BACK TO THE LAND AT 3YA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 727, 19 June 1953, Page 20

BACK TO THE LAND AT 3YA

IRST-CLASS programmes about country life have for some time now given 3YA a big listening audience throughout rural Canterbury, and when The Listener called at the station recently it heard from Jocelyn Holliss a little of the story behind. them-and especially the story behind the countrywomen’s programmes heard in Mainly for Women. Miss Holliss, who is in chargesof women’s programmes at 3YA, is one of a team that gets out into the country whenever, ‘it can ‘to gather material for these programmes. With her’ go the Talk "Krnold Wall, who: has a special liking. for broadcasts about the country (a néw series is announced on page 17), and Ashley Lewis, who takes care of the technical side-for of course they never go without a tape’ Yrecorder. "We cover Canterbury, we’ve been south as far as Waimate, over Banks Peninsula, up to Hanmer, into the high country," Miss Holliss told us. "On women’s programmes we work in a good deal with the Women’s Institute and branches of the Women’s Division cf. Federated Farmers. They invite ,us out to their monthly meetings, »displays of arts and crafts, birthday celebrations and the like:And while we’re out there we. look in at the ‘local farms. Arnold talks —

to the farmer while I see the farmer’s wife in the kitchen. In’their local organisations these women have learned how meetings are conducted and have gained experience iti expressing themselves, and I find them very willing to talk. They pitti

may be up to their elbows in flour, but that doesn’t stop them giving us a lovely account of the shearing-while they go on with the baking." Countrywomen are perhaps more willing than their menfolk to talk for broadcasting, Miss Holliss says; and she thinks they quite like to hear themselves on the air, talking about their own organisations, their own farm or about life in their district. Another of their big interests is their children. She hears a great deal about them, and sometimes she records them, too. Miss Holliss isn’t at all apologetic about her interest in country programmes and is frank in her praise of rural people -*‘"the backbone of the country"-and in her admiration for the countrywoman and her willingness to "give anything a go." As a programme organiser she points out, too, that countrywomen are a big and important listening audience. "The radio is their companion, and they know al] the programmes and take a tremendous interest in.a great variety of subjects. "And they are so. alert to everything that is going on," she says. "The days of the country yokel have gone completely — and the adult education movement deserves credit for its part in the change. In the country now there’s something going on all the time. Countryfolk will tell you that the car’s never cold. It comes to the point where they literally haven’t an evening at home." |