OVER the AERIAL

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 229, 27 September 1929, Page 17

OVER the AERIAL

(By "PHONOS.")

WIRELESS NEWS FROM FAR AND NEAR.

A concert relayed from Hawera is to be broadcast by 2YA on Monday evening- V

The Hughes-Morgan boxing contest will be described from 4YA to-morrow evening.

"Belinda," by A. A. Milne, will be produced from IYA on Wednesday next, under the direction of Mr. J. Clark.

The North-South Rugby game will be described through 2YA to-morrow afternoon, and, conditions permitting, will be rebroadcast from IYA.

Religious services will be transmitted from IYA on both afternoon and evening sessions on Sunday next. The occasion is the 77th anniversary of the Beresford Street Congregational Church.

6WF, the Perth broadcasting station, passed under the control of th§ A.B.C. at the beginning of this month. This station has now come down in wavelength on to the ordinary broadcast band. Has anyone in Auckland heard it this month?

To-night at 9.15 Mr. E. Norman Torry, claimed to be a well-known English lecturer and author, is announced for an interesting talk from IYA. This variety is welcome; nothing more wearies the average listener than an endless series of talks by the same speaker.

Those who wish to tune in 2FC and who are not aware of the recent change there, should note that the wave-length of the oldest Sydney station is now 451 metres, instead of 442 as of yore. The alteration has been necessitated by the stepping down of 6WF to 435 metres.

Station PHI, Holland, operating on 16.88 metres, will be transmitting special test programmes on the following evenings, New Zealand time: — To-night, from midnight to 3.30 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday nights, at the same time.

"We will supply you with a programme of dance music in the hope that you will hold dances and the subscriptions to us," is the proposition that the North Taranaki Radio Society is putting up to listeners. 2YB, it may be explained, is a community supported station, receiving no revenue from annual licenses.

A few days ago Mr. Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia, spoke by wireless telephony from Sydney to Lord Passfield, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, at the latter's home, 50 miles from London. This epoch-making event was the first occasion on which a Dominion Minister of the Crown had spoken to a British Minister by wireless telephony.

The New Zealand broadcasting serv'.oe was under fire for a brief period last week in Parliament. Mr. Clyde Carr, M.P. for Timaru,.and formerly announcer at 3YA, ought to know something of the pvgramme end of broadcasting, and he' appealed for the Minister's influence in brightening up programmes. Mr. Nash, of Palmerston North, championed the Broadcasting Company, but urged a reduction of fees for the crystal user, and the establishment of the longpromised advisory board.

The effect of the introduction of the talkies upon picture theatre orchestras is being reflected in the realm of broadcasting. Not long ago there was voiced the complaint that it was nigh impossible to secure good talent for a broadcasting orchestra owing to the demands of the picture orchestras upon all the good instrumentalists of the city. The demand has fallen off, musicians by the score are seeking employment and— 3YA, be it noted, is now to have an octet which includes some of the bestinstrumentalists in Christcliurch. IYA, which has done more in revenue production than both of the South Island stations combined, still has a quintet!

If the 630 radio stations in the United States were financed on the British license fee plan, at the same expenditure for each station, it is estimated that the listeners of America would have to pay approximately £40,000,000 in radio taxes, or from 10 to 15 dollars a year on every radio set. Nevertheless it is not to be inferred that the American listener gets his. entertainment for nothing. He pays for it through direct and indirect radio advertising, and some of it goes on to the price of radio sets and accessories. Non-listeners who buy goods advertised over the air also pay, so the burden on the set-owner is less than it would be with a license system. Australia, according to the figures just issued,, with a sparse population and difficulties in reception, can more than stand comparison with other great countries. From the latest sources of information it is possible to- ascertain what world ratios exist. The following information concerning wireless license figures of the different countries are published:— To every 1000 population. Australia 47.9 Austria 53.31 Great Britain ... 59.48 Germany 43.92 Hungary 20.1 United States ... 68.1 The total of the Commonwealth licenses is now 305,000. If the same ratio of licenses to population were secured in New Zealand, our present total of 45,000 would be increased to nearly 70,000.

Relays of a Sunday evening are to be resumed by IYA. On October 13 the Whangarei Band will present a programme from the northern town, and this will be followed a fortnight later by a Sunday evening concert given by the Auckland Salvation. Army Band. There was a time when we had a fortnightly relay from Wellington —a most enjoyable hour, too, it was. It has been discontinued, but no reason whatever has Lcen assigned for the sudden cessation. It is a poor policy of the Broadcasting Company that fails to tak<> listeners into its confidence and give explanations which would allay discontent. NEW SCHEDULE FOR PCJ. The following revised schedule will be observed 'by station PCJ, Eindhoven, Holland, until further notice: —Every Friday, 5.30 a.m. to 7.30 a.m.; 9.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Every Saturday, 5.30 a.m. to 7JO a.m.; 11.30 a.m. -to 3.30 p.m.; 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. The a/bove are, of course, standard New Zealand times, and the necessary allowance will need to be made when daylight saving commences in this country. The 3.30 to 5.30 transmissions on Saturday afternoons are specially for New Zealand listeners. The New Zealand representatives of the station (Messrs. Philips Lamps, Ltd., Wellington) will welcome reporte of reception. NEXT MONTH'S SHOW. All space for the Auckland Radio Exhibition, which is to be opened at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 30, is now booked up; it will be a full house. During the four days and evenings, most if not all of the IYA programmes will be presented on the stage of the Town Hall, and relayed thence to the station. An invitation has been sent through the Education Board to the senior pupils of the schools, who will be admitted free during the daytime, and will have special radio lectures provided for them. It is hoped that the Hon. J. B. Donald will be able to come .north to perforin the official opening ceremony. It is probable'that during the period of the exhibition IYA will work overtime with special broadcasts. RADIO ALGEBRA. Teacher of algebra (to inattentive student) : Johnny Jones! What is the result if I add minus A to plus A? Johnny (Whose dad is a set builder): I know; a short circuit, sir!