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Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 11, 30 September 1927, Page 4

The event of the week has been the broadcast of the Dempseyfrunney fight from Chicago, Short-wave enthusiasts throughout New Zealand were keenly alive to this historic event, and made exhaustive preparations for linking up with some of the broadcasts arranged for by American organisations. The most outstanding success in reception, so far as published accounts go, seems to have been secured by the wellknown Gisborne amateur, Mr. Ivan H. O’Meara, whose capacity was recently outlined in our columns. Mr. O’Meara was able to establish reception with the broadcast prior to the commencement of the fight, and secured apparently a verbatim record of the ringside announcer’s description. Congratulations must be accorded Mr. O’Meara for his skill. He is fortunate, too, in being in a good reception area. The wellknown Wellington amateur, Mr. F. W. Sellens, was also successful in receiving part of the account from 2XAF Schenectady. An event of this outstanding character inevitably has a marked effect in spreading interest in radio. Many amateurs, stirred by the attention recently devoted to short-wave Empire broadcasts, have installed equipment, or are in the process of installing it, with a view to taking advantage of such events and establishing close contact with the outside world. Admittedly radio has yet to make further advances in the short-wave field to perfect the service,’ but the technical skill of the world is steadily concentrating upon these problems. The Radio Broadcasting Company was fully alive to the importance of the occasion, and the interest that was being taken in the result of the contest. Arrangements were made at each of the four centres for efforts to be made at reception, and as a result periodic announcements were broadcast from the various stations during the afternoon, and a concise summary prepared for announcement during the evening, at the news sessions, and also at the commencement of the regular session. The company’s experts were able, both at Auckland and Wellington, to secure partial results, although much interfered with by the howling valve nuisance. The fact that it was not possible to pick up and rebroadcast the announcement word for word shows that many technical difficulties have yet to be overcome, and explains how overseas programmes cannot yet be incorporated as part of the regular broadcast programme. It is certain, however, that the next few years will show marvellous strides in placing listeners in immediate contact with events in the outside world. CHILDREN’S SESSIONS. In another column we feature the statement of the general manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company, in connection with the organisa- . tion of children’s sessions at all four centres. To accomplish this Mrs. Anna Rose Hall, wife of Captain J. S. H. Hall, has been appointed principal of the children’s department of the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand, Ltd., to organise and co-ordinate the work of the sessions at all four centres. This is a very responsible position, and listeners in general will hope that Mys. Hall will bring to the task the necessary training and capacity, and will achieve the success that the ‘importance of the work warrants. She will have the good-will of all isteners to that end. Children are the enthusiasts of the world, and more than that, they are the moving force of the world, and against their enthusiasm no parents can long hold sway. It is of funda‘mental importance, therefore, that the greatest possible use should be made of the youthful enthusiasm and appreciation that they are capable of putting into an extension of radio service. Everyone will appreciate the altruistic and idealistic Jines upon which the general manager forecasts that the children’s sessions are to be conducted by Mrs. Hall. These ideals are fine. It is desired to make the sessions not only entertaining, but educative. The suggestion may be pardoned, however, that perhaps a little too much stress is being laid upon the educational nature of the proposed children’s sessions, Children don’t want to be told that they are being edueated. The greatest-success will be won by, in popular language, it being "put over" without their-knowing it. Interest is the fundamental of education, and if the interest of the children, and adults, too, is secured, education will follow of itself in the merit of the items being broadcast. The execution of the plans for the children’s session will perhaps not be so markedly educational as this preliminary statement suggests, : It is interesting to note that the Education Department proposes tests in the near future for the suitability of radio for certain school purposes. Up-to-date countries have already applied radio to child instruction. In & review elsewhere we are told of the Chicago school children being equipped with 30,000 loudspeakers, All public schools in Italy are fitted. There is, we believe, definite scope for the profitable use of radio in New Zealand education, and once the rural communities are seized of. the value of broadcasting, they will find a way of overcoming the cost factor, which is now concerning the Department of Education.