SOUND ADVICE

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12621, 4 December 1926, Page 6

SOUND ADVICE

RADIO DEALERS DINE AND WELCOME MR PRENTICE SOME FRANK DISCUSSION (Special to the “Times.”) AUCKLAND. December 3. But a few months ago there were about half a dozen firms in the wireless business in Auckland. On Wednesday night, at the Royal Hotel, somo fifty persons forgathered at a dinner—the first social function of a radio dealers’ association that has sprung up with the phenomenal boom in this line of business, for it may safely be reckoned that now at least £3OOO per day is being spent on radio apparatus in the Dominion. Mr B. S’tevens presided, welcomed the visiters, and outlined the growth and objects of the association, stressing the necessity for selling to the public a type of apparatus that would make for permanency of the radio trade. Mr J. L. Davies, in proposing the health of the principal guest, remarked that it was t-h© brightest spot in the history of wireless developmtnt in the Dominion when the Broadcasting Company engaged Mr Prentice to put the New Zealand service on a sound footing. The people had been long-suffer-ing in the past, but within two or three months they would expect & decided improvement as the result of “Undo Jack’s” engagement. OF THE FUTURE In a very frank and humorous speech, Mr J. M. Prentice said that he had walked along to the evening’s gathering whispering * absent-mindedly an old hymn tunc, and suddenly realised that the words associated were “Dare to bo a Daniel!” At present he was feeling his feet, but lie hoped to put New .Zealand on the radio map, so that its broadcasts would compare with those of Australia. Ho could not work miracles, but this uplifting could bo accomplished, if his recommendations were adopted. He recalled that, only two years ago, the well-known 2BL had commenced in a leaky garret on the top of a Sydney newspaper office, and only hard slogging had brought it up to its present stage. Yet even with its much-admired service, the Sydney station received hundreds of criticisms per week. Mr Prentice thought it wise that the local broadcasting company had not commenced with a standard incapable of being maintained. Since his arrival he had heard much adverse criticism, hut he pleaded for time to remedy these defects, and pointed out that at present the revenue was not large, and that lY r A possessed a plant and appointments that put Sydney in the shade. It would be folly to put in such a plant to maintain an inferior service. He was present to listen to constructive criticism, which would be invaluable to him in suggesting and arranging remedies. SOME SOUND ADVICE Then came some plain advice to the trade. Air Prentice illustrated the results that followed from the broadcasting of Toti dal Monte in Australia some time ago. The announcement of tho broadcasting produced an unprecedented demand for sets. Unscrupulous dealers took advantage of this, and unloaded on an ignorant public such a mass of junk that it took the radio- trade a good twelve months to recover from the subsequent setback to business. There were still people in Sydney who, through this type of dealing, wero a positive menace to radio development. It w r as an absolute necessity that traders should give instruction, and service with the sets they sold, and that purchasers should be instructed as to the limits of these sets. Over-forcing of unsuitable loudspeakers tended to give the uninitiated public quite a wrong impression of the qualities of speech and music transmitted by radio, and many such shop demonstrations defeated their own ends. 100,000 LISTENERS FOR NEW ZEALAND There was a goal to which the radio trade should strive. If they set themselves the task of securing 100.000 licensed listeners, then they could safely approach the Government with a request for a reduction of the nresent annual fee to ten shillings, for a revenue of £50,000 would be ample to supnlv the whole of New Zealand with a first-class service. Regarding the improvement of programmes, Mr Prentice pointed out that there would soon be a noticeable improvement. There was not an unlimited supply of talent available here, as there was in Sydney, but there was a good field from which to draw, and when the worth of artists as broadcasters had been assessed, they would be engaged and lairlv remunerated. In this connection he quoted an example from Sydney. A prominent lady vocalist was duo from overseas. He wirelessed her reappearing before the microphone, and received the reply from her manager that she would render four items for the sum of £2OOO. Of course there was nothing doing, but a few weeks later her concert tour fizzled put from want of patronage. In conclusion, Air Prentice expressed the conviction that the service in New Zealand would soon give general satisfaction. The Broadcasting Company had got a fine plant, it had secured his services at his own price, and very shortly he predicted that there would be tho dawn of a brighter day for Dominion radio. MORE RADIO INSPECTORS In responding to the toast of “'.Hie Post and Telegraph Department,” Mr E. Green, who is being transferred to the Chief Telegraph Engineer’s office in Wellington, where he will ho attached to the radio branch, conveyed the information that the department was now proceeding actively on a campaign against interference, and that two radio inspectors would take the field in and around Auckland, and would be out in nightlv search of those who made the ether hideous. The announcement was received with applause. A lengthy toast list and some interesting discussion on radio matters brought a very successful gathering to a close.