New Farm Talks From 1YA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 504, 18 February 1949, Page 32

New Farm Talks From 1YA

MUCH wider coverage than formerly is now being given by Station 1YA to farming in the Auckland province. Under the previous arrangement the only broadcast» for farmers from 1YA was a talk at 7.15 p.m., on Mondays, usually given by an officer of the Department of Agriculture. Later, supervisors of District Pig Councils were asked to give talks, which they did once a month on Wednesday evenings. It was felt that farmers, who make up a considerable proportion of the radio listening audience, deserve better service, and so.in February, 1948, a mid--day farm session was started from 1YA. This is conducted with the co-opera-tion of the Department of Agriculture, Federated Farmers, Young Farmers’ Clubs, and District Pig Councils, eacl» body being responsible for a_ session. At first, all these\ broadcasts, with the exception of those of the Federated Farmers, were straight talks. But when 1YA acquired a tape-recorder early in 1948 it was;decided that the form of the broadcasts should be altered to bring in the man who was actually on the job, ahd to get an idea of his methods of farming. Geoffrey Bentley (farm session announcer at 1YA), Harry Woodyear-

Smith, and-A, J. Kerse (of the Department of Agriculture) have* interviewed farmers at. work, and haye recorded descriptions of field days, and attended the weighing of a‘world record litter of pigs. Recently the farm session organisers made a tour of the Auckland province, taking a recording trip up the east coast of the Far North, This year there is a change in the pattern of farm broadcasts. The mid-day session on Tuesdays will remain in very much the same form as at present, except that once or ‘twice a month there will be "a short talk of "interest to countrywomen and also one on seasonal work in some branch of farming. But on Monday nights comes the alteration. This session has been moved to Wednesdays at 7.0 p.m., and, the time has been extended from a quarter of an hour to half an hour, The session goes under the title of For the Farmer. Moving the session from Monday to Wednesday enables 1YA to include stock market and fruit and produce market reports in this period, In this new session listeners will hear recordings made during. the northern tour, as well as an instructional talk or a discussion arranged by one of the divisions of the Department of Agriculture. The new arrangement came into operation on Wednesday, February 16,