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Changes in the cases of a few other stations are being made at the same time to give improved, coverage and reduction of interference from Australian stations. A conference between the Australian and New Zealand Administrations was held in Melbourne in March for the purpose of determining suitable frequencies for both Australian and New Zealand stations so that they will interfere with each other to the least possible extent. Buildings.—At Whangarei, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Rotorua studio-sites have been purchased. Temporary studios constructed from war assets' surplus buildings are being provided at Whangarei and Rotorua, but at Hamilton, Wanganui, and Timaru accommodation is being leased. Recording New disk-recording equipment was provided at the studios in Christchurch, and similar equipment is being manufactured for Dunedin. Additional accommodation was arranged at the Burns Hall, Dunedin, and is now being modified for use as recording studios. Mobile Recording Van. —The mobile recording van underwent a successful year in service, and travelled both in the North and South Islands. For use with this van it was found necessary to design and manufacture special recording-machines which would withstand the vibration involved while travelling throughout the country. The van is self-contained with all equipment for disk-recording, and when being operated in areas remote from power-supply makes use of an engine-driven electric-generating plant mounted on a trailer. Tape-recorders. —An innovation in portable recording equipment now in use at the principal stations is the magnetic tape-recorder. Considerable success is being obtained with these recorders owing to their freedom from the many troubles experienced with the portable disk-recorders previously in use. A more advanced high-grade model for studio use is being obtained from England to enable its performance to be compared with our present high-grade disk-recorders. Electric-power Conservation Throughout the year, but to a greater extent in the winter months, special cuts in broadcasting hours were imposed by the Dominion Electricity Controller. These cuts are for the purpose of conserving electrical energy, and the principal saving is effected by the switching-off of listeners' radio receivers, as their power-consumption in the aggregate reaches appreciable proportions. The power consumed by the broadcastingstations themselves, however, is negligible compared with the total load throughout the Dominion. It is estimated that there are about five hundred thousand radio sets in New Zealand, and if half of these are being used at one time the approximate total power-consumption would be 15,000 kilowatts, spread over the whole of New Zealand. As opposed to this, the total power required to operate the broadcasting-stations is about 550 kilowatts. Navigational Aids Aircraft in New Zealand make frequent use of the broadcasting-stations as navigational aids, particularly in bad weather. Special arrangements are sometimes made at the request of the Air Department for certain transmitters to be put into service at times when thev would otherwise be shut down.

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