HARMONY IN THE HOME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 392, 27 December 1946, Page 10

HARMONY IN THE HOME

.-Would Two Radios Improve It?

OULD two or more radio sets in the home promote domestic (as distinct from musical) harmony? Some men in the fields of Australian radio, music, drama and variety think they would, according to interviews | with them in the ABC Weekly. They go so far as to say that with various members of the family anxious to tune into different prbgrammes, the time has come when each ‘home should be able to offer its people the opportunity of listening to their, own particular choices, The ABC’s Director of Music (William G. James) claims that for all to get the best out of radio, there should be at least one alternative set for the family. "I don’t think that need was so apparent in the early days," he said. "People were content to get even some sound out of their sets, and were quite pleased if they could have anything in the way of music or speech that was clear." And we, too, have not forgotten the thrill when the ear-phones on the crystal set hooked on to the clothes-line gave us a faint musical tinkle, or even a crackle of static. People are Particular "But, with the development of programmes and appreciation of them," Mr. .James goes on, "people are becoming very particular about the type of music broadcast, and more critical of the standard of presentation. In the old days of radio, when there was only one programme, it was unnecessary to have more than one set in the home-you could not get anything else anyway. I assume that if the listener did not care to listen to a brass band or a speaker he simply turned the set off. "With a now discriminating public, and with such a variety of programmes. I think that in nearly every family

there is so wide a difference in tastes that the ideal would be at least two radio sets in the home. The problem arises of different members of the family wishing to tune in to different stations, and I cannot say how, without a great deal of inconvenience, only one set is

to cater for a family. Apart from the varying desires of the adults in the home, another diversion occurs when ‘the children and the parents simultaneously wish to listen to the’ radio. Not for Adults "My experience is that while youngsters do, like swing occasionally, they also have very wide tastes. Again, we must consider the ex-servicemen; men who have been in the Army have discovered how to live... . Now they are seeking knowledge. And the children’s hour was never intended for adults to listen to, though quite a number do so. In the musical field it is common knowledge that in the last few years there has been a great development of interest in serious music; no smaller, however, is the audience for light music. Both these tastes in music could be catered for, at one and the same time, if there were two radios in the home, and devotees of each type of music could listen to the programmes they wanted.’ An analogy could be made with literature, accosding to L. A. Hooke (Managing Director of A.W.A.). One book, he said, could not be read at the same time by different members of the family, therefore a number of books were circulated in the home. Also, if each member of the family were prepared to wait for his or her turn to read the book, they would not all be interested in it. In the same way, one radio programme does not suit all tastes in the family. There could be one set in the children’s room, one in the lounge, and one in the kitchen,

The ABC Director of Drama (Frank D.' Clelow) took the "view that drama needed undivided attention. ‘"Obyiously," he said, "if there are people in the family keen on drama, it is hardly likely they will get an hour of uninterrupted listening, to dramatic progtammes; the other members of the family May want to hear something else, and one hour at a stretch is a bit long to monopolise the radio set. "The solution is to have one radio set for general use in the lounge-room and another set in a separate room for special use. The person who wishes to listen ‘to a play could then go to this room, switch out the light and listen undisturbed. A darkened room is ‘an aid to drama as it helps the imagination to work." The ABC’s Acting Director of Variety (Hal Percy) commented: "Being a family man I am most definitely in favour of two, or even more, radios jin the house. Certain stations have a nasty habit of presenting serials round about dinner time, and as my son is an ardent listener to these potboilers, I am often forced to eat my food to the accompaniment of pistol shots as the hero shoots it out with the villain. Some of these thrillers I played in, but am I allowed to forget my sins against society? No sir, I am reminded with every mouthful. "IT can’t ‘even gargle my soup in comfort, and if by any mischance I venture an observation on the weather or any such mundane topic, I am immediately sshh-d into resigned silence. Am I in favour of two or more radios in the home? Yes, sir-yes, indeed."