano and violin solos, and 61 per cent, wanted more plays, comedies and sketches. 32 per cent, wanted less poetry and prese, and 56 per cent wanted more light, entertaining music, cabarets, etc. 30 per cent, wanted fewer talk an anguages, etc., while 32 per cent, wanted more debates and discussions on j topical subjects. 65 per cent, of the people wanted less Grand Opera, and 59 per cent, wanted more old time dance music. 20 per cent, wanted less talks on technical subjects, whilst 20 per cent, wanted more talks on soci&l, economic, and political themes. ! 19 per cent, wanted fewer talks for farmers, housewives, fashions, etc., whilst 21 per cent, wanted more news .y bulletins. This information is interesting to us n for a few months ago. the Australian Broadcasting Company impressed on ■listeners that the trend was for plays, sketches, concerted items, and that listeners preferred this type of entertain>d ment to the straight out solo items. We compared our own programmes with that of the 8.8. C., and last Sepi- tember we made a report to the effect that New South Wales gave as much i- music as the fewer talks, and that more time was devoted to Studio Productions, outside descriptions, sport--11 mg, and many other novelties. Comparing the New South Wales programmes with Denmark we find they gave 20 per cent, up to talks of an educational and utilitarian character 2gainst our 10 per cent. They gave 53 per cent, to music against our 59 per cent., and 5 per cent, to religious services against our 5.32 per cent. Taking the taste all round of Danish “ listeners, it will be noted that they ° want more music of a lighter nature, ll more plays, sketches, revue, etc., bringing their listeners more closely into line with the tastes of our own listeners. We also took the opportunity of analysing the programme of the Dig station at Hamburg, Germany. Their programme does not take definite shape until 2 p.m.. and the afternoon programme is given up to serious, classic, and orchestral music. This goes right through until 6 p.m., and is then followed by a twenty-five minutes gardening talk. At 6.25 there is another talk, and the next ten minutes is given up to weather reports and news. Then follows a recital from a Cathedral for 1* hours, bringing them up to 8.30 p.m., when a Dance Band provides the programme until 9.15. From 9.15 onwards the transmission is given up to talks, weather reports, political notes, sport, s r commercial reports, etc. Would Australian listeners put up with this kind of programme, lacking at it does varis ety and novelty? Another big station at Munich prepares a daily programme on the lines _ of Hamburg and closes down at 9.30 p.m. We next studied the programme \ of the big Parisian station. The after- . noon is given up exclusively to orches- | tral music, agricultural readings till 6 | p.m., stock exxchange till 6.30. gramoI phone records till 6.35, 7.5 litereary re- ! view, 7.20 gramophone records. 7.30 a lesson in English. 7.45 commerical news, 8 p.m. till 9.30 an opera production, when the station closes down. A comparison such as we have just made with European station leaves the ABC. in the happy position of knowing that it compares more than favourably with the big broadcasting stations of the world, when our listeners are treated to programmes which run the whole gamut of entertainment and information.

FIRESIDE EVENINGS PLEASE LISTENERS.

When the now well-known fireside evenings were first mooted at SCL, it was generally conceded that the departure from the set form of programme to which listeners had been accustomed was a bold step, but it has now proved a most successful action. After the presentation of “Granny's Birthday,” a week or two ago. listeners overwhelmed SCL with messages of congratulation ,and with this encouragement it has been decided that the "fireside concert” will be a regular feature.

Sydney 1 to 5 Melbourne .. 1 to 2 Adelaide 1 to 5 Brisbane 1 to 3 Hobart 1 to 10 Perth 1 to 22

IS tlS IU11UWS. — New South Wales 1 to 6 Victoria 1 to 3 South Australia 1 to 8 Queensland .. - 1 to 6 West Australia 1 to 23 Tasmania 1 to 13