ALL-NEW ZEALAND QUIZ

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 482, 17 September 1948, Page 14

ALL-NEW ZEALAND QUIZ

Points System Will Keep Good Men Up

66 UIZ," according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, means an odd or eccentric person-a person of ridiculous appearance (now rare); it doesn’t say how rare. But modern ‘radio has given the word a new meaning, for there is nothing even faintly absurd in winning a substantial number of guineas for exercising one’s wits in front of a microphone. Nobody is omniscient and no one knows the answer to every poser, yet the well of cash and fame seekers on which radio draws for ‘its quiz sessions never runs dry. Starting at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, September 25,.and continuing on the five following Saturdays at the same time, the NZBS. (all National and Commergial stations) will present listeners with the most ambitious type of quiz to dots in that every province in New Zealand will put up a team of four contestants. Ard from this large number of aspirants will emerge the holder of the New Zealand "Quiz Title’ and a prize of £30. The first week’s broadcast will be in the form of provincial trials. For example, Dunedin will play off a 4YA team against a 4ZB team. In the smaller centres where there is only one radio station, two teams will play off in that station’s studio to decide the provincial representatives. The four competitors with the best scores will then constitute the team to represent the province in ‘the next week’s round. Each round up to the final will be ‘an elimination test till, in the final round, four people remain to compete for the title.

Originally. it was intended to hold this contest purely on a ‘team basis, with province eliminating province. But it became evident that that method could result in unfairness, for a brilliant performer whose team mates were weak might be eliminated from the contest in the early stages. So a points system was adopted to ensure that the best performers would have a chance. of fighting their way to the final. Interest in this quiz will be cumulative. By. the time the fifth week is reached, the North Island and South Island representatives will have been found and their match will be broadcast in a national link. Then, in the sixth and final round, the four with the -biggest scores will appear in a knock-out competition. Not only the champion will receive a cash prize; all contestants who reach the microphone will be paid a guinea for each appearance; those whose knqwledgeability takes them into the North and South Island teams will pick up five guineas each; and the best four in the inter-Island teams will receive ten guineas each. Questions by Experts The questions haye been compiled by a panel of experts, and to preserve a uniform standard throughout the contest, one set of queries will be used for all matches in each week. Judges have been appointed for every match in the originating broadcast centres and, for the final contest in Wellington, there ‘will be three judges. Here is the broadcast programme fo: the six weeks:(continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) First week: Provincial trials. Second week: Southland vy. Otago, from 4YZ, 4YA and 4ZB; Nelson v. West Coast, from 3YA, 3ZB, 3YZ and 2XN (Canterbury a bye); Wellington v. Auckland, from. 2ZB, 2YA, 1YA and 1ZB; Hawke’s Bay v. Poverty Bay, ‘from 2YZ and 2XG; Taranaki v. Manawatu, from 2XP and 2ZA. Third week: Southland-Otago combination v. Canterbury (Nelson-West Coast combination a bye), from all South Island stations except auxiliaries. Hawke’s Bay-Gisborne v. TaranakiManawatu (Wellington-Auckland a bye) from all North Island stations except auxiliaries. Fourth week: Nelson-West Coast v. Southland-Otago-Canterbury, from all South Island stations except auxiliaries; Wellington-Auckland v. Hawke’s BayPoverty Bay-Taranaki-Manawatu, from all North Island _ stations except auxiliaries. Fifth week: South Island v. North Island, from all stations except auxiliaries in both Islands. Sixth week: The "Title Match" from all stations except auxiliaries in both Islands.