Landlines in Operation

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 734, 7 August 1953, Page 19

Landlines in Operation

HE high-quality relay lines which were installed for the NZBS by the Post and Telegraph. Department last May have enabled greater fidelity to be obtained in long-distance linked broadcasts, especially of musical programmes, said the Hon. R. M. Algie, Minister in Charge of Broadcasting, in a recent statement. "So~far,"’ the Minister said, "I am well pleased with the actual and potential results of this most interesting development, in which concert relays, including National Orchestra programmes, will soon figure more frequently." é Previously, National links of News, Weather Forecasts and similar transmissions were made by each individual station rebroadcasting "off the air" from the originating station, which was usually 2YA. The’ new ‘system: enables a programme-news, sports commentary, discussion, for example, or a studio recital or a public concert by the National Orchestra or touring musician-to be broadcast simultaneously over a_ network. Of the: present National Division stations, the four YA (or YC) stations and 4YZ can be linked, and 3YZ_ will shortly be included, When 1YZ and 2YZ are brought in, the link of main national stations will be complete; but that is an indefinite prospect yet. The four ZB stations of the Commercial Division can now be linked separately. or together with the National Division stations.

The first major series of programmes to be relayed on the wide-band lines, as the new relay lines are officially called, was the BBC’s coverage of the Coronation Ceremony and its attendant broadcasts, which were heard .simultaneously, with high-quality reproduction, from all the YA and ZB stations. Since then programmes which have been relayed throughout the country in this manner include the NZBS production of Merrie England, Edward German’s light opera, which originated from the studios of 1YA, and Showcase, featuring Terry Vaughan with orchestra and _ soloists, originating from 2YA. The first public concert to be relayed was that given by the Griller Quartet’ on July 11 in Auckland, the first half of which was heard from the four YC ‘stations, The first half of the Griller Quartet’s concert with Hephzibah Menuhin on August 1 in the Wellington Town Hall was relayed in similar fashion. The Talks Department, which has been’ using the improved relay service for its National link programmes of News, Lookout, and so on, first made special use of it for the new National discussion programme, Question Mark, which started on August 3 from the four YA stations. The wide band’ lines are used for linking the four ZB stations when broadcasting network programmes such as Hit Parade, Money-Go-Round, Quiz Kids, On Stage Tonight and ZB Book Review, if the lines are not required for concert relays. The BBC Cricket Test broadcasts are also relayed in this manner by the ZB stations. The lines are also used once a month to relay from: 1YA to Radio New Zealand in Wellington a service from -the Islands Church in Auckland, which is rebroadcast on shortwave to the Pacific territories. The greatest value of the new relay lines will be in making possible simul-

taneous broadcasts of public or studio concerts by the National Orchestra and touring overseas artists. Future musical programmes’ which will be heard in this way from the four YC stations ivclude the first half of the National Orchestra’s concert with Hephzibah Menuhin in Auckland this Saturday, August 8, and the second*half of the Griller Quartet’s concert in Dunedin on the same night. Either the first half or the second half of the following public concerts will similarly be relayed from the four YC stations: The Griller Quartet with > Hephzibah Menuhin, on August !2(from*Dunedin); the National Orchestra (from Wellington), and the Griller Quartet (from Christchurch) on August | 15; Peter Cooper (from Auckland) on | August 20; the National Orchestra with the Chinese basso Yi-Kwei Sze (from Wellington), on September ‘8; the National Orchestra with Yi-Kwei Sze (from Christchurch), on September 15; the National Orchestra with Peter Cooper (from Christchurch), on September 17; the National Orchestra with Peter Cooper (from Dunedin), on September 22; the National Orchestra with Yi-Kwei Sze (from Auckland), on September 29; the National Orchestra with Peter Cooper (from Auckland), on October 1; the National Orchestra with Yi-Kwei Sze (from Wellington), on October 6.

On August 19 the new lines will be | used to relay a programme of music | by the National Band of New Zealand, | rebroadcast from the BBC, from’ the | four YA stations and possibly 4YZ, ) The Auckland-Wellington section of | the new lines was brought into use on May 5. The lines between Christchurch | and Dunedin were opened on May 7, and between Dunedin and Invercargi Te on May 8. Through the month of June and the first week of July the use of ) the lines for link programmes aetounted for more than 160 hours of broadcasting time. At present the lines are being used by National and Commercial links for, over 20 hours a week. ) ; :