Hastings Children's Radio Sessions

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 58, 1 December 1937, Page 6

Hastings Children's Radio Sessions

"BETTER SESSIONS."

8ir,— I think it is high ' time that eomehody expressed their "views about the programines put . over the air by "Uncle Ed.," "Aunt Gwen" and their Radio. Circle. Every time their sessions are discussed any whexe . you hear the same views. "I\do wish 'Uncle Ed.' would not talk so much. He forgets it is a children's session." Children's sessions! That in itself is a farce. Some of the entertainers are old enough to know hetter than to put across the "tripe" "they do. Oue boy ^ as a matter of faet, is 19 years of age. Now, I have always maintained that people do not expeet perfeet entertainment. However, they do expect to hear young children, say up to 13 years of age, in a children's session. I know the majority of people would prefer to hear a simple piece sung or recited by an unaffected child to a boy or girl about 16 imitating Yankee crooners. Preserve us from these crooners! • I notice that 90 per cent. of the entertainers from the Hastings station ■affect this .Yankee crooning. Perhaps ais u novelty it could bo introduced once a month (once too often as far as I'm concerned). I wonder if "Uncle Ed. " or ''Aunt Gwen" has stopped to think of the harm they are doing youngsters in allowing this kind of programme week after week? Children listening-in more or less model themselves on the type they most admire, and the result is that no more do we hear simple, plea/sing children's voiees, but rotten imitations of Bing Crosby and others. Then, "Uncle Ed." doe3 notfseem to have proper control of tho children At the studio. There is a spirit of "hooliganism" (pardon the freedom) present whieh, I know, could be eliminated if the older children were barred. My final grievanee is that week after week we get the same entertainers and night after aiglit the same songs. I

■ ■ 1 euggest that each week a different group of children could entertain, but see that they are .different and 'will vary their items. I would also like, as already intimated, to see a higher-class prpgramme put over. Sarely singing teachers aud elocution teachers would be only tooe pleased to send a class along occasionally. In this way children; would he able to hear something thafcis going to develop their taste for better class of music. I want it clearly understood that I do, ' and I think" every body ' does, ' &p» preciate what has been done hy "Uncle Ed." and "Aunt Gwen" in the way of helping the sick and needy around the district. I think the public owe them a debt that will probably never be repaid. Then, -too, I reaiise the time and-effort that they must put into the sessioni. For that, too, 1 am sure we are grateful. We are 'only sorry that their time ia. nqt put to better purpose during the sessions. — Yours etc..

Hastings, Nov. 30, 1937. ' . 1