SHORTWAVE HIGHLIGHTS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 474, 23 July 1948, Page 15

SHORTWAVE HIGHLIGHTS

BBC Broadcasts of the XIV Olympiad

ROM July 29 until August 14 the attention of millions of listeners throughout the world will be centred on Lendon where the XIV Olympiadthe first Olympic Games meeting for 12 years-is to be held, Preparations are now almost complete, and despite the difficulties of the times, London is looking forward to flying the Olympic flag again, after a lapse of 40 years. It is expected that there will be about 5,000 compétitors representing 61 countries and participating in’ 17 sports. The programme lists 135 separate events-the highest number of events ever recorded at an Olympiad. The Games begin in the Empire Stadium at Wembley on Thursday afternoon, July 29 (Friday morning, New Zealand time). with the traditional ceremony, when the President of the Games (Viscount Portal of Laverstoke) will invite H.M. the King to proclaim the opening of the Olympiad. A Royal salute of 21 guns will then be fired, followed by the lighting of the Olympic flame, the singing of the Olympic hymn, and the taking of the Olympic oath by a selected competitor. New Zealand’s interest is eaters focussed on its own representatives: Ngaire Lane (swimming), R. Goslin (boxing), T. R..Carter (cycling), D. M. Harris, W. H. Nelson, J. M. Holland (athletics), and M. Crow (weightlifting). Nelson, Harris and Holland will all be running on July'30. The British Broadcasting Corporation has extensive arrangements to cover all the events, but as the time is not suitable for New Zealand listeners, commentaries will be recorded and broadcast later in the day (see page 4). Reception ftom London during the day is excellent, so listeners should have no difficulty in picking up the BBC. On Thursday, July 29, at 7.45 am., 12.15 p.m., 2.45 p.m. and 5.15 p.m., a preview of lastminute Olympic news will be broadcast on GSD (11.75 me/s., 25.53 metres). A talk by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. C. R. Attlee, and a commentary from Dover on the arrival of the Olympic flame from Greece, will be broadcast at 8.15 a.m., 12.45 p.m. and 6.45 p.m. on Thursday over GSD. .The 6.45 p.m. report will also be heard in ey)

the Pacific Service on GVZ (9.64 mc/s., 31.12 metres). The Opening Ceremony takes place between 2.0-4.0 a.m. on Friday, July 30 (New Zealand time), but reports broadcast over GSF (15.14-mc/s., 19.82 metres), and GSV (17.81, 16.84) will be heard at 7.45 am., 9.5 am., 12.15 p.m., 2.45 p.m. and 5.15 p.m. over GSD. On Saturday reports will be broadcast at 9.5 a.m., 2.45 p.m. and 5.15 p.m., and on Sunday at 745 am., 9.5 a.m., and 12.15 p.m. again over GSD.