Memorable "Mike" Moments

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 26, 22 December 1939, Page 53

Memorable "Mike" Moments

(14) Guy Nixon cs ALMLY reading a commercial : announcement on the air one day;" says Guy Nixon, youngest 1ZB announcer, "I caught a glimpse of flames out of the corner of my eye. There was the waste-paper basket in flames. Somebody had thrown in a match that was not quite dead. With many wild gestures I pointed at it — still reading this long announcement. The fire was quickly seen and put out. "With great relief I settled down for the next announcement. Just as I started reading again, the light — the only one in the studio at that time — went out. There was still enough light from the red warning light to enable me to finish. All this occurred in about three minutes. Who says broadcasting is easy?" (15) Reg. Morgan Best "mike moment" of the week, though, comes undoubtedly from Reg. Morgan, of 2ZB. Here it is: "I was programme organiser for 1YA at the time. I used to do a session on the air on a Wednesday afternoon with kiddies — a full hour. During that time I used to say to the kiddies, ‘If you like any special song, just write and tell me, and I will either sing it or play it for you,’ "Well, this went on for a long while, but there was one kiddie from Pukemiro who always sent me a title of a song that I absolutely didn’t know, Mind you, I had, I suppose, music to the value of about £600 at the time, so there were not many songs that I didn’t know. However, every day for a fortnight this kiddie sent me the title of a song, and every time he sent it I had an arrangement with ‘Cinderella" it was then, to say, if I nodded my head, that I had a headache coming on. Every time this boy’s letter turned up the headache came along! But at length I got a letter from him, and this is what it said: ‘Dear Uncle Reg., Please play for me "Spring Time on The Rockies." Enclosed please find two aspros,’"