F.—3

There would not be any great variation in the above percentages week by week throughout the year, except in the case of the percentage time devoted to sporting commentaries. In the winter sports season the time used in broadcasting sporting commentaries would be much greater than that shown in the above analysis. National Broadcasting Stations Recordings. The recording facilities of the Service continue to prove an increasingly valuable adjunct. The studios are engaged daily in recording plays and programmes written by overseas and New Zealand authors. Talks and news bulletins broadcast from the 8.8.C. are recorded regularly, either for their historic value or for broadcasting at times more convenient to New Zealand listeners than the original transmission. Recordings are also made of interesting events in New Zealand and of talks by local speakers on New Zealand subjects. The possession of these recording facilities also enables the Service to record talks by important persons who are not long enough in the Dominion to appear before the microphone at the necessary time for broadcasting. Recordings have been made of a number of ceremonies, particularly in connexion with the departure of forces for overseas which have not been available for broadcasting but have been deposited in the records library for future purposes. The Service's library of recordings made in New Zealand or by the broadcasting unit with the Forces now contains many thousands of records, and it is impossible to overestimate the future value of these recordings for programmes, anniversary celebrations, historical, and educational purposes. " The New Zealand Listener." The Listener has continued throughout the year to print advance programmes of all stations, national and commercial, and to provide publicity for broadcasting services generally. The war has necessarily affected its general reading pages, and one of the chief developments since the last annual report has been its closer association month by month with the war work of the 8.8.C. In this connection it has made available to thousands, who would otherwise not have seen them in print, some of the more important war talks broadcast from London and elsewhere. Another interesting service has been the publication in advance of the broadcast signalling instruction for Air Force trainees. Similar service in the field of education is the printing of the French lessons broadcast for post-primary-school pupils. As a necessary wartime measure, the Journal was reduced in size during the year from fifty-six to forty-eight pages. Relations with Overseas Organizations. The relations of the National Broadcasting Service with the 8.8.C. have been close and cordial. The Service is greatly indebted to the Corporation for permission to rebroadcast its transmissions from the Empire stations, and for the Corporation's broadcasts from England of matter prepared in New Zealand for the New Zealand Forces overseas. The National Broadcasting Service was able to reciprocate these courtesies in a small degree by undertaking to prepare from cabled information and distribute in New Zealand bulletins of advance information on weekly programmes to be broadcast from the Empire Stations of the 8.8.C. At the request of the 8.8.C., commentaries on New Zealand affairs were cabled periodically to London for broadcasting by the Corporation, while at the Corporation's request a programme entitled " The New Zealand Front," giving in dramatic form details of New Zealand's war effort, was written and recorded by our Service and sent to England for broadcasting by the 8.8.C. The Service is grateful to the Australian Broadcasting Commission for assistance in relaying by radio-telephone to England—programmes for our New Zealand Forces, and for information and other services they have placed at the disposal of the Service. During the year Mr. Robert McCall, an officer of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, spent a few days in New Zealand en route to the 8.8.C. to act as programme organizer for the Pacific transmission. The officers of the Service discussed fully with Mr. McCall ideas and suggestions regarding the Pacific and other transmissions from the 8.8.C. The British Ministry of Information made available for broadcasting in New Zealand a number of excellent recorded features in connection with the war, such as " The Shadow of the Swastika," " The Eagle under the Sea," " War in the Ether," " The Patrol of the Salmon," " The Seige of Warsaw," " The Land We Defend," " Marching to Victory," " London after Dark," " London Carries On," and " London Under Fire." Technical. it has not been possible to proceed with development work on studios or transmitting-stations, but plans are made so. that as soon as circumstances permit the work can go ahead. The wonderful advancement in long-distance short-wave transmission in recent years has been illustrated by the reception of the London news during the year. On every day in the year the bulletins have been received, and on almost every day the reception has been intelligible five times each day. The Department's receiving-station near Wellington keeps a listening watch on the Empire stations, and facilities are provided for recording at any time, day or night, speeches by notable persons, topical talks, or other programme matter of interest to Dominion listeners. The broadcasting unit, with three officers, was despatched to the Middle East to operate with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and arrived, there at the end of last winter. The unit got to work at once, and a regular supply of recordings has been received, to which reference has been made above. The work of the Radio Research Committee has been restricted to such work as has a direct bearing 011 the prosecution of the war. Other classes of research have had to be suspended because no suitable staff could be spared.

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