THE FLIGHT BROADCAST

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 17

THE FLIGHT BROADCAST

Hie Broadcasting's Board's arrangements for the radio description of Sir Oharlcs Kingsford Smith's lauding at *-ov*-Plymouth resulted in .1 most successful broadcast, which lus beeu the reject oi warm commendation from all quarters. The board mailo arrangen.ents for. the exclusive broadcast use of the radio messages sent out from the machine, ana. this service being highly successful, the YA stations w Sro Ible to keep a "running story" goinc all day. Shortly before the Southern Cro's vor/rY^^ all stations were linked up with that town and a first-hand, description was given' from job well. These descriptive jobs are jfar from easy. Little if anything ciin .^ prepare beforehand, and a° coo! ]^\/"fS°^ Augment aro esscu- ™, a, f,, St°r;riS t0 be llcithci- flat ,ancl dull nov ;,ovgr-colouml. - The ovent vas oxoituig enough to have carried "any speakers away, but the description .was ,neely balanced. Tho -iunounccr told all that was nccessaVv, with just enough enthusiasm to give Ins listeners a real thrill. ™i Cw-?. JTOt have been a Pleasant tin „ -T\ c cmorScncy equipment, in the midst of a great crowd liable to bo stampeded by the crisis of the show, no had to be prepared to have everything camed away; and in the blazine sun ho aus t ) lavc hcen £ar hoUor tlia * uo said he was.

Tho "outside broadcast" often presents difficult problems in mechanical arraugoment. In the case of the New Plymouth effort, the gear was carried on a motor-vehicle chartered for the purpose, and the land-line leading to it ..was buried to avoid- having it dragged about by the unhooding crowd. It will probably bo necessary for the board to acquire properly-fitted vehicles tor such' work, and it is an interesting question whether it could not profitably make its microphone van completely mobile by setting up a radiolink by means of a low-powered transmitter in the van communicating- with a _ receiver at a conveniently-placed point in the telephone system. SURPRISE ITEMS. -- The general excellence, of the Southern Cross broadcast throws into prominence the poor performance which characterises some of the1 "surprise items"" in which 2YA specialises. It is not by any means easy to find matter for these items, but that is not the point. What is wrong with them is that they give the impression that ,lhey are' a surprise not only to tho listeners but to those taking part. They arc not sufficiently prepared, they are often run -. through far too hastily, and the dialogue is_ extremely poor, in. material and in delivery. Some attempt ought to bo made to have the questions and comments:'Of the 2YA representa-tive-or party_ balance the explanation. If an expert is to give an expert reply to a question, tho question should not bo one such as an ignorant child would ask. Like some other broadcast performances, these items would be the 'better for tf'tittle critical listening on the x^art of the station management.