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During the year descriptions of seventeen professional wrestling matches, and seventy-five interprovincial and interclub Rugby football matches were broadcast. At the request of the Board, the proprietors of Broadcasting Station KFI, Los Angeles, California, during the progress of the Olympic Games, transmitted daily interesting comments on Olympic events at an hour to suit reception conditions in New Zealand. It is evident from the many letters received that broadcasts of sporting events have a particular appeal to country listeners, to invalids, and to inmates of hospitals. Special Services. Among the special services may be mentioned talks on health, agriculture, gardening, and cookery. Weather forecasts were broadcast daily from the Board s four stations, and time signals twice daily from the National Station (Wellington). For the special information of wool-growers, details of the prices realized at all wool-sales were transmitted from the four stations. Some 150 appeals were broadcast during the year for information regarding missing persons or persons whose whereabouts were required on account of the serious illness of relatives. Inquiries for missing motor-vehicles which are broadcast at the request of Automobile Associations or of the Police Department totalled 280. Numerous appeals for charitable purposes were broadcast during the year, but m recent months so many were being received that it became necessary to limit the number transmitted. Religious Services. Each Sunday evening religious services were broadcast from the four stations, the arrangement of the services being in the hands of Church Advisory Committees. The introduction of a daily morning devotional service of a quarter of an hour met with general approval. Children's Hour. The children's hour was continued at all stations on the same lines as before. Many voluntary helpers assisted in the work, and various charitable causes benefited as a result of appeals broadcast during these sessions. News. The news service is regarded as being primarily a service for country listeners, and every eflort was made to include matters of interest to rural dwellers. By the courtesy of the daily newspapers in the four main cities, in addition to arrangements made by the Board itself, market reports and other items of interest to primary producers were broadcast regularly throughout the year. Technical. The main features of the scheme of development recommended by the Coverage Commission are briefly outlined hereunder : — IYA (Auckland), 3YA (Christchurch), and 4YA (Dunedin), transmitters to be replaced by modern types having 100 per cent, modulation capacity and capable of an unmodulated radiation of 1 kw. (approximately 2 kw. to 2| kw. rating). 2YA (Wellington) to be rendered more stable in operation and subsequently increased in power from 5 kw. to 10 kw. A modern self-contained emergency transmitter to be installed at 2YA. The location of the new transmitters was regarded as a matter of considerable importance by the Commission, who recommended that new sites should not be finally decided upon until test transmissions had been made by a stable portable transmitter and observations —including field strength measurements —taken thereon. . The general scheme advocated by the Commission was endorsed by the Advisory Council, and has been adopted—subject to any limitation that financial considerations may impose—by the Board. The first step taken in furtherance of the proposals was to seek advice from the manufacturers (Standard Telephones and Cables (Australasia), Ltd.) of the transmitter at 2YA. The services of this company's expert engineer from overseas were made available, and the plant was carefully overhauled and some improvements effected. The engineer referred to is to submit a report indicating whether it is possible and economical to modernize the existing transmitter at 2YA. The Board having decided that the transmitter at 3YA should be the first one replaced, a portable testing transmitter was purchased from Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd., and is already being used for the purpose of site-testing in the Christchurch area. Tender for the supply of a modern transmitter for Christchurch, as recommended by the Coverage Commission, close on 11th February, 1933. A self-contained emergency transmitter (power 200 watts aerial energy) has been ordered tor 2YA, and will be ready for operation early in 1933. The successful tenderers were the Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd. . Tenders were called, and an order has been placed for a field-strength measuring-set to be used in conjunction with the portable testing transmitter. Standard Telephones and Cables (Australasia), Ltd., are supplying this apparatus. . During the year modern practice was followed in adjusting the acoustical properties of the existing studios at Auckland and Wellington with beneficial results. Adjustments and alterations have been made to the studio and transmitting equipment at the Board's four stations, with a view to obtaining the best reproduction possible from the existing plant. Although reception from the Empire short-wave station at Daventry has been disappointing, it is hoped that as the season advances, better conditions will obtain and the rebroadcasting of speech will be practicable.

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