CHINESE AND THE NBS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 330, 19 October 1945, Page 15

CHINESE AND THE NBS

What They Think of The Programmes

E called on some members of the Chinese community the other day-there are between 550 and 600 members in Wellington alone. It was not a talent quest, we were not anxious to see if they had been good listeners and renewed their radio licences; we had no sets to sell and we don’t know anything about repairs. But as Europeans frequently air their opinions programmes in the correspondence columns of The Listener, we wanted to know what the Chinese thought about NBS entertainment. ee

Once they were quite satisfied about our bona fides, some were willing to express opinions. Others were too busy, but invariably courteous. ; Said one man, in his thirties: "I don’t like your jazz; it’s too noisy with little pipes squeaking and just a mixture of sounds. Perhaps the young ones like it. I don’t like classical music." "You get your fun out of the middleclass programmes," we suggested. "Yes, that’s right, and I listen to the Chinese programmes of news and talks from San Francisco, India, and Chungking." "But what about the National Broadcasting Service of New Zealand?" "Oh yes, Sandy Powell, he’s good. He makes us laugh. ‘Dad and Dave’-they’re funny. .We follow therh round all the stations. Better than Will Hay. I and my family always listen to the 2YD Request session, but I turn it off when the jazz comes on, and the young ones always turn it on again." : His Favourite Selection Another was orchestrally inclined. He liked the violins and the brass.

We asked him to name his favourite selection. It’ was the "Intermezzo" from Cavalleria Rusticana. "That a_ pretty tune; I like it very much," he said. "But what you say to,giving us about ten minutes now and then of Chinese music? Perhaps you not like, eh?" We explained that the compilation of programmes was not our job, and looked in at the next shop. "The Listener-what is that?" asked the shopkeeper. We’blushed a bit and explained iat we were the journal of the. NBS. "Like this," he said, bringing out ‘from the back of the sel a copy of the cure rent issue. Yes, he too was fond of, radio .and, like some of his colleagues, had no special preferences. "Everything is interesting," was his complimentary comment. He never missed 2YA at 8 o'clock on Sate urday nights when Tommy Handley was delivering his quick-fire comedy. The speed of "Itma" and its topical references were quite beyond him, but he said, "I like to hear the people laughs ing; that makes me laugh too." The last man we called on was very definite. "I’m not interested, " he said. "No radio, too busy."