MIND YOUR I's and Q's

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 480, 3 September 1948, Page 10

MIND YOUR I's and Q's

Radio’s New Current Affairs Ouiz

ITH memories of programmes like last April’s -" Empire Quiz, Citizens’ Forum, and the Brains Trust sessions conducted here by Donald McCullough of the BBC, no one should be greatly surprised to hear of the latest development in this form of fireside entertainment. It is a ZB session described as "a current affairs probe with an impromptu background to the news," and has \the catchy title Mind Your I’s and Q’s. It is not strictly a quiz session, and not exactly a Brains Trust either, but an entertaining combination of both. The first broadcast of Mind Your I’s and ‘Q’s will be heard in.a link of all the ZB stations at 8.30 p.m. on Sunday, September 12. =

The procedure for a 15-minute broadcast will be much the same as it was for the Empire Quiz, that is, in Wellington a compere (or questionmaster or quizmaster, whatever his correct title should be) will ask questions (transmitted by land-line) of four "I.Q." experts representing Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, who will be in the studios of 1ZB, 2ZB, 3ZB and 4ZB respectively. : The experts are selected for their intelligence, wit, general knowledge and radio personality. Each is asked a quiztype question, which requires a simple, straightforward~ answer that could be given by anyone who reads his newspaper carefully, and a Brains Trust type question which has to be replied (continued on next page)

to with a short impromptu explanation. It is the second question, of course, that enables the 1.Q. expert to show off his wit and mental ingenuity, as well as his general knowledge. The questions will deal with all manner of topics of popular and topical appeal, with the main emphasis on current events. Sport, economics, literature, and international happenings will each receive their due share of attention. That listeners will get entertainment and amusement as well as enlightenment from Mind Your I’s and Q’s can be seen from.a glance at the names of the men chosen for the first panel. Auckland will be represented by A. R. D. Fairburn, Wellington by Anton Vogt, Christchurch by C. L. Rollo, and Dunedin by J. M. Fraser. But in case any prospective listener should be’ misled by the words’ LQ. (meaning, as every psychologist knows, Intelligence Quotient), it should be explained that the sole aim of this session is to entertain. It has no solemn purpose. All it seeks to do is, in the words of the compere Bryan O’Brien, "to arrest the attention of listeners, to give them good listening, some amusement, and some of the benefits that come from contact with instructed minds." Here are a few biographical details about the members of the panel for the first broadcast of Mind Your I’s and Q’s. From time to time different people will be chosen, and on some panels guest speakers from overseas may be included. A. R. D. Fairburn was born in Auckland in 1904 and educated at Auckland Grammar School. He is well known as a poet, journalist, broadcaster, and critic of the arts generally. His published books include two volumes of poems, He Shall Not Rise, and Dominion, and the provocative essay We New Zealand‘ers. He was recently appointed to a position in the English department at Auckland University College. Anton Vogt is also known as a journalist, poet and broadcaster. He is a Norwegian by birth, attended the Wellington Training College, and after a period of teaching became editor of National Education. He has just been appointed to the position of Lecturer in Method at the Wellington Teachers’ Training College. C. L. Rollo was born in London and came to Christchurch in 1910. By occupation an insurance man, he has been since 1935 a lecturer in Marketing and Business Administration at Christchurch Technical College. He also lectures in speaking and debating.

J. M. Fraser is a graduate of Otago University who served for four and ahalf years with the Royal Navy during the war. He saw naval action at Sicily, Anzio and Salerno, and was torpedoed when in H.M.S. Trinidad. Last month he was awarded a Rotary International Fellowship, which will enable him to study at the University of ~California. Over the past. 18 months he has become well known to 4ZB listeners for his "Wayfarer" broadcasts on Sunday afternoons.