RADIOCITIES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 148, 8 June 1935, Page 9

RADIOCITIES

Still Many Problems. Many problems have yet to be solved before television can be pronounced a “commercial success” and of definite entertainment value. Even costly sets built for special receiving conditions will, for example, be useless except in a darkened room. Unless the whole household is agreeable to “view in” simultaneously considerable inconvenience may be caused in the domestic circle unless a particular room is set apart. With the radio it is common for some members of a family party to play bridge while others dance or merely listen in. With television all will be compelled to concentrate on the picture. This is a factor that has apparently not been realised by the thousands who are eagerly awaiting the new service.

B Station Licenses. The department continues to tighten up conditions under which B stations may operate. When licenses were renewed at the beginning of the present licensing year, which commenced on April .1, a new stipulation was included:—“No appeal for funds for the support Or maintenance or operation of the station concerned in the licence shall be made by way of broadcast transmissions without the previous consent, in writing of the Minister of Telegraphs, nor shall any appeal be made for any charitable purpose unless approved by the Minister in writing, and in any case in -which the Minister may authorise the making of such appeal the disbursement of the funds shall be subject to Government audit if the Minister decides that such audit is a requisite condition.” A Valuable Example. In the course of a tour through Europe, Mr Holm, manager of the Danish Broadcasting Company, took, the initiative in an effort to stimulate international co-oporation in the domain of radio programme exchange. He concluded agreements with most of the European broadcasting authorities for the broadcast from their stations of special phonograph-records arranged l;y the Danish Broadcasting Company to give an insight into the life of Denmark. The wide extension of this idea has much to commend it. It provides a means of exchange of views in music, art, and literature. The programmes are economical to produce, readily portable, and can be arranged quickly. It is to be hoped that other countries will adopt the plan. New Board’s Duties. The Broadcasting Board appointed in 1932 would appear to have regarded its main duty to lie in the of adequate “coverage,” an" it would seem that the completion of the pro-

gramme mqpped out will certainly vindicate the hopes that worth-while reception of at least one of the board’s stations will be possible anywhere in the Dominion. The new board will shortly find itself with excellent plants in all the main centres, and it would appear therefore that its duties will consist largely in the development of the entertainment, educational, and cultural values of the transmissions. Somo sections of listeners may disagree as to the order of precedence of entertainment, educational and cultural transmissions, but it cannot be denied that the reason for the purchase of a radio receiver, in the majority of cases, is inspired by the entertainment value of the progarmmes. Lesson for Broadcasting Board. It is a pity one could not arrange for all members of the New Zealand Broadcasting Board to witness the screening of “The Radio Parade for 1935,” which is at present in this country. The film is a good skit on a radio station appropriately named the N.B.G. (National Broadcasting Group)—which tries to force tedious annd highbrow' music into the unwilling ears of listen ers. A change is introduced, and the new programme director goes into the hall where the station orchestra is practising. “What’s that you’re playing?” lie asks. “Chamber music,” replies the conductor. “Well, scrap it,” savs the new programme director. “From now on we arc going to have live programmes. ’ ’

A new telephone service between Japan and England costs £6 for three minutes.