Radio Noise During Premier's Speech

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 36, 5 November 1937, Page 4

Radio Noise During Premier's Speech

Our Own CorreBponctent.)

PARLIAMENT DEBATE Member Alleges "Jamming" and Urges Inquiry TRANSMITTER FAULT

(From

WELLINGTON, This Day. An allegation that the speech made by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, on the Broadcasting Amendment Bill last night was to n certain extent "jammed" was made by Mr. A. S. Kiehards (Government, Roskill) when speaking later in the debate in the House of Representatives, 'JChe Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adain Hamilton, immediately denied that the Opposition knew anything o£ the cause of the occurrence, "I am inforffied,'* said Mr. Ricbards, ~ who was the 'next Government speaker after the Prime Minister, "that whilo the Prime Minister was speaking tonight there was an oscillation in the form-of a humming sound interforihg with the broadcast, and it is sigtiificanf that it ceased as soon. as the Prime Minister resumed his seat. I will leave the members of the Opposition to draw their own conclusions about the cause rf the disturbance. The ummbe.7 for Hurunui, the Rt. Hon. G, W. Forbes, who followed Mr. Savage, had the bfefiefib of being broadcast from the two national stations without. any tnterference." Mr. Forbes : Do you think I did itf point of Order. Mr. Hamilton rose to % ' point ot order. "The member for Roskill lnade a very serious charge, and I want to know what the Prime Minister ia going to do about it,"he said. "The member for Roskill said someone had been interfering with the wireless from this House, and I suppose he wants to blame the Opposition. We know nothing about it, and I think it is Up to the Prime Minister to have an inquiry right away." The Speaker, the Hon, W. E. Barnard said that if what had been stated by Mr; Richards was true it was a serious matter, but at the moment h'e could- enly point out that Mr. Richards had made no charge against the Opposition or against any member of the House. He was afraid that the matter could not be dealt with at that stage, Rising to a point of order at a later stage in the debate, the PostmasterGeneral, the Hon. F. Jones, said that at 8,17 p.m. a fault had developed in the transmitter at Titahi Bay, _and a loud hum had developed. A few minutes later a fuse blew out and the station ceased to function, so the Pariiamentary broadcast was immediately transferred to 2YO. ' Cause of the Fault. When Press inquiriea were maae/ « Stution,2YA into the cause "of the'interrupted transmission, it was stated that a fault developed in one of the transformers of the Titahi Bay transmitter. This was -evidenced by a hum which was _ distinetly heard by those Jistening in t6 the Parliamentary broadcast. The only way to remove the noise was to stop the transmitter, but this was not done immediately as it would have meant "cutting" the Prime Minlster's speech. Finaily the fault became so bad that the transmitter had to be shut down, and the broadcast was then transferred to Station 2YC. By the time the fault had been remedied the Prime Minister had finished speaking, and the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes had been. speaking for some time. The 2YO transmission was then transferred. to 2YA and the Parliamentary broadcast resumed.