RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 723, 24 July 1929, Page 15

RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Conducted for THE SUN by a

R. F. HAYCOCK.

Australian Broadcasts “Bigger and Better Programmes” rIE change in the control of the Australian broadcasting stations will interest the many Mew Zealand listeners with sets powerful enough to receive Australian stations. Many changes are foreshadowed in the Australian Broadcasting Company’s statement of how it intends carrying out its work.

Mr. Stuart F. Doyle, chairman of directors of the Australian Broadcasting Company, Ltd., states “Wireless Weekly,” after a careful survey of the whole position with his fellow directors, Sir Benjamin Fuller and Mr. Frank Albert, made the following statement last week: “We have decided upon a new roster of hours, which has been approved by the Government, to operate from 2BL 1 and 2FC. LONGER HOURS “Under the conditions of contract, I our company is permitted to reduce

the transmission hours of the Sydney stations by 2,841 a year, but instead of this we propose to increase their hours by 286 per annum. In this we have the hearty co-operation of Mr. H. P. Brown, Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs, who has agreed to supply technical transmissions for such longer hours as we mutually agree to be expedient. “We feel that to give the best service possible to the listening public, and to make full use of the talent available for broadcasting, the call is upon us to extend rather than reduce

hours. It is our intention to canvass j every avenue open to the utility side ! of broadcasting, and it is hoped iq j offer features both from the musical j and entertainment points of view, which will provide for all tastes in the community. MUSIC UNINTERRUPTED “Our first definite principle lias been to establish, as far as possible, a continuous programme of music from either one station or the other right 1 throughout the broadcasting hours. The second principle we are insisting ; on is the elimination of duplication which lias occurred so frequently ! j hitherto in the transmission of market j j reports, news services, mails, shipping, I racing, and children’s sessions. Where I any repetition of a feature must occur i in future, it will be in a progressive j form, bringing the information given 1 j right up to the moment. It is felt! j that too much time was being occu- ; pied in the children’s hour by birthday *1 calls, and it has been decided to have j rf these taken out of the early evening J 1 session and placed at a more suitable | | time in the early morning transmis- j 1 sions from one station. This will ! | ; allow the children’s evenings to be | | devoted more to entertainment and is | matters of an acceptable, educational j 1 | nature. EDUCATIONAL “We have turned our attention to- i | ward making a greater feature of j § popular and musical education. We ' | know we will secure the co-operation 1 1 of the University, the Department of i | Education, and the Conservatorium. i | also men and women prominent in the 1 community who are interested in the i development of this side of the ' national service have offered their whole-hearted assistance. “Women’s interests are to have special attention. Domestic science, hobbies and problems which come into the daily lives of our womenfolk will be broadcast in this session, arranged for those engaged in home i duties. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC “No fewer than three permanent ' instrumental combinations are to be | established in the studios, and will perform in the morning, afternoon and night sessions. We also intend to develop public taste for symphony orchestral performances by a series of reciprocal relays of programmes, in which the leading orchestras of Sydney and Melbourne will be featured. As the result of the invitation issued by our company through the Press we have received a large number of applications from artists who have not hitherto taken part in broadcasting, and from these and the material which is already available to us our executives are now preparing what we anticipate will be very bright programmes. TRADE RECITALS “We are definitely improving the sessions throughout the day, and intend to raise the standard of the evening performances in proportion to the general improvement in the other parts of our service. Particular attention has been paid in compiling our routine to the interests of traders for demonstration purposes. Punctually from 7 in the morning until 11.30 p.m., with one or two small breaks when the stations are closed down, the trader will have at his disposal the right class of music for him to show that those intending to secure sets and take out licences will be able at all hours of the day to tune into our musical programmes. NO ADVERTISING “Care has also been taken in securing the best source of reliable information in regard to market information, and wo intend to see that those resident in the hinterland of these great States will have a service in full keeping with their important industries. _ * “No advertising, either direct or indirect, will be broadcast from either of these stations under the new regime. MORNING ORCHESTRA “In New South Wales and Victoria, where two ‘A* grade stations in association are operated by the new company, programmes will be so arranged that music will practically always be available on one station or the other, and whenever talks or oral subjects are being broadcast on one station it will always be announced what is on the other station, and vice versa. “A feature will be made of a morn ing orchestra, to operate on all occas ions to enable actual studio music oi the highest possible quality to be broadcast in the morning. LUNCHEON MUSIC “Another feature will be luncheoi music, between 1 and 2 p.m. It is hoped that every restaurant and cafe will install a set, and thus be enablec always to have lunch-time music foi their customers. This will be speci ally prepared and broadcast from the main station in each State. This wil not be interrupted by any reports tha will disturb the sequence of the lunch time music, and to all intents an< purposes, it will be the same as if the cafe or restaurant had its own orckes tra. CHILDREN’S SESSION “The children’s session will com menca earlier and will only appear oj 2FC programmes. Strong efforts wil be made greatly to improve the sei vice between 6 and 8 p.m. It is recog nised that during this period ther are thousands of listeners who go ou for their entertainment a little befor eight o’clock. It will be so arrange that music will always be availabl to them during this period. CHURCH SERVICES “Church services will be continue! There -will be two church service on Sunday morning, one from eac station, but on Sunday night ther will be only one church service froi 2BL in New South Wales. 2FC an 3LO will concentrate on a big mus cal programme for Sunday night fro: 7.30 until 10 o’clock. This will prol ably be the biggest programme of tb week, as it *s thought by the directoi that on this night more people ai interested listeners than on any oth* night in the week. “Church services generally will t reorganised on a basis that will co. tinue the transmissions from the pa ticular denominations broadcast, but at the same time, t! services by arrangement with tl churches will be prepared specially f( listeners. The sermons will be < religious, educational, and national i terest, while recognised broaden artists will sing sacred music durir the services, so that good reproductk may be received on the sets of tho: who listen. SPORTING “In the sporting services, we intei to retain those features that have be< so popular in the past, and have mai arrangements for considerable u provements in several directions. “We offer these new rosters cov< ing extended hours as the first gestu from the company of its intention j provide bigger and better pi ! grammes.’*