NEWS FROM THE ZB STATIONS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 28, 5 January 1940, Page 46

NEWS FROM THE ZB STATIONS

publicity on account of the heaviest sriow-fall in 60 years, but Nature has been giving fecompense with glorious weather. The result has been that many people in Otago have used the week-ends for holiday-making, camping, ete. These travellers listen regularly to 4ZB every Saturday and Sunday morfiing at 8.30 to hear weather reports from as far south as Invercargill, inland to Queenstown, and north as far as Oamaru. This wide coverage is obtained in co-operation with the P. & T. Department, and is of great assistance in guiding holidaymakers to the most pleasant areas on particular days. D UNEDIN last year receivéd wide Books for Soldiers The Dunedin Boy Scouts’ Association assisted the Otago Division of the National Patriotic Council by collecting books and magazines from all over Dunedin last month. Householders were asked by 4ZB to have their parcels ready on the Saturday morfiing. That evening, Commissioner Wing thanked the station on behalf of the organisers of the drive. Over 4,000 books were collected. Making History "THAT WAS THE YEAR" is a session re-creating notable events of recent years and reviving memories of men and women who have contributed to the history of a modern world. It begins with the stirring events of the year 1910 and carries through to the news headlines of the years just passed. "THAT WAS THE YEAR" will be broadcast from 1ZB oh each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6.45 p.m. Laugh of the Week Same old story, but with a different twist -that’s the story behind 2ZA’s "Laugh of the Week" competition which had its last broadcast in 1939 with a special 30-minute show. The prize money had been on the increase and the final prize money distributed was £43/10/-. Twenty-five per cent. of the entry money has been donated to the St. John Ambulance of Palmerston North. A public committee of three judges was on hand to pronounce the winners each week, anid the studio of 2ZA was filled to capacity each Thursday to see the presentation of the show. It is hoped

that hext winter the show can be broadcast again with even better and bigger prizes. Talking of JokesA few issues ago there was a paragraph on this page about the popularity of the "Joke of the Week Competition" in Auckland. This‘ has from the beginning been a most successful session partly perhaps because of the very large prizes which were won.

The following joke won no less than £50 in the concluding " Joke of the Week" competition at 1ZB: Two storks stood conversing on a roof top. On the chimney of the next house stood another stork with a conceited, supercilious appearance, Said the first: " That old stork on the chimney over there seems mighty pleased with himself, and he never seems to work at all." The second stork sighed enviously. "Well, neither would you-he’s resting on his laurels now. He’s the fellow that did the Dionne Quintuplet job." Voices from the Past Field-Marshal Lord Roberts’s own voice in his wafning to the Empire in 1913; Christabel Pankhurst, speaking three hours after she had left Holloway Prison

where she had served a sentence connected with the Suffragette Movement; the Rt. Hon, W. F. Massey delivering a speech on the British Empire; Sir Ernest Shackleton describing his dash to the Pole; the voices of Ramsay MacDonald, Sarah Bernhardt and Woodrow Wilson-the actual recorded voices of all thesé people were heard in a par ticularly intefesting hout’s continuity entitled "The Second Fifty Years," which was broadcast from 1ZB at eight o'clock on the night of Sunday, December 31. The continuity was in potted natrative from embodying the highlights of New Zealand’s development in its second Fifty Years, the period between 1890 and 1940. The inclusion of the actual recorded voicés of such fatous people who lived and influenced New Zealand during that tithe make "The Second Fifty Yeats" a broadcast of unusual interest. Session Concluded Many listeners to 4ZB learnt with fegret that the Holiday-makers’ Review has concluded. Conducted by " Joyce" and "Bernie," this session was brimful of interesting information concerning holiday resorts, and gave tips for all types of holiday-makers. In particular, ".Toyce’s" recollections of the Exhibition were very entertainitig, and " Bernie’s" wide knowledge of sporting paradises throughout Otago have stimulated more than one fisherman to try his luck during the sutimef vacation. Young Yodeller The 14-year-old Dunedin yodelling cowboy, Les Wilson, made his final broadcast from 4ZB for 1939 last week. During the time that he has broadcast ftom the southern Commercial Station he has won a wide circle of fans, including many in the North Island, This lad was coached by Tex Morton, and with the experience he has gained in microphone technique over 4ZB he bids fair to becorne equally as popular. Fun at 3ZB As usual, the main studio and lounge at 3ZB were packed to capacity as the good ship Speedee set sail the other Thursday night. Just as the proceedings began, Bos’n King became visibly disturbed, and kept interrupting Captain Chiv, and looking apprehensively at the studio door. Finally the Captain’s face tufned pale, too, as he realised who was

present. The Bos’n introduced RearAdmiral Sir Perlux Urlwin, 8.P.E., E.D., E.E., Order of the Immersion Heater, and Keeper of the Privy Flex. Admiral Urlwin soon put Captain Chiv and the Bos’n at their ease, and explained the reason for his presence, In recognition of Bos’n King’s splendid services, deeds of bravery and géneral backchat, during Jack Bremner’s absence, Admiral Urlwin had decided to give him two stripes (not where the Bos’n first imagined), and make him Purser King. The Purser was so eager to take up his new duties that he tripped over the compass and ended up clasping the Captain lovingly. However, Admiral Urlwin graciously forgave him, waved a cheery good-bye, and the old ship Speedee made for the open seas. Success in Australia Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bathurst ‘Peter was an afifoufcer at 1ZB and Mrs, Bathurst was known as Trixie in the " Children’s Magazine’) are doing very well in Australian radio. Peter is the announcer on the breakfast session from 2KA Katoomba (the broadcasting studios are in Sydney); he has been heard in many personal appearances and recorded plays over both national and commercial stations in Australia, and is at present taking the name part in the setial production of "Anthony Adverse." Driving in Wellington Joe Fraser is 5ZB’s relay operator and driver of the smart ZB outside broadcast van. In the process of picking up the threads of driving after having done very little for four or five years, Joe remarked that driving in Wellington was considerably more difficult than driving in Toronto, Canada, from which city he comes. He states that although the traffic in Toronto is many times greater than Wellington traffic, the roads are also just as many times wider. Wellington, indeed, is a test for any driver, with its steép gradients and somewhat narrow main streets, and motorists will sympathise with Mr. Fraser's statement that his predominant feeling when driving was that "he was going to hit the next guy’s bumper."