THE CHURCH AND RADIO.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19175, 5 December 1927, Page 11

THE CHURCH AND RADIO.

BROADCASTING SERVICES. CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. Interesting developments in connexion with broadcasting Church services in general, and our own (Jliurch m particular, are occurring tno "Lnurcli j.News>"). Tlic ■broadcasting company is convening coiuerencos ot ilio various "denoniinations" in each centre to ascertain their views on the distribution of broadcasting privileges and on the kind of service to be broadcast. The Christchurch conference is to bo held on December Oth and (standing Committee, at the request of the Bishop, last month appointed Archdeacon Taylor and the itev. C. A. Fraer to represent the diocese. On the other hand, there is an important development in the Auckland scheme for a separate Anglican broadcasting station. The Auckland Diocesan Standing Committee came to the conclusion that the proposal for a diocesan station was too big for it to handle and recommended the formation of a private Association for the purpose. This has now been done, under the title of "The Anglican Broadcasting Association of N.Z. (Incorporated)" with Archbishop Averill as patron, Rev. C. A B. Watson as president and Canons Grant-Cowen and P. James, Revs. Gordon Bell and H. M. Smyth (hon. general secretary), Messrs N. E. Burton and H. R. Robinson (hon. treasurer), as Council. The Council has acted with promptitude, having already obtained allotment, of the twin wavelengths of 230 and 33 metres, and it will probably bo the first station to adopt this system of broadcasting. In a letter to Archdeacon Taylor, Mr Smyth says that tho dual system of wavelengths will enable tliem to solve the dead spot difficulty and further will enable the Auckland station to reach out to the distant outposts of the Dominion—Fiji, Samoa and throughout the Pacific; and so far as the Dominion is concerned, the further off tho hearers are the cheaper the receiver required to receive the Church station on loud-speakers. Mr Smyth says he has been developing a special type of receiver, on which he has been able to bring in full loud-speaker volume on two valves over distances exceeding 2000 miles. The power suggested is 500 watts, equal to Auckland IYA, such power being necessary to give satisfactory day-and-night service. The cost will be about £BOOO, annual maintenance of station between £4OOO and £SOOO. If the financial'support is insufficient, a smaller powered station, say 250 watts, could be installed, capable of extension without, scrapping the original plant. To finance it the Council is inviting donations to capital and annual subscriptions to maintenance of not less than £1 to give membership of the Association. It is proposed to broadcast much more than Church services—matter such as Scriptural and other religious teaching, lectures on Church history, information on the Church's social work, good Church music, and special messages from prominent Church people. Such a private station is already operated very efficiently in Sydney by the Theosophical Society, with a power of 3000 watts, six times the size of Auckland. In Canada and the U.S.A. the Roman Catholics, Christian Scientist, and other religious bodies have their own stations, sending out what teaching they choose, and the day is not distant when they will operate in Australia and New Zealand. The Jesuits own and operate several ,of tho largest stations in U.S.A.. with 5000 watts capacity. The Auckland Association may therefore prove to have. acted with great faith and foresight in securing so early the desirable twin wave-lengths for the Church of England. Tho Company's Position. The Broadcasting CnniDany have limitations placed by their license on what they may broadcast and ha<ve to act as censors on controversial matter. Consequently, in broadcasting a service by relay from a church, they may at any time feel, obliged to do here what has been done in Australia, cut the speaker off and tell the public, "The speaker having ceased to speak on controversial matter, relay will now be resumed." This has not yet occurred in New Zealand, but it illustrates the Company's difficulty—and what makes broadcasting from a public station so limited in value to a Church which believes its teaching worth anything at all. The Company must devise services "suitable for all listeners," which under present condi--lions means an anaemic service. The Company favours a '"studio" service rather than reJay of a Church service for acoustic reasons; such services also being possible to arrange so as not to clash with Church services of disturb Church attendance, at least as to time. Hitherto no definite method of ar ranging the order in which the "denominations" have their turn in broadcasting has been settled. It is known that Archbishop Averill, on behalf of the Auckland Diocese, has advocated allocation on the basis of census membership. Mr Harris, of the Broadcasting Company, says in a memo, to the conference referred to, that others advocate allocation by the number _ of churches, others on strict rotation, irrespective of members. The Christchurch Clerical Society talked the mater over at its November meeting. There were some who were very insistent that the Church should have nothing to do with broadcasting, either through the public station or the private, but most appeared to agree that with broadcasting as nn established fact, whether it prejudiced Church attendance or not, its use by the Church should be considered seriously and tho whole subject explored with an open mind. The present haphazard method of arranging broadcasts was clearly disapproved, and a desire for regulation expressed. Preference was naturally enough expressed for the allocation of broadcast privileges on a basis proportional to denominational strength. The "studio" service was clearly disapproved. (Incidentally, emphatic complaint was made against the continual broadcasting of S.S. anniversary services on Sunday afternoons, as unfair to the other Sunday schools whose scholars were thus encouraged to remain away from S.S.).

The Auckland scheme was discussed and the 6bvious difficulty of centralisation in Auckland mentioned, but no definite opinion was arrived at. The Rev. R. Xewcombe, as the mover of th«> reiolufcion in Synod advocating a Diocesan station, said that he had had no idea that Auckland's proposals had none so Far as they had, and no intention of proposing a rival station to Auckland's: but he was not prepared without further consideration to say that the Christchurch local Church station scheme should be dropped in favour of Auckland's. There were too many advantages for the Diocese in the local scheme if it could be financed, for it to be altogether dropped without further enquiry. Standinc Committee bas asked the Rev. C. A". Fraer and Jlr K. M. Gresson to present a report on Mr Xewcombe's proposal.