RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 705, 3 July 1929, Page 14

RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Conducted for THE SUN by

R. F. HAYCOCK.

AUSTRALIAN RADIO

CONTROL BY NEW COMPANY SIR BEN FULLER A DIRECTOR The Australian Broadcasting Company, Ltd., which has secured the contract for supplying programmes to broadcasting stations, will lose no time in proceeding with its obligatio % . Mr. Stuart Doyle, Sir Benjamin Fuller and Mr. F. Albert, directors of the new enterprise, will shortly go to Melbourne to confer with the Federal authorities. Sir Benjamin Fuller stated recently that the successful company had undertaken to limit its profits. Listenersin would thus receive the full benefit of all they paid less thee cost of the services and a reasonable rate of profit. “The keynote of the enterprise will be service,” he said. “We must cater for all tastes, and though I have my favourite composers, we will not ignore the demands of CO per cent, of lis-teners-in.” Theatre performances would not necessarily predominate in the programmes. They were not always suitable, but when suitable and available they would be put on the air. Under the terms of the contract which has been let to the Union Theatres group for the supply of wireless broadcasting programmes, the Postmaster-General’s Department is given power to insist upon a high standard and to impose penalties for default. As there are about 400,000 wireless listeners in Australia the revenue which the contracting authority will receive at 12s a licence will be approximately £240,000 a year for the three years of the contract. DATES OF CHANGE OVER

As the licences of the present broadcasting stations expire at different times in the various States, the new service will not come into operation in all States simultaneously. Programmes will be required for not less than 3,650 hours a year for daily transmission during hours approved by the Postmaster-General. In New South Wales and Victoria two programmes each will be required, beginning on July 17 and July 22 in New South Wales, and on July 22 and August 8 in Victoria. For the other States the schedule is: Queensland, one prok -imme, beginning on January 1, 1930. South Australia, one programme; beginning January 14, 1930; Western Australia, one programme, beginning September 1, 1929; Tasmania, one programme, beginning December 14, 1930. PROBLEMS TO OVERCOME Mr. G. Wright, chairman of the New South Wales Broadcasting Company, Ltd., which incorporated 2FC and 2BL, on behalf of his company in congratulating the Australian Broadcasting Company, Ltd., said: “We wish them every success. At the same time we should like to take this opportunity of thanking the many thousands of listeners to whom we have supplied programmes from 2FC and 2BL since the inception of broadcasting. Many of these listeners are no doubt aware of the tremendous difficulties that had to be overcome in the early stages of broadcasting. The new company will have very considerable advantages, inasmuch as the Commonwealth Government now proposes to provide a network of relay stations to serve the outlying parts of the country. The technical problems which had to be faced by the companies who provided the programmes in the past will not in any way worry the new organisation. “We warmly appreciate the cooperation and support listeners have given, and we ask them to give the same loyal co-operation and support to the company which will be supplying the programmes in future. We know that the company will have some difficulties to surmount, not the least of which is the tremendous problem of giving a programme suitable for so many thousands of divergent tastes.” QUALITY OF PROGRAMMES The Postmaster-General, Mr. Gibson, says that the programmes are to be of general interest, and “of sufficient diversity to cater for the reasonable tastes of the community as a whole.” Monotony, tedious repetition, and the unduly prolonged use of any one artist in a particular State, must be avoided, and for the purpose of co-operation and to ensure that the needs of any locality are catered for, tho contractor will have to consider any representations made by the local committees which will be appointed by the PostmasterGeneral. Another point which will be insisted upon will be that the contractor must do all in his power to cultivate a public desire for the transmission of educational and musical items of merit; and all items and subjects must “tend to elevate the mind.” LOCAL ARTISTS

The committee which will be appointed will have power to recommend to the contractor the use of the services of local talent if they consider the artists of sufficient merit, and the Postmaster-General may also direct the contractor to transmit such items as he considers desirable in the public interest at the expense of the contractor. Good education, style, personality and clear enunciation will be required from announcers, who must algo be free as far as possible from a characteristic dialect. General advertising will not be permitted, but announcements approved by the PostmasterGeneral may be made. LITIGATION LIKELY

Arising from tho acceptance of the tender of the Union Theatres group for the provision of Australian broadcasting programmes, a claim for heavy damages is likely to be made against the Federal Ministry by the Dominions Broadcasting Company, which at present controls 3LO and 3AR, and has large interests in both the Sydney stations (2FC and 2BL) and the Adelaide station (SCL). Early last year the Postmaster-Gen-eral (Mr. Gibson) and the Director of Postal Services (Mr. TI. P. Brown) called on the stations to reach a working agreement, which would ensure close co-operation in the conduct of tlie services*, particularly in the smaller States, where revenue from listeners’ fees was limited. As a result, a general amalgamation of interests took place. It is stated that this amalgamation cost nearly £40,000, which the interests concerned have not yet recovered. New Zealanders who have derived much pleasure in the past from listening to Australian programmes 'will await with interest the inauguration of the new system of broadcasting. WIRELESS WEDDING The first “official” radio wedding took place in New York recently during the Radio World's Fair, when the minister officiated at one place, the music was played at another place and transmitted by radio, and the bridal couple were in a third place, the threfe “parties to the contract,” so to speak, being in communication by radio. The whole ceremony was broadcast through station WGBS.

RADIO IN SCHOOLS BROADCAST LESSONS ASSISTANCE OF TEACHERS A new stage in school broadcasting has been attained through the effect of the Central Council for School Broadcasting In England under the chairmanship of H.A.L. Fisher, Warden of New College, Oxford. The council is intended to provide machinery for insuring the continuous contact between the British Broadcasting Corporation on the one hand, and, on the other, the Board of Education, the local education authorities, and the whole body of teachers. “It is seldom enough merely to introduce the loud-speaker into the school room and urge the children to listen,” the council says in a message to the British teachers. “The broadcasting i eat;her counts on children and teacher alike entering into the spirit of his lessons, and the class instructor will find that great benefit results from a close collaboration with his wireless colleague. It is hoped that the latter’s suggestions made at the microphone, or contained in the special pamphlets relating to the different courses, will be adopted as far as possible. “The class may be encouraged to respond during the lessons by singing tunes, writing down dictated notes, answering questions, or referring to maps* diagrams and illustrations, as the case may be. “The class teacher will greatly assist the wireless teacher by using the blackboard when and as suggested; also by noting, and afterwards explaining, any difficult words. Whenever it is feasible, preparation or revision, or both, on the lines indicated in the pamphlets, can be taken with the class; excursions encouraged when desirable; further illustrations and the hooks suggested for reading obtained from libraries and elsewhere. “It is often found that the value of a wireless lesson Is greatly increased if the class teacher can take time immediately afterwards to elicit by question and answer from pupils an account of what they have heard to correct misapprehensions, elucidate difficulties, and, finally, get them to apply their new knowledge to their ordinary work or to their own experience.”