RADIO

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21362, 3 June 1939, Page 10

RADIO

ON THE BROADCAST BAND i, * "Germany, the Bulwark of Europe," was the title of a talk In English from Berlin last Saturday. Just as well the Czechs do not understand English.

“Music from the Theatre—a series of imaginary broadcasts re-creating the atmosphere of the theatre.” There is very little left to the imagination so far as this atmosphere is concerned, and the "technique” is years out of date.

The Chinese station at Chungking (the temporary seat of government) can be heard on the 25-metres band from about 10 p.m., news in English being broadcast between 11 and 11.30. This transmitter was to have been installed three years ago. but the activities of tlie Japanese made that impossible.

Everybodj' has heard of Christopher Stone, even if only in the Western brothers’ satire. For years C.S. ran a recorded session for the 8.8.C.—0r was it for the manufacturers? After some time it was decided that listeners had heard enough of Christopher and he

was dropped. Now he is back again at the old pitch, telling people the records he thinks they should buy. Saturday: IYA wrestling, 2YA, 3YA and 4YA dance music; Sunday, 2YA, “Macbeth,” 3YA, “Man of Destiny”; Monday, IYA, boxing, 2YA and 4YA. wrestling. Then Eb and Zeb, Mittens, Coronets of England, Night Nurse, Woman in White, Dad and Dave, Rich Uncle, Westward Ho, Singapore Spy, Grand Hotel, Silver Greyhound arid a score more of serials—and they are called concert programmes.

The 8.8. C., in its news broadcasts is speaking in six foreign tonges—Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Italian—and in Arabic, in particular, it is giving more than mere news. It has already broadcast an ode to Shakespeare by the greatest modern Arabic poet. It has shown its listeners how the Derby could scarcely be run and won but for the blood of horses imported centuries ago from the Arab lands. It has given talks to women listeners. It is shortly to broadcast a series of English lessons. But in the main it has been concerned to te'l in different languages the sober truth about world events.

A well-known Australian dance band leader has become involved in the interminable argument on crooning. As one Mr Crosby has become famous and rich as an exponent of this art, and is acclaimed king of the crooners, it is natural that he is the centre of controversy. The main contention of the dance band man in his championship of Crosby is that he always sings in tune. The objection of most people who dislike Bing (as an entertainer) is that he does not sing, or, if his peculiar form of vocalisation is singing, that it is tuneless. However, there are abundant signs that the moaners have had their day. and in a few years time the N.B.S. will probably arrive at a realisation of that fact.

The best thing the N.B.S. has done for some time was to secure Richard Crooks—on his last visit the YA’s were beaten to it by the commercials. Crooks, although an American, sings the King’s English, and is one of the few vocalists who sounds as pleasant in flesh and blood as on celluloid. The big tenor is still in his prime, and does not need a skilful orchestral build-up. The broadcast last week was particularly enjoyable—until the announcer felt constrained to speak his piece. It Is much better business to engage a celebrity brought to New Zealand by private enterprise, then to spend a lot of money on importing inferior artists for a tour of the stations.

In a review of television, Sir Stephen Tallents, 8.8. C. Controller of Public Relations, said that the future of the home service was now assured—“the pace of its establishment alone remains in dpubt. Beyond that,” he continued, ■‘possibilities of great interest are being explored In public debate—the possibility in particular of the adoption of television in cinemas. Here the future is not yet clear. A great variety of legitimate Interests are involved—the manufacturers of television equipment for places of public entertainment, the promoters of outstanding events, th? film producers and distributors, the owners of cinemas, the artists and authors and performers among them Some of these Interests have hastened to express their hopes and views Others, and those not the least important. are still silent. Not all the views which have been publicly expressed are in harmony; and the 8.8 C. believes that It is taking the wise and public-spirited course in concentrating on the development of that now certain success—home television—and at the s me time co-operating, as real and promising opportunities occur, in experiments which may shed light on what is bound for some time yet to be a complex problem."

A League of Nations bureau for supplying all countries with recorded talks on international, artistic and scientific affairs might go a long way towards creating the right atmosphere for durable peace, is the view of the secretary of the Australian League of Nations Union. Maybe, but it would be one-way traffic. Can anybody imagine Hitler allowing anything of the kind to be radiated from Nazi stations? At present radio is the first arm of offence of many nations, not the greatest factor in the propagation of peace.

Believe it or not, it seems that one of the most popular quarter-hours on New Zealand radio schedules is that devoted to recorded hymns at the opening of Big Brother Bill's children’s service each Sunday. On every hand one hears evidence in support of this, not from children, and in many cases from non-churchgoers. One lady who is a churchgoer, and a devout one, has suggested that the daily devotional services would make a deeper impression if recordings of the type featured by Brother Bill were sometimes substituted for the sermonette.

Not so many years ago, commercial stations, with characteristic modesty, were proclaiming the impending bankruptcy of newspaper proprietaries as a result of the entry of radio into the

publicity field. It is interesting, therefore, to read that radio has just taken second place as a publicity medium. That means that wireless has forged ahead of screen, hoarding and other forms of advertising at the expense of which it has progressed. So far from being forced into the background, the printed word and picture still command their 70 odd per cent, of the world’s expenditure on publicity.

Those hundreds of thousands of listeners who dive for the station selector at the merest mention of Snake Gully appear to be ignorant of the fact that they are missing a remarkable human document. Following the announcement that the denizens of the Gully are typical of the people who made Australia what she is to-day, we are told that Dad, “gruff old farmer, is one of the most human characters of radio.” Mum “might be placed in any setting, and still be a model of womanliness.” And Dave ... but perhaps it would be wiser to leave it at that.

The application of the vibrator principle to battery sets has had unexpected results. The vibrator is a device for converting six-volt current from an accumulator into hightension current suitable for the plate supply of a receiver, the purpose being to eliminate bulky and expensive B on a single A battery or a wet accumulator. The only drawback is the batteries and to enable a set to run heavier drain on the accumulator, a rather serious affair in outback places where it is not easy to get batteries recharged. To facilitate home charging, manufacturers designed small power units driven by petrol. The earliest of these were two-stroke engines running

at high speed, able to operate a six-volt generator. Now there are available four-cycle motors capable of generating 250 to 300 watts of power, which will not only charge an accumulator but will light half a dozen 50-watt lamps. These home-power units, which cost about Ud. per hour to run, are enjoying a good sale in the outbacks of Australia.