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Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 15, 28 October 1927, Page 4

Next week’s programme from 2YA marks the inauguration of the Broadcasting Company’s policy of improvement. The company has shown a consistent desire to effect betterment as its income permitted, and with the growth of listeners following on the opening of 2YA, is now in a position to embark upon a policy of steady improvement, Thé first stage of that reorganisation is now effected, and the result will soon be apparent to listeners. Broadly speaking, the policy covers the employment of the best possible professional talent on a permanent basis, to be supplemented by others as proof of merit is given. The engagement of the outstanding instrumental trio comprised in Ava Symonds, Gordon Short, and George Ellwood, for regular performances was in itself an important move, but that is now supplemented by the formation of a number of professional high-class quartets. These will appear on different nights, when they will be responsible for a major number of items on the programmes, both collectively and individually. The benefit of regular engagements along these lines lies in the fact that encouragement will be given to consistently add to the repertoire available. Special efforts are in hand for the provision of new music, and the advantage of permanent groups is that necessary study can be given to the consistent expansion of the range of songs available. This policy was outlined by the Director of Music, Mr. W. J. Bellingham, some weeks ago in our columns. It is in essence the policy that has been applied by the picture theatres in relation to their orchestras. Through the encouragement given by permanent employment, the num ber of skilled musicians has been greatly enlarged over the last ten years, until now, the bands of skilled musicians employed by outstanding theatres give performances that are most attractive, and in themselves constitute -no mean draw. The same encouragement will now be possible in relation to concert items and concert performers, and there is no doubt that the claim made some little while ago that the Broadcasting Company was the greatest employer of concert talent in New Zealand | will be more than justified. The benefit of this development will not be felt immediately, but will be progressively experienced over a number of years. The value of such an assured market for suitable talent is immeasurable, and will give encouragement to ambitious talent to perfect itself for public performance. The importance of a market in the development of talent is shown by Australian experience in contrast to that of New Zealand. There is no reason to suppose that the average Australian has any greater musical talent and ability than the average New Zealander, but the fact that the Australian broadcasting stations have had a wider range of talent to draw from for their performances is due very largely to the fact that ambitious Australians have had a ready market for their talent in the theatrical companies organised regularly in Sydney and Melbourne. After a training to qualify for a position therein, and possibly a tour of New Zealand, much of this talent reverts either to private employment, or undertakes teaching, or enters the bonds of matrimony. In either case, it provides a reservoir of talent which has no equal in New Zealand, simply because of the lack of a ready market. for the efforts spent in training. The Broadcasting Company now provides such a market, and the effect will be felt in a steady raising of the standard and broadening of the field of opportunity. Next week, too, marks the inauguration of the Children’s Session on a major scale. As indicated earlier, this is being developed to include performances by the children themselves. The efforts of the organiser have been met by an encouraging response from the teachers and pupils of local schools, and interesting and meritorious chorus and individual work will be going on the air. This harnessing of youthful enthusiasm in the cause of broadcasting is all to the good, and immediately raises the standard of the children’s session to a very high level. The reorganisation effected by the initiative of the Broadcasting Company should satisfy all listeners, It may be taken as a very definite proof of the value of the system installed in New Zealand, namely, private enterprise under Government regulation. ‘There is no question that broadcasting is a public utility of very great value, and all asso- . ciated with it-the listener, the trade, the operating company, and the ‘supervising Government-are concerned to secure the best possible re-~ sults. The results that now are being secured prove, we thfink, the soundness of the policy laid down by the Government originally, that the best service would be derived from a blending of private initiative under regulations imposed in the’ public interest. The art of the showman must be sought to continually interest and appeal to listeners with: new features and new developments, and the mentality capable of that is ‘unquestionably most responsive to private control with its encouragement of enterprise and initiative. We are satisfied that the standard now being ‘set will leave nothing at which to cavil by those who seek high-class public entertainment in addition to the news and educational service by means of lectures, stories, ete., that can be given by broadcasting,