ON THE BROADCAST BAND

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20930, 8 January 1938, Page 17

ON THE BROADCAST BAND

About 4400 schools—one In sevenin England and Wales listen to the 8.8. C. educational sessions.

The last remaining block at the Auckland Hospital the infectious diseases ward—is being fitted with a modern radio plant. Ninety points are being Installed and the work will be completed before Christmas.

In order to reduce the effects of electrical interference in England, it is proposed to issue a special “mark” for attachment to electrical apparatus to signify either that it is Incapable of producing “noise” or that the amount produced will be below the limit of tolerable interference.

Many people have noticed that 4ZB is stronger here than 3ZB. This is noticeable as far north as Rangltata Mouth, though the airline distance is about twice as great to Dunedin as to New Brighton. The explanation probably is that while 3ZB has a land route to Rangitata, 4ZB’s waves travel mainly over sea.

While the installation of noise reducing aerial systems, built especially for a certain receiver, is often beneficial, many experimenters Install inefficient systems in relatively noisefree areas. In such instances much better reception can usually be secured with an open-type aerial. The set owner can demonstrate to his own satisfaction whether or not he is securing the best reception possible from his aerial. The coupler, if any, at the receiving end should be disconnected from the transmission line lead-in and from the set. If the receiver is provided with two aerial terminals and one ground terminal, the aerial terminal nearest the earth terminal should be connected to the earth terminal and an earth connection made to the earth terminal. Compare the operation with the usual system. Dis-

connect the earth and make a second test. A third and final comparison should be made with the ground still disconnected and the two leads-in connected to the earth terminal. The foregoing simple tests will often disclose a much more effective pick-up system in districts where noise is not too pronounced.

In glancing over a weekly paper a little more than a year old, the following paragraph came under notice:— “In the past our political representatives have been judged by doctored newspaper reports; in the future they will be judged by the people by what they hear over the air." Well, the people have had the opportunity of judging, and now of reflecting, and it is not easy to escape the conviction that the oratorical prestige of Parliament has suffered through broadcasting This view is not born of political prejudice, as it seems that each side has appeared to equal disadvantage. It seems that there are not a dozen good speakers in the House, and few of the big majority who are lacking in oratorical gifts make up the deficiency in logic. Tiresome repetition is a feature of very many speeches, and it appears ridiculous to hear a speaker who has taken half an hour to ramble through what could have been better said in ten minutes, granted an extension of time—at £6O per hour. It is not expected of Parliament that it should be a brains trust, but judged by its performances over the air it is not even a good talkshop.

When Mr Shelley’s Conservatorium of music and the spoken arts gets under way, it would be a good idea il all new announcers, and some old ones, were required to go through a course there. The opening of the commercial stations has let loose a flood of new announcers, most of whom one judges to be young. Apparently they have been selected largely on their voices. Many have pleasing voices, but few have more than an elementary idea of how to use them effectively. This is particularly noticeable in their presentation of advertising matter. These announcers, like those at the YA stations, have entered the professional arena, and their listeners are entitled to professional service. A few of the announcers are really good, and occasionally one hears a “contributor” who ranks high as a speaker—one notable instance was an Omar Khayyam recital by the Member for Timaru—but the good ones make the contrast more striking. The speech school could be used with advantage by many parliamentarians also. Large numbers of listeners base their pronunciation ott what they hear over the air, and it is desirable that care should be exercised in turning poor speakers loose at the microphone. Not long ago a public appeal contained such crudities as sociatlon for association, liberery for liberally, noo for new, doorin for during, as for has, underd for hundred and so on.

3YA once had an “Uncle” who mistakenly believed that he had a singing voice, but he was a Caruso compared with one heard recently from 4—. But no, this is the season of peace and goodwill, and he may not try again.

A new set of regulations issued by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation prohibits political broadcasts on an election day and on the two days immediately preceding an election. Where political broadcasts are permitted; time on the air must be fairly allocated between parties and candidates.

A certain amount of commercial broadcasting by privately-owned stations is still permitted in Canada, but advertising of spirituous liquors, wine and beer is forbidden. Such a ban would make a lot of difference to Australian B stations. Fortune-tellers, crystal-gazers and "psychics” are banned in Canada, but one Sydney station conducts regular sessions by “thoughtreader.”

Two or three weeks ago a gentleman who gives “talks” over the air conveyed the impression that these were extempore affairs—it was seldom, he said, that he had ten minutes to spare to sit down and think of what he could say. But when an objection was raised to something alleged to be contained in one of these talks a “script” was forthcoming as evidence for the defence.

IZM now operates from a new transmitter at Henderson, where lYA’s transmitter is housed. Two studios, a control room and an office have been built in the floor below the studios of IYA and IYX in the National Broadcasting Service’s building in Shortland Street, and from there all future broadcasting is to be done. Mr W. W. Rodgers is to remain in charge of the station and will act as programme organiser. The new transmitter was built in the workshops of the National Broadcasting Service.

More variety appears to have been introduced into the recorded music broadcast by the commercial

stations. This was very ngeessary as it would not have been possible to hold listeners with the type of record that was featured when the stations opened, but it will be interesting to see how the lowbrows react to music bordering at time on “heavy.” In an endeavour to cater for a wider circle of listeners, the commercials will soon be up against the same problems as have faced the nationals.

English school teachers’ criticisms of 8.8. C. educational sessions have been endorsed by the London inspectors. Among the objections mentioned are that broadcasters talk too much and too quickly, and use too many big words. The "8.8. C. accent” is not appreciated, and it is asserted that the speech of the broadcasters is not superior to that of the average London teacher. It is demanded that broadcast lessons should be fascinating, dramatic, coloured, and new, whatever that may mean.

Quite a lot has been said concerning the possibilities of a short-wave station to tell the world what New, Zealand, or the New Zealand Government, is doing. Whether the world would listen is doubtful, and a high-powered S.W. station would cost £50,000 or more. A good deal could be done in the way of telling the world by means of recordings. This plan has been adopted to advertise the sesqui-centen-ary celebrations of New South Wales. About a thousand different records have been made and copies are being distributed to radio stations all over the world, and it is expected that scores of millions of people will hear about the celebrations.

Australian National programmes are built up by sections from the different capitals—Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart. This is made practicable by a comprehensive system of landlines, totalling considerably over 3000 miles, specially Installed by the Post Office, which controls the mechanical side of broadcasting for the A.B.C. When the special channel is not adequate, use is made of the ordinary telephone circuits. Line "losses” over long distances are made good by repeater stations which restore signal strength. For example between Sydney and the relay station 2NR at Grafton there are three repeaters, which, in addition to boosting up the signals, correct the tendency for higher frequencies to lose balance with the lower ones. Servicing of the lines to keep insulators and other equipment in good condition is a big task, but a satisfactory job appears to be made of it, as without a programme it is not possible to detect from which city a particular session is being presented. With a revenue of over £300,000 per annum there seems no reason why the New Zealand National Service cannot install special relay lines to replace the present rough and rowdy rebroadcasts.