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due to electricity conservation instructions. Practical and scientific information is included concerning problems of food preparation, dressmaking, diet, health, home decorating, &c./in addition to general sales information. Gardening.—Each ,Commercial station devotes time every week to home gardening. Such sessions are designed to assist the home gardener with advice on gardening conditions and problems affecting amateur gardeners in the various districts. Sports' Session. —Most New Zealanders are interested in some form of sport, and stations cater very fully for 'this interest. In previous years the YA stations handled most of the sporting commentaries. During this year the ZB stations collaborated with the National stations in broadcasting commentaries on important boxing fixtures, and a listener research survey conducted by a private firm indicated that an increased ZB audience resulted. In the main, the ZB stations concentrated on providing an efficient " sport's flash " service of all results, with additional coverage for important .fixtures such as the Melbourne Cup, National Golf Championships, regattas, &c., and arranged for sporting personalities to make microphone appearances. Events. —With the release of some of our experienced staff from duties associated with the war effort it has been possible to increase work under this heading to a higher degree than for some years past. Such " event" broadcasts have ranged from a talk with a helicopter in flight to a description from the bottom of Wellington Harbbur. Actuality broadcasts have included, among many others, the visit of the Gloucester Meteor, the stranding of the " Wanganella," an interview with a centenarian, a visit to a Chinese school, Christmas Carol singing by nurses, orphanage and old peoples' outings* special broadcasts in connection with disabled servicemen, studio broadcasts by Norman Corwin, members of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, and 'visiting athletes from other countries. . Studio Interviews. —As in the case of special events, the year has 1 seen increased activity in this field due_to the return of more general international travel bringing more Visitors to our shores. Production of Plays.—As in previous years, use has been made of radio programmes produced in New Zealand, but difficulties of securing suitable material for both plays and serials continue. The number of writers and artists capable of reaching the high •standard demanded by listeners in dramatic programmes is very restricted in our coihparatively small population. As was to be expected, the public trend in plays has veered away from war themes. Some New Zealand productions have reached a very high standard, and the majority of these have been heard as sustaining programmes on Sunday evenings. Every encouragement is given to our authors, and no attempt is made to prevent an author from selling his work overseas since we purchase the rights for New Zealand territory only. Apart from dramatic programmes, we have produced script programmes both for sponsored and non-sponsored sessions averaging more than two hundred sessions per station. Staff % Very few changes have taken place among executive officers, but considerable difficulty has been experienced in securing the services of other skilled personnel. Electricity Conservation It was again necessary to reduce broadcasting hours to conserve electricity, and three silent periods were observed each day for some months. Towards the end of'the financial year the shortage of power became acute and drastic cuts were made, broadcasting hours being reduced from eighteen to six and a half on week-days. The •rescheduling of' various programme commitments and the employment of staff called for

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