"CULTURAL ENDEAVOUR"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 451, 13 February 1948, Page 5

"CULTURAL ENDEAVOUR"

Sir-The annual report of the broadcasting service contains many such ambitious phrases as "cultural endeavour." But if the broadcasting staff shares in "cultural endeavour" it is not apparent from the following list of recent incidents: An advertised broadcast from 2YA of a Mozart piano concerto fading out without apology during the last movement to make room for the punctual presentation of a bowling summary. So-called "music-lovers" sessions filled

with 4-minute recordings of concertos and symphonies in "potted versions" that should never be broadcast in any session. Racing results interpolated between sides of master-works in afternoon classical sessions-and at one station, works interrupted to announce station and time. Announcers to whom, week after week, the world-famous pianist remains an uncorrected "MOYZA-WITCH." 2YA and 2YC

simultaneously broadcasting Wagner’s "Ring" music on a Sunday evening. And at 10 o’clock on a Sunday morning, when surely one station can be spared for bettér class music, every station accessible to Wellington listeners (2YA, 2ZB, 3YA) going hell-for-leather on band music: an anomaly which has continued over a period of years. He would be bigoted indeed who did not admit that there are occasions when a real service is provided. But it’s still high time some one awoke from dream fantasies of cultural endeavour to do something about bad-mannered announcing, club-fisted panel operating, thoughtless programming, eternal interruptions of advertised broadcasts to pander to punters, mispronunciations in perpetuity, and above all, programmes that have remained un-coordi-nated from the year dot.

C. J.

A.

(Wellington).