RADIO

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 197, 20 August 1931, Page 7

RADIO

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"AERIAL".)

NOTES AND NEWS. Reception Much Varied Last Night. LOS ANGELES WAS GOOD. According: to reports from listeners in a number of local suburbs, listeners owning sensitive receivers have enjoyed fairly steady, and very good loud-speaker reception of KFI, Los Angeles, and KMOX, St Louis, Missouri, recently. Last night both were again audible, but there was a marked difference in the volume of signals from the two stations; KMOX was barely audible, while KFI “ came through ” with a volume equal to that of 4YA at times. Curiously—considering the unsatisfactory conditions ruling later—there was little etheric interference with reception. New Zealand Stations. Apart from the local broadcasts, station 4YA, Dunedin, provided the clearest and steadiest reception during the evening. 3YA was very loud at times but varied considerably. 2YA was disappointingly unstable—the more so as listeners were looking forward to hearing this station’s new series of the “ international ” programmes. Mr Te Ari Pitama’s address from 3YA last night provided much food for thought. He has a good radio voice and speaks well. 3ZC’s concert programme “ came through ” quite satisfactorily. With two distinct types of programmes on the air locally, Christchurch listeners were well catered for last evening. Australian Stations. With the ether in unkindly mood last evening there were few Australian stations that could be reproduced satisfactorily until well after 9 o’clock, when a great improvement all round was noted—so far as etheric noises were concerned. 2BL sounded clearer and louder than on many evenings lately. Both 4QG and 2FC were also good. Television Still Far Off. Not only the radio trade but listener.? generally as well turn to the reports of the annual radio exhibitions held in Chicago and London to ascertain what is new in the radio world and what may be anticipated to be put on the market in the succeeding twelve months. A review of the reports of the exhibition held in Chicago la'St June show, in relation to television apparatus, very little in advance of that shown in the show of 1930. At the recent exhibition over half a dozen manufacturers displayed television sets. These ranged from elaborate consoles capable of reproducing images several inches (inches —not feet!) square to midgets giving images of two inches square. Engineers interviewed at the show predicted that receiving sets capable of reproducing images up to two feet square will be available on the market —for home use—by the end of this year. Hollis S. Baird, the inventor, is reported as having said: “ The television transmitting equipment consists of a motionpicture scanner for silent films which feeds into a bank of televising receivers consisting of the type which is now available in kit form. This type of televisor will be in production before December.” “ Predictions ” on similar lines were heard at the 1930 show and, while it is admitted that some progress has been made, those closest in touch with this branch of the art and who are not financially interested in the project agree that the time of television, so far as the ordinary broadcasting stations and the general body of listeners are concerned, is not yet—not by several years, if then! - r :' pfbGfEAMM® REVIEW. New Zealand Stations. This evening IYA will relay from the Town Hall the second of the 1931 season’s concerts to be given by the Royal Auckland Choir, under the conductorship of Dr W. E. Thomas. '’’"The major portion of the vocal items from 2YA this evening will be given by the Waiata Quartet. These ladies, who are proving very popular radio artists, n s is m is m ® @ m a si ® e a m ® is hi b a i

will be heard in quartettes, trios, duets and solos. Outstanding numbers will be “Time’s Garden,” sung by Mrs P. Ramsey, with ’cello obligato, a vocal trio with orchestral accompaniment, “ Bird Songs at Eventide,” and a quartette with orchestral accompaniment, “ Sleep, Gentle Lady.” Mr Frank Skinner (tenor) will be heard in three songs. Mr Len Ashton will amuse listeners by presenting three humorous numbers. The incidental music will be supplied by the Salon Orchestra, under Mr M. T. Dixon. The lecturer for the international programme at 3YA this evening will be Mr W. Machin, general manager of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association. He will speak on “ International Indebtedness.” Silent day at 4YA. From Sydney. “ The Apple Cart,” by G. B. Shaw, will be discussed at 8.15 to-night from 2BL by Mr R. M. Crawford, 8.A., in continuation of his series of “ English Language Talks.” At 9.10, Professor R C. Mills will lecture on “ Fingerposts in Finance—Exchange.” The first broadcast “ appearance ot the Russian Choir, conducted by William Krasnik, will be an outstanding feature of 2BL’s programme to-night. There are. 20 members in the choir—all of whom are of Russian birth, several of whom were also members of the famous Don Cossacks Choir. Other artists on the studio programme are Elaine Pennifold (violinist). Hazel Fuller (soprano), Enid Hynes (pianist) and the A.B.C. Military Band. , There are no details available regal ding 2FC’s activities. TO-NIGHT’S concerts. The wireless programmes to be broadcast to-night are as follows: 2YA, Wellington (416 m. —720 k.). 70- News session. 8.0:. Overture, Barnabas von Geczy and Orchestra, “The Student Prince” (Romberg). b.s: Tenor, Mr Frank Skinner, “ Serenade, “ Mignon.” 8.14: Waiata Quartet, “Marie,” “Fat L’ll Feller.” 8.20: 2YA Salon Orchestra, “ A Strauss Garland (arr. Winter). 8.28: Humour, Mr Len Ashton, “ Misery Farm,” “ I Think of You, Dear.” 8.34: Zither, George Freundorfer, “ Isar Waves.” 8.37: Soprano, Miss Lalla Vondersloot, “ Dream Tryst,” “ The Land of the Sky Blue Water.” 8.43: Zonophone Light Company, “ Maritana ” Vocal , 8.50: Orchestra, “Vox Maris” (Elliott), “Grasshopper’s Dance” (Buccalossi). 9.0: Weather report. 9.2: Grand Russian Balalaika Orchestra, “ Russian Reminiscences " (Miehailowsky). 9.8: Humour, Mr Len Ashton, “ It’s Bound to Come in Useful Later On." 9.12: Contralto, Mrs P. Ramsey, “ Hills,” “Time s Garden.” 9.18: Orchestra, “The Poets Dream.” “Reverie.” 9.26: Mr Skinner, “My Dream of Love." 9.30: Duets, Miss Nora Gray and Miss Mollie Fenton, “Jack and Jill,” “Crying Water/. 9.36: Orchestra, “Spanish Serenade” (Wright), “Spinning Song” (Mendelssohn). 9.44: Trio, Misses Gray and Fenton and Mrs Ramsey, “ Bird Songs at Eventide”; Waiata Quartet. “Sleep Gentle Lady.” 9.50: Orchestra, “Reconciliation” (Fleteher), “Latest Dance Novelties.” 10.0: Close. 3YA, Christchurch (306m.—980k.). 7.0: News session. 7.30: Talk, Mr J. M. Barnett (Superintendent of Reserves), “Forestry.” 8.0: Specially recorded International Programme—Dr Eugene Ormandy and his Salon Orchestra; International Singers; Abroad with the Lockharts; weather forecast and station notices; international talk, Mr W. Machin, “International Indebtedness”; Ambassadors of Melodyland; Hywide and Plandsome; Nat Brusiloff and his Lido Venice Orchestra: close.