Are They Real Sports?

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 35, 15 March 1929, Page 12

Are They Real Sports?

T is not all joy answering the telephone at 2YA. Heavy requirements are. imposed upon the staff in the matter of tact in meeting the demands of exacting and diverse tastes. One of the most strenuous periods from a telephonic point of view is Saturday evening, immediately after the opening of the news session. The sporting fraternity (or at least some of them, not to libel those who are really sports). prove quite a little trying and exacting at that time. Many of those who possibly have risked a whole two-shilling piece upon some race or other are very keen to know the outcome of their speculation, and in the few minutes that elapse between the start of the news session at 7 o’clock and the reaching of the sporting announcements, the telephone is kept very busy with sarcastie requests to "cut out" the shipping and weather reports, official news, ete., and get down to the "real business" of the evening, the distribution of sports results. For the benefit of these "sports" it may be stated quite definitely that the news session is cast in a definite procedure, which will not be varied. The practice is to open with the shipping news, because that is of importance and value to a definite section of the community, and requires to be given

at a set period each evening, so that those intimately concerned with the proper conduct of the country’s transport business can receive the information with which they are concerned. The weather reports follow because they also are of value to shipping and transport interests and the farming community, without whose success, it may be mentioned in passing, city interests would sadly suffer. Transport and primary production contribute not a little to the financial.and commercial suecess of the whole life of this Dominion; and shipping and weather reports are of definite commercial value to those interests. . Succeeding these three essential items, the sporting items are reached usually at from eight to twelve minutes after 7 o’clock. While the 2YA staff has made no complaint on this point, we think it fair to place the facts before readers and listeners, with the request that the position be appreciated In contrast with the town listeners, reference may be made to listeners in Chatham Islands, where it is a matter of pride that there are no_ wireless pirates. Cut off as that island is from the daily paper and with irregular mai] communications, they rely markedly upon wireless for contact with the world. Practically every minute in which the four YA stations are operating sees every set set on the island surrounded by keen listeners-and they don’t ring up 2YA! ee