Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 52, 13 July 1928, Page 3

Auckland Notes

(By

Listener

its "chfidren’s llour" service, An enthusiastic body of "Uncles" hold juvenile attention nightly, and to know how much these radio relatives are appreciated one has to visit .a home where there are kiddies-and a radio set. Dinner-table conversation is not considered good form by fhe youngsters, who before, during and after the meal hang on to every word that comes from the loud-speaker. "I often de‘sire to switch the thing off," said a father, "so that I may talk to the family myself, but they would far rather listen to ‘Uncle’ than to parent. He is much more interesting than I am, they tell me, and when I realise the benefits my children are deriving from ‘their radio hour, I am content to listen £00, and frequently, to enjoy." AUCKLAND is certainly fortunate in | O’ Sunday evening last the officials | at iYA substituted a gramophone recital for the fortnightly organ recital, The change was an appreciated one, for it provided that variety for all tastes which our Sunday evening organ recitals seem to lack. Our station came to light with the bad tidings of the All Black debacle ‘on Sunday morning, and it was sur‘prising to find out later how many listened in to hear the news. ‘There are thousands in the city and suburbs who possess a receiver but not a telephone, and to them the broadeast rendered a signal service. There will be much dependence on 1YA for the result of the next test, but an earlier hour of announcement would be welcomed, if the opinions of a number of listeners ‘are to be relied on. exists in Auckland it is hard to say, though two cases have been brought under the notice of the Local Listeners’ League, which has duly reported them to the proper quarters. But there is another form of piracy that is vife in the city, and that requires observation and checking, This is the unlicensed quasi-unateur home constructor and repairer who, if all reports are to be believed, is doing quite a big business, to the detriment of legitimate traders and of licensing revenue. It is very difficult to, locate such folk, and still more diflicult to secure grounds for their prosecution, but their existence is due largely to the short-sightedness of their patrons. The man who wants a set assembled or repaired should realise that, in haying dealings with an unlicensed constructor he may be saying 2 pound ov two, but he is getting all too frequently an unreliable service, and he is deliberately hindering the improvement of broadcasting by depriving the company of revenue | which wili be spent for his entertainment, a whut extent the radio pirate Hi announcement that the establishment of a full studio orchestra has been postponed has been received locally in the spirit in which it was made, Though there have been one or two grumblers, listeners generally realise that the service cannot stand unlimited expenditure, and as a body they feel satisfied to wait for the inevitable increase in licenses that will finance the project. A ee in the local press suggests that by inereasing the number of gramophone records used sufficient might be saved in programme expenditure to defray the cost of an orchestra. Wis suggestion has brought favourable comment on the idea, but he and other correspondents seem to forget that even with gramophone records a heavy royalty has to be paid when they are put on | the air, ° Ht forthcoming extracts from light opera, which are to be featured on Saturday evenings, are being keenly anticipated. There is a fascination

for all tastes in the lilting refrains which we have heard from many 7 musical comedy, and even devotees of jazz, who rave against anything savouring of the classical, delight in listening to favourite selections from the "Belle," "The Country Girl," "The Merry Widow," and other comic operas. The complete production of one of these, though an ambitious effort, would make a great hit if it conld be arranged without excessive demands for royalty,