Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 8, 7 September 1928, Page 26

Our Mail Bag

Will correspondents please practice brevity, as heavy demands are now made on space. All letters must be signed and address given as proof of genuineness; noms de plume for publication are permitted, Address correspondence Editor, "Radio Record," P.O. Box 1032, Wellington.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. W.H." (Westport): "There are two jacks on the panel of the receiver, one from each stage of audio. The jack at the back is from the second audio stages. It has not been stated which plug on the panel was used, but, presuming that phone strength was obtainable from the first audio jack and nothing from the two second-stage ones, it is evident that either the final audio valve or transformer is at fault. The valve may yet light, but be dead, as explained in the "Record" last week. Have it tested, likewise the transformer, if the valve is OK." ALR." (Hataitai)-The "Game of Life" will be given Monday, September 24. *M.W." (Okaramio).-The list you require would involve well over a thousand names, some being stations heard only for. a few. miles... The list of those heard in New Zealand is available through our Listeners’ Guide. ANE (Bandoeng, Java), operating on 31.93 metres (9895 ke.), is on the air from 10 pm. fill 12 midnight, Tuesdays and Thursdays. A 5-watt broadcaster is attached to this station and operates on 310 metres.

General Appreciation. FELT it my duty to write saying how much "I appreciated the "Radio Record" and the entertainment and news session provided to listeners. It has often occurred to me what a vast amount of work there is in collecting the latest news and musical programmes. Personally I think the wireless is the greatest boon to the country the world has ever known. It is just twelve months since I bought my wireless set, and I did not realise till then what beautiful music was put over the

air

J. F.

Osborne

(Nelson).

Sunday Concerts. H} read of someone in the "Radio Record" of August 17 complaining about the Wellington Sunday concerts. Now I feel I must write our appreciation of them. We live in the country, and haye quite a lot of listeners on Sunday nights, whe cannot get away early enough through the week to get to town for concerts early enough, and how they do enjoy the concerts on Sunday nights. I once heard a musician say thatall musicis sacred, and I agree with him, and convey my thanks to the contributors of 2YA, and hope we won't be cut out of our Sunday concerts, aS I’m sure there are enough stations on the air to suit all tastes.Housewife (Totara). Sunday Afternoon Concerts. I SHOULD like to express my appregiation of the Sunday afternoon concerts at 83Y¥A. The records are so good and well chosen. I also congratulate the "Christchurch Broadcasting Trio" and the "Studio Orchestra," the first performance of the latter being very fine. I am unable to go out at night and the radio concerts give me

many 2 pleasant evening.-

S. E.

Maude

(Christchurch).

A Model Programme. N the current issue of the "Radio Record" I am taken to task as an "ignorant dealer" and practically told I would not know good music if I heard it. First, I am an old orchestral member; thirty years ago I used to play for Bland Holt, Pollard’s Opera Co., Williamson Musgrove Opera Co., ete. This disposes of my being able to appreciate good music. Second, I am no dealer, and what is more have no eonnection with any dealer or agents, but I always have visitors five or six nights a week. I always treat listeners as prospective buyers, and that will only take place if you do as advised in "Radio Record" of August 3, p. 82 and 33, except that I do not only tell others but I try to show others and thus widen the radio circle, etc. Third, the following is my idea of a stock programme and stock is right ‘phrase as 2YA programmes are the same artists every week, with the Thursday night band as an exception. Some of them must have a lease of the studio and will not forego a single item, as for example I wanted to hear a special item one Tuesday and: tuned in just as it was due, but a "barrow" tone came through, Of course I pre-

sumed he had not finished his turn, He is always well to the front, three and four items bracketed: if this. is not what we used to call stock programme, what is? Now this is my idea of a programme :- 1. Clock. . 2. Overture-Orchestra, "Overture William Tell." Songs at piano. Violin solo, "Mendelssohn’s Spring Song." Humorous item (song or recital). Orchestra, "H.M.S. Pinafore." introducing "We Sail the Ocean Blue, "Little Buttercup." ete. i. "Cello solo, "Broken Melody" or "Barearolle"’ ("Tales from Hoffman’). S. Violin, flute and piano, "Locking Bird." 9. Songs at piano. 0 1 29 > "i . Ld > ary Humorous item. Xylophone solo, "Legend of the Bells" ("Les Clotches de Corneville"). 12. Pianoforte solo, "Militaire Marche." 13. Orchestra (repeat item or encore). 14. Orchestra, "Blue Danube Waltz," Good-night. This type of programme would not require a galaxy of quartets and other artists as it only requires two artists outside the orchestra. Artists and instruments are in the studio. Whiv

not use them?

J.

K.

(Trentham) .

22M, Gisborne. \ JHILE thanking you for the space in this matter, I express sorrow for the impression conveyed that my receiver tuned in the above on the condenser from 1 to 180. It does not, but different people owning first-grade expensive American sets affirmed that he interfered with Christchurch and Auckland transmissions. My object in writing was to get Mr. Stevens to tune his station to his allotted wavelength (for I consider he was tuned too high), and not to draw in other correspondents. I am fully aware of Mr. Stevens’s capabilities, and know that he can yet improve his station so that it will nov interfere. I have noted the visits to his place of a technical officer of the Telegraph Department, and I am pleased to say there has already been an improvement. A little further adjusting could be carried out yet. I am deeply sensible to the advantage of haying a local station during the summer season, but that is no reason why we should be inflicted with a poor one all the remainder of the year when the owner has the ability to put things

right.

A.

K.

(Gisborne).

A Country View of Racing Ban. I TAKE this opportunity of recording my protest against the racing officials for their decision to ban the broadcasting of races. ‘Will this tend to stop illegal betting? No, of course not. Will the ban encourage people to go to a meeting? If these gentlemen wish to stop news from getting out quickly, why not stop the Press and disconnect ali telephones leading. from the course. The ban is all bunkum, as

anyone can get a race result from any part of New Zealand within 30 minutes, and often within five minutes if the meeting is close. Take the country people. I live 80 miles from the nearest course, and attend only three meetif~igs. a year, and never bet off the course. Why should we be barred, I in future am going to keep away from the meetings. I bought a wireless set to bring town activities to my humble home surrounded with bush and a mud road (18 miles) in the bargain. Do the officials expect me to leave my daily: work and attend their meetings? It looks like it. Can any of: the gentlemen responsible for the bar say they have never bet off the course when a meeting has been held away from their town and they could not attend? Nuff said! I know many of these gentlemen turned their backs when the Heeney-Tunney fight was being broadcasted, and do they not enjoy listening to the football and boxing? I guess they do. If horse ‘icing is the good clean sport that we are led to believe it is, why be ashamed to broadcast and let the Press get in first? One can get results within a short space of the running of a race without a radio, so why blackball the

poor old thing?-

Countryite.

Radio In the Country: E in the country have few amusements and, believe me, radio proves a blessing. One often reads per medium of your mailbag various letters expressing dissatisfaction of pro-. grammes broadcast and of transmission of various stations. All I can say is that, to we poor country folk the programmes are AI, especially Saturday nights’ transmission is good. My opinion is that the town follk ic too well catered for in the way 9 amusement and consequently grow fastidious or else they require to purchase a decent valve set. The remedy I would suggest would be to send a few of them out on to a farm for a while and see what their complaints then would be. I also wish to express my disappointment of the attitude taken up by the Racing Conference re broadcasting of races. ‘This, the broadeasting of races, was one of the main reasons why I purebased a powerful set. Being a Christchurch man, naturally my interests are centred there, and as my people are owners of race horses, I went in for an 8 valve set, which would get Christchurch in day- time. What now is my disappointment to hear of the conference’s absurd prohibition of results. Allow me, per medium of your paper or otherwise, to thank the Boxing Association and also 4YA for excellent broadcasts of events at the ring on the past Saturday nights. We always have all boxing enthusiasts here whenever a match is on, and they, everyone of them, thoroughly enjoy them. The Tunney-Heeney fight came through yery good and could be heard 50 yards away. We obtained same from Wellington and, believe me, the boxing fans had a day out that day. 7 In conclusion I must once press my satisfaction and appreciation of all programmes broadcast and als of your valuable paper. To those wh do not like any item my. advice is think of those who do, and instead of complaining so much either switch off or switch in to a programme that does suit,

= A closing suggestion is that either in earlier hour for concert session or a half-hour broadcast of gramophone records say from 7.30 to 8, from one of thog*Tour stations would give great nleasure to country folk whose calling

calls for early retiring_

E. B.

Stevens

(Whakatane).

The King’s English. IN your last issue Mr. Stuart W. Hunt is ever so willing to condone the announcer’s mispronunciations and other mistakes, because he has a pleasant voice and cheerful manner. That is quite nice of Mr. Hunt, but it does not cure our squirms when we hear simple English words pronounced almost out of all recognition. Mr. Hunt tells us he likes the present announcer better than previous ones. Well, that’s a matter of opinion. At least the previous announcer spoke cultured Hnglish in a man’s voice, rich and full. That "pleasant voice and cheerful manner" seems to me to come over the air like a mother crooning her baby 10 sleep. His "Good night" reminds me even more so of the same thing.Homo.

Mr. Howard and Race News. I CAN only say you are wrong in your ~ summary of my position re broadcasting. As a fact I. took up the attitude that broadcasting is a news service, that the Government has no more right to interfere and say what shall be broadcast than they have to say what news shall go in a newspaper. and that the -matter of broadeasting the races was purely a domestic matter between. the B.C.C. and the racing fraternity. Now get that point clear-my argument was that it was not a question for the Government. It was urged by others that the Government should interfere and force the Racing Conference to allow racing to be broadeast. All right, once admit the right of the Government to do that and where will it stop? I hold the B.C.C. should be as free as the "Dominion" to publish what it likes.KE. J. Howard. [Our point was that Mr. Howard showed no concern for the people being deprived of ‘their just rights in news. It is not a question only hetween the Racing Conferences and the Broadeasting Company. It is a quertion of the rights of the public to news at the earliest moment after the event. In this case. broadcasting is being refused the privileges of the Press, and an attempt made to suppress the distribution of news by one medium while permitting it at the same time by another. Mr. Howard’s attitude is not logical or democratic, and is opposed to the interests of a sport-loving people. Does he support the Racing Conferences in their demand for some of the few shillings of listeners? If broadcasting is a news service, as stated by him, why. permit monopolistic and partial restrictions to operate against the people’s interests ?-Ed.] 9XF Trying Out. J WAVE just .received a letter from. ~;, OXF stating that he will be testing opt every Sunday evening our time om 7.30 to 10.30 with the call WENR on 288 and‘240-metres, and wants reports on tests; he is using 50,000 watts. Also, WLW wil] be on the air September’ 17, using. 50,000 watts on 428 metres: these two stations want reports

on their tests.

S.

Ellis

Okato, D.X. —

Best of the Week. WOULD like to express my apprecia- ~ tion of the concerts broadcast from 2YA on Sunday evenings. I do this because you have published one or two letters protesting against these broadcasts, and I am in a position to assure you that opinion is almost unanimous that these are the finest entertainments of the week. I make this assertion as one who is travelling in the radio business, demonstrating nightly, and coming into contact with practically every set owner in my districts. There is plenty of sacred music, etc., for those who want it, in the Children’s Hour, services from N.Z. stations, and then from Australia. But it must not be overlooked that there is a large number of subscribers who do not want four or five hours of this. I think, however, that such concerts should not be relayed, which obliges many to listen to

them or nothing.

C. J.

Fleming

{ AUCK-

land).

Broadeasting Announcers. WILLIAM FERGUSSON and others have complained of the quality of announcing from 2YA. Now, Sir, let me tell these critics that this Dominion is fortunate in the standard of its announcing. 38YA, Christchurch, and 1YA, Auckland, have announcers who will compare favourably with any announeers in the world, and that is saying a lot. The present announcer at 2YA is fair, but I feel sure will improve, and the man at 4YA is also good, so in my opinion the listeners in New Zealand are very fortunate. I would draw the attention of the company, however, to the fact that from 2Q2Y A. the quantity of news is not as great as from the other stations, nor does the man at the microphone use as much diseretion in what he puts over the air. If Mr. Coates attends a dog fight we get the fact the same evening supplemented with a five-minute talk, which is nothing more than propaganda, which should be cut right out. Hoping for more news and less rubbish-Listening-in (Rangataua).. Unusual Station. OULD anyone give me the call sign of a station between 400 and 420 metres, which broadcasted a description of a boxing mach at 11.45 p.m. on August 25. I pieked this station up, but bad fading and heavy static made me miss the call-sign. The announcer called one of the fighters "Marks" or "Markis." and said that no blood had been drawn and that the boxers were

not warmed up.

C.

Hodgson

Wai-

roa).

"Rubber Dolls." HE announcers advice to listeners on the 20th instant is as follow :-- "Radio sets are not rubber dolls, and they will not squeak unless they are squeezed." Well, sir, I think there must have been some rubber dolls at the studio on this date, and they were getting squeezed very much, for when the Instrumental Studio Trio were announced it took them fully one minute tuning in. It would make a person sick listening to them. I would like to know why the same man sings four songs on end? Why not give him a spell and let him get his breath, for the further he goes the worse he gets.

-Constant

Reader

(Petone).

Well Satisfied. (THE new size of "Radio Record" is. certainly a big improvement on the old style, and I wish to congratulate you. The souvenir number was

— absolutely Al. I see.some. of your correspondents are growling. All I can say is that some people are never satisfied. The programmes being put over the air are voted first-class by all those of our friends who hear them. Anyone who is dissatisfied with them ought to give up listening in.-‘‘Inter-

ested Listener" .

(Granity) .

Ahead of Australia. WOULD not be without this paper | for double the price, as I consider "Megohm's" constructional articles alone are more than worth the subscription. I have constructed his fivevalve shielded "Browning Drake" and can hold 2FC at speaker strength all day. The programme of New Zealand stations are quite all right, but I would like to see 2YA get going before 3 o'clock. In a farming community the farmers are about from eleven till three, and dealers have not a chance rs

to demonstrate, as you cannot hold a cow cocky in town after three. Again, Saturday is the busy day in a large number of country towns, and all we get on that day is football, a poor thing to demonstrate with. I am not growling at the football broadeast, but a little music from. say. 2 till 83 would be

a benefit.-

G.

L.

(I nglewood ).

2¥A The Favourite. " HAVE read the criticisms in your paper one from Palmerston and one from Trentham, both running 2YA down and lauding Australia. Although 2YA fades here, on account of, I believe, earth condition, 2YA is everybody’s favourite, and no doubt beats all the Australian stations, both in programme and clearness. However, if these two listeners like Australia best there is nothing to stop them tuning

in there and staying there.

E.C.

P.

(Ngaruawahia).