THE LAUGH OF THE WEEK

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 53, 28 June 1940, Page 48

THE LAUGH OF THE WEEK

A Famous Session Revived

ITH the Commercial Broadcasting Service approaching its third anniversary there is perhaps a tendency to remember only. the good programmes of the present, and forget the astonishing results of earlier programmes that did so much to'bring about the present high percentage of listeners to the Commercial Stations. For instance, there was one series of broadcasts inthe Auckland Province which established a truly remarkable record. That was the "Laugh of the Weck " competition which, after an experimental period of merely a month, astonished even ZB officials by producing 54,000 letters in one week. And not only were there 54,000 letters, but each of those letters contained the sum of 6d, a contribution by entrants in the "Laugh of the Week" competition, who thought they had discovered the best joke for broadcast, and hoped to win the cash prize of £500 which was paid by 1ZB Auckland in June, 1937. During the competition, over 200,000 jokes were sent in, a total amount of £5,000 was handled, and institutions of all descriptions, varying from orphanages to life saving clubs benefited by over £1,000. It is, therefore, not’ remarkable that a Christchurch business concern has hit ‘on the idea of reviving the "Laugh of the Week" project. To do this, the firm has purchased time on Station 3ZB Christchurch-to the extent of 15 minutes daily during the week, and 30 minutes on Saturday evenings-so that the jokes entered in the " Laugh of the Week " competition may be broadcast to bring entertainment to the public, and at the same time produce a return which can be distributed to charities in the Christchurch metropolitan area, The "Laugh of the Week" programme will begin at 3ZB on Monday, July 1, and will be broadcast at 10.15 nightly. The competition will be a duplication of the Auckland 1937 effort. Entrants were asked to submit any joke, original ‘or not, with an entrance of 6d, addressed’ to the sponsor of the programme. Prize money .will be. given’ to the extent of 75 per cent. of the. entry

fee, and the balance of 25 per cent. will be devoted to charities to "be named by the Station Director of 3ZB.,The whole expenses of the advertising, etc., will be borne by the sponsors, who. will receive no benefit from the entrance frees. Every joke entry will be read by a special: committee engaged for the purpose, and each day’ the entries received will be sorted down to the ten most outstanding for broadcast purposes. These will be broadcast over the Station as semi-finalists, and at the end of the week will be sorted again by special committees, so that 20 will be broadcast every Saturday evening before judges in the studio at: 3ZB. It. may’ be ‘mentioned that -when — the ""Laugh of the Week" -competition was broadcast in the early stage of commercial broadcasting history the receiving, opening and reading, and sorting of the jokes occupied the full time of 27 employees, and as an illustration of the activity at that time we print a photograph taken -at Station 1ZB Auckland during. the progress of ' the competition,