US.A. AND AUSTRALIA

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 5, 19 August 1927, Page 15

US.A. AND AUSTRALIA

A COMPARISON A Jarge batch of programines recently received in Melbourne from two large broadcasting stations in America provides amusing reading for those accustomed to Australian programmes. They should at the same time prove a sur-. prise to the few Australian _ listeners who find it necessary so to criticise the programmes from Australian stations. The first thing that strikes the Australian listener when glancing though the American programmes is the fact that the hours of transnission are by no means so gencrous as those of the Australian stations. Slightly more time is given in the day‘time to broadcasting, but as most of this is in the morning it is of comparatively little value. On the other hand, the programmes at night are often terminated two hours before a torresponding Australian programme, which concludes at midnight, An analysis of programmes for several weeks from one station showed that the latest in that time was finished at 10 o’clock, It bevan at half-past 8 o’elock. On many occasions the programmes were ended by 9 o’clock, while many were begun until Ilf-past 8 o’clock., It is clear, also, that the number of performers employed in producing a programme is much smaller than at the chief Australian stations, inany of which broadcast a more varied programme in one night than some of the American provide in a week. Practically all the American stations are conducted on revenue received from the broadcasting of advertisements. While some disguise the advertisements admirably without robbing them of their value the commercial nature of other services is objectionably obvious, and the general quality of programmes is very low.