BROADCASTING AS AN EDUCATOR.

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 3, 5 August 1927, Unnumbered Page

BROADCASTING AS AN EDUCATOR.

The announcement we feature in this issue that as from August 5 there will be broadcast from 2YA a weekly lecturette on Imperial affairs ‘js of the first importance, and indicates in striking fashion the potential educational and informative value of the broadcasting service. For the preparation of the matter, the full resources of the Imperial Affairs Branch of the Prime Minister’s Department will be drawn upon, so that a fully authoritative and reliable exposition of facts and the trends of events and opinions will be available. The series will be inaugurated by a talk upon Samoa, now so much discussed. Thereafter will be treated subjects of so vital but diverse 4 nature as the Imperial Conference, Naval Disarmament, the Singapore Base, the League of Natians, China, Egypt, ete., all of which have a definite bearing upon our fate and future, remote as they may seem. The official announcement conveys two reassuring promises. First, there is to be a time-limit of fifteen minutes, and care will be taken to treat the subjects in as interesting and attractive a form as possible; secondly, it is the aim to give the facts only in reliable and authentic fashion, and not attempt the giving of advice or undue guidance of public opinion. The value of this service, developed along these lines, of cultivating a fuller knowledge of essential facts, from first-hand sources, cannot be overestimated. It makes direct contact between official knowledge and information, and the people themselves, This direct contact with the great body of the people has already been developed overseas, a striking case of which our news columns this week gives some information, being President Coolidge’s address, by means of broadcasting, to an audience of 20,000,000 people. On that precedent, and having regard to the rapidity of modern developments, the day. is not far distant when by careful relays and organisation, it will be possible for the general body of New Zealand listeners to hear in their own homes our Empire Leaders addressing gatherings of note in Britain. Our local development but shows the way-indicates the binding value of broadcasting. Further emphasis upon the educational value of broadcasting is this week laid by the announcement of the Director of Education that speedily certain country schools will be equipped with wireless receiving sets, when regular morning lessons will be broadcast for the benefit of jsolated children, of whom our backblocks contain many. These developments give check to the undue emphasis that in some quarters has been laid upon the lighter side, the entertainment side of broadcasting. That is important, unquestionably, and in the development of this phase a great service has been rendered the community by the moulding and perfecting of a machine that can be turned to greater good. Without popularisation of its entertainment side, broadcasting would not have advanced at the rate it has. But late reports from world centres indicate that the unrestrained demand for jazzing entertainment by means of broadcasting is slowing down, and as the more stable sections of the community perceive its possibilities and instal sets, the demand is setting in for a service of real news and educational value. The real difficulty of broadcasting lies in assessing a fair balance between the varying demands of a changing and discriminating public. That task is accentuated in New Zealand by the limited number of stations, and the comparatively limited range of selection, but with experience, concentration and the addition of new’ features along the lines indicated, a valuable service will -be made available to all. AFTERNOON SESSIONS OPEN SOON. A further new feature of the immediate future will be the inauguration of afternoon sessions from 2YA. These should be "on the air" from the middle of August, and will immediately provide a service of particular appeal to home-keepers in both city and country. Much . thought and effort is being put into the planning of this feature, which, on account of the. exceptional power of 2YA, may be expected to cover practically all areas of the Dominion. With concentration on these lines of service, we are sure there will be witnessed a tremendous accession of interest in the use of broadcasting reception. To that end we incorporate in this issue a new feature under the title of "From the Woman’s Point of View." This will be specially conducted to serve home interests and evoke the woman’s attitude to the service she expects from broadcasting. OUR THANKS TO READERS..: We have to express our appreciation and gratitude to the thousands of readers whose subscriptions are rolling in daily, and taxing our staff to the utmost. The reception accorded our establishment, particularly by country listeners, has been most encouraging and gratifying. . In connection with the complimentary distribution to listeners of our early issucs, our aim and desire was to send a copy to all holders of annual

licenses. To that end we contracted for the typing of wrappers from the official lists, as prepared to April. 30, and for the supplementary months, Owing to the limited pzriod between the final decision to issue the "Radio Record" and the first publication-tmuch less than a fortnight packed with organisation and work-it was humanly impossible to have all wrappers checked, and we therefore had to expect some letters voicing complaint.as to non-receipt of these complimentary copies. Will those so suffering please accept our apologies and assurances that no such omission has been intentional, but due purely’ te mischance or human error? e In the case of recent registrations every effort has been made to bring them up-to-date for inclusion, but as the rate of registration recently has reached nearly a thousand a week, the hopelessness of our stern chase will be apparent. Our first two issues have been completely exhausted. and further supplies cannot now be sent. Extra copies of this, our third issue, are being printed to give the most effective distribution possible. The "Radio Record" is now definitely on a subscription. basisnamely, as an introductory offer, 7s. 6d. per annum, post free if remitted before August 13, thereafter 10s. per annum prepaid. We thank all who have so far subscribed, and would particularly ask intending subscribers to write in at once. We have a big task before us organising the thousands of addresses into stencil form, and sorting into postal districts, to facilitate delivery. Moreover, for future copies, we shall print approximately only the number. required for subscriptions, with a margin for expansion and late-comers. We don’t want to disappoint anyone, but to save missing your programmes, please write early! While our reception has been uniformly cordial, one note of criticism is directed from a certain quarter against the programmes being copyrighted. This criticism is so unreasonable as to create the suspicion that those concerned are being made. the stalking horse of private interests, The general practice throughout the world is to copyright such programmes, They are specifically copyrighted in Australia, and the official organ of the British Broadcasting Corporation carries this announcement: "The reproduction of the copyright programmies contained in this issue is strictly reserved." While copyright has been applied to our. programmes, no variation has been made to the past practice of the daily Press publishing the daily programme.’ On the contrary we gratuitously supply the Press with copies of the "Radio Record" to that end. In the past no daily paper to our knowledge has published more than the one day’s programme, so that’no disability whatever is imposed by a continuance of past practices. On the contrary, our publication of the full programmes in advance for the ensuing week constitutes a special service which the Press has been unable to render-indeed, it would be outside its function-and we cannot but think that the general body of listeners will detect the speciousness and interestedness of the complaint made, p : In addition to our programme service, there will be given in our columns a full service of news and technical articles, and a platform for contact between the listener and the service company for the better understanding of problems and points of view. :