WHEN LISTENERS LISTEN MOST.

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 119, 3 October 1941, Page 4

WHEN LISTENERS LISTEN MOST.

Sir,-Under the above heading, in your issue of August 22 last, there appeared an article beginning as follows: " While there are no statistics to prove it, many broadcasting people believe that people do more concentrated listening on Sunday afternoons than in any other period of the week." And on the strength of this belief, which is a pathetic delusion, much valuable time is consumed in arranging special radio features that are, mostly wasted on the desert air. ' I have never been able to understand, sir, why, our broadcasting. authorities put such blind faith in Sunday afternoon listening. My circle of acquaintance is fairly latge and I can honestly affirm that I do not know a single person who makes a practice of listening at that time. Sunday evening, yes, but not afternoon. Most people prefer to go out, if weather conditions permit, otherwise they like to sleep or read, anything, in fact, but listen to radio features. For the past three months there have been crowded audiences at the Sunday afternoon Art Gallery concerts, who evidently prefer listening to good music at first hand rather than the radio variety in their own homes. . I have not the least doubt that if those concerts were established permanently we should find an ever increasing attendance, for their Popularity is beyond question. I feel sure that if a plebiscite were taken the result would confirm my assertion that the number. of Sunday afternoon radio listeners is out of all proportion to the praiseworthy efforts made to

entertain them.

L. D.

AUSTIN

(Wellington).