Honorary Official Listeners

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 47, 8 June 1928, Page 5

Honorary Official Listeners

Opportunity for Radio Enthusiasts N the course of an official statement dealing with the scheme recently outlined in the "Radio Record" providing for the appointment of "honorary official listeners,’ and the arranging of a network of "listening posts" throughout New Zealand, Mr. A. R. Harris, General Manager ofthe Broadcasting Company, provides further interesting details of the proposal. The first announcement of the scheme produced a gratifying response, numerous applications for appointment being ‘received from enthusiastic listeners who offered their services to aid broadcasting in New Zealand. The final selections have not yet been made, for it is ‘anticipated an that, now the scheme is practically finalised and about to be put into operation, many others will be anxious for appointment as official listeners, and the Broadcasting Company is naturally desirous of making the best selection possible. All who now apply are asked to state their experience in radio work as well as the quality of their receiving sets.

ME. A. R, HARRIS. states :- "Yn dealing with the relations existing between itself and the public, the Broadcasting Company has had to consider three outstanding factors. 1, Public utility of programmes. 2. Improved facilities for reception. _ 8. Effectiveness of transmissions at the point of reception. "The first of these factors is being dealt with by the establishment of public relations committees, acting in an advisory capacity to the company with regard to church services, children’s sessions, music and dramatic arts. Improved facilities for reception can only be dealt with by local organisations such as Listeners’ Leagues or Radio Societies. The third factor, namely, effectiveness of transmission at the point of reception, is a matter on which much yaluable assistance. may be rendered the company by enthusiastic radio amateurs throughout the Dominion. It is the desire of the company to secure co-operation in connection with this third factor. Quality of Transmissions, * AS listeners are aware, the company has erected modern transmitting stations, up-to-date in every particular, and equipped with the most efficient broadcasting plants procurable. A competent staff has, moreover, been organised to deal with the company’s engineering problems, and it is able to check and control transmissions up to the point of their output from the aerial, Measurements of the field strength of signals haye been taken, ‘and are being taken within a limited. radius. It is not practicable, ae ever, for the compuny, on its own fccount, to make tests of the effective. ness of transmissions at all localities | in the Dominion, at all times. "The inforination which the company wishes to secure can only be obtained | from reports furnished from the aris ous localities. To date, it is indebted to many listeners for reports, but the: yalue of these has been lessened by reason of their irregular nature, and | the company now seeks co-operation for the purpose of making these reports systematic and more compreheusive, | Effect of Adjustments. | "(Q)CCASIONALLY adjustments are made to the equipment of a transmitting station or studio. In some eases these adjustments affect only the internal working of the station, in others they may affect transmission as they are received by the listener. ¥rom time to time, too, special test transmissions are broadcast for various reasons. "Reports on reception are received by the company from various sources. Sometimes these reports are in the niture of complaints. The poorness o" reception may be due to many causes, more than likely to ineflicient receiving apparatus or unskilled operntion. At any rate, such reports need investigation. Then again, the company receives conenunicaticn + re- .

porting interference from other transmitting stations or ships. All these are matters which the company proposes to deal with by the appointment o£ ‘honorary official listeners to the company.’ Honorary Official Listeners. "VY UT it be understood at this june- . ture that the company’s one and only object in inaugurating this scheme of ‘honorary official listeners’ is that of improving its service to the li. tener-in. Iiyery ‘honorary officiat listener’ will have the opportunity of assisting the company in this object. The company realises that to achieve its object it must enlist the services of reliable amateurs, and make them its accredited representatives throughout the Dominion. It must, moreover, furnish these representatives as necessity arises with information as t6 test transmissions, adjustments to transmitting apparatus, local complaints regarding reception and _ interference, and other information relevant to the discharge of their office, This it pro‘poses to do. "TRO each ‘honorary official listener’ appointed by the company there will be issued a certificate of appoint‘ment and an official badge. Appointments will be for one year, expiring on March 31. ‘The receiving stations of ‘honorary official listeners’ will. o¢ ‘recognised. by the company as ‘official listening posts.’ These listening posts will be situate in the following ‘localities and will be added to as’ necessity arises :- , | NORTH ISLAND. | North Auckland, Auckland City, Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay. Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, New Plymouth, | Wanganui, Palmerston North, Wellington City. SOUTH ISLAND. . Glenheim, Nelson, Westport, Hokitika, Central Canterbury. Christehurech City, South Canterbury, Dunedin City, Central Otago, Southland.’ "Duties will embrace the following :° | | | | | ‘(a> The supplying to the company’ | from time to time of reliable in- | formation regarding reception of its transmission in your localnn : The reporting to the company: on specinl test transmissions. | (e) The investightion of ‘local re? : ports concerning the reception of- | transmissions. oo | (d) The investigation of local re.’ ports of interference of other, transmission from stations mel. ships. (b YY SEN forwarding reports of revenm ! tion, ‘official listeners’ should in-; | clude n report of the local meteorological conditions and any other fac- | tors which may affect reception. There iis no doubt that. reliable informa'ion. on the matters mentioned in this let‘ter from throughout the Dominion will 'be of the greatest value to the broads | custing service."