With Listener and Company

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 35, 15 March 1929, Page 26

With Listener and Company

A ‘Nightly Dance Programme for Strong Valves. . ‘A PALMERSTON NORTH correspondent writes: "I write to congratulate you on the excellence of the programme broadcast from your station on the evening of Tuesday, the 26th instant, more particularly that portion broadcast between 10 and 11 pm. In the past I have had occasion to comment unfavourably on the general type of programmes and the reception of same in Palmerston North, therefore I feel that it is due to you to express my appreciation on this occasion. I am of the opinion that such a programmee of good syncopated numbers, rendered, Say, once a week, would do much to popularise radio with the younger generation who are at present your most severe critics. After all, look at it as you will, this is a jazz age. For your information I might say that we are at the present cainping some 60 miles north of Palmerston North in a river valley. Our tents are actually pitched in a depression surrounded on all sides by papa cliffs approximately 200ft. high. The aerial is crude, being only 25ft. high at the top end and sloping directly in to the set. The aerial is approximately at right angles to your station. The set is a four-valve Browning Drake. Reception was perfect. We

have also picked you up in the afternoons. The rusties of the district are thrilled to the boots, and we ourselves feel that such a programme could be the forerunner of many others similar, thus giving us some return for capital invested and our annual license." In the course of his reply, the general manager said: "This dance programme marks the introduction of a plan whereby it will be possible for a listener with a sufficiently powerful set to receive a dance programme from one or other of our stations on each night in the week, Tuesday being the night which is set aside for 2YA." Pleasing Someone Some of the Time. CRITIC, resentful of too much "highbrow" music wrote thusly: "Undoubtedly the programme submitted to-day was highbrow in the extreme. Opera with a vengeance puts it mildly. An operatic record now and again is not too bad, but when one gets every half an hour of a crowd of Germans yelling it reminds one of the night raids we used to have during a little scrap a while ago. Granted the transmission was perfect in every respect, yet I think it only fair that something of a lighter type and sung in English would be more acceptable to the majority of listeners. The chosen few get more than their share of opera during the week-day sessions. I notice, too, that 1YA has a penchant for putting over the worst possible type of record-massed voices and choirs. ‘There is a terrific amount of mush with this class of record. Could not the literary selection be cut out on Sunday? I quite understand that it is impossible to please everybody, but I certainly think that 1YA has well earned its name of being run in conjunction with the wowser fraternity." The general manager in replying put the position in this fashion: "As you are aware, in arranging our _ programmes we have to cater for the varied requirements of a great number of listeners, and it is not practicable for us to please everyone at all times. We endeavour as far as possible, however, to provide items which will please the majority, and will therefore be pleased to give your request for lighter numbers on Sunday afternoon every consideration. In regard to the literary talks, the reports which reach this office indicate that they are much appreciated, although we would be pleased to consider eliminating them on Sunday afternoon for the time being in accordance with your request." Distortion? [PHIs extract from a report by an official listener is of interest :- "Distortion was noticed several times when the crystal was controlling, but the second half of the programme under M.O. control was terribly distorted for periods of half to one minute during the remaining part of the programme, at intervals of about five minutes between each attack. Still I am quite sure this would have been the same if crystal control had been maintained throughout the evening. During the present month 2YA’s distortion has been very, very bad after about 9 p.m. every night, I am sure that I am right in stating it has been the worst

since 2YA came on the air; personally, I think the only remedy to cure this distortion is a change of wavelength, and then I am positive that in doing this you will only alter the locality of the distortion." Advice to Listeners. O another suggestion that the Broadcasting Company should employ mechanics who would advise and help listeners in the adjustment of their sets so as to secure the best results, the general manager wrote: "The personal investigation of trouble in receiving sets is a matter which is normally beyond the province of the company’s scope of activity. The successful development of a broadcasting service is dependent upon at least two factors, namely, efficient transmission and efficient reception, and whilst in a broader sense, co-operation between the broadcasting and the listener is essential, individual effort is equally necessary. The company contributes towards the success of the service by making provision for technically efficient transmissions, and towards this end, as you are aware, we have provided modern broadcasting apparatus and have placed it under the control of expert engineers. We are in a position to state, therefore, that as a general rule our transmissions are as technically perfect as it is possible for us to make them, and although irregularities will occur even under ideal conditions, they are infrequent and can be regarded as abnormal." Inefficient Earth. APROPOS to the above, as showing the simple things which may happen to militate considerably against good reception, a correspondent writes: "A gentleman friend said his wireless had been good, but it was no good now, and he was giving it up. He asked me to look at it, but I told him I did not know the first thing about wireless, and my advice could not be of any help. I did look at it, but saw nothing wrong. I found the earth wire was fixed to the tap over the sink. The wire had been bound round the back of the tap, there being perhaps six turns. It was just before 5 p.m., and we could hear only by straining. I Suggested that the hot steam from the sink might have carried some grease with it, and that gradually the grease had got between the wire and the tap. I undid the wire, cleaned it and the tap, and refixed it. At 8.380 my friend called and said he could hear perfectoman see a

ly, and that he was having the wire soldered to the tap." Before or After is Which? LISTENER writes regarding the practice followed by 2YA of the name of an item after the piece has been broadcast. "As a regular listener to your station, I take this opportunity of thanking and congratulating you on the excellence of your Sunday afternoon and evening programmes. And now, may I indulge in a little criticism? Why are we not told until after we hate heard an item, what it is we live beén listening to? I maintain that nobody but the most supreme musician could possibly appreciate -a piece of music unless he had some idea of what it is intended to mean. Then again, we all love to hear Grand Opera sung by its best. exponents of the day, but we could surcly understand and appreciate much more if we had some idea of what we were listening to. "Now, Sir, the only explanation i can think of for this strange and unorthodox method of announcing, is that some people (musical hypocrites or pretendalls, presumably) like to try and say, from hearing a piece of music, what it is without being previously told. But how many can do this? No, its an average listener, who loves good music, such as is broadcast per medium of the gramophone. I say, emphatically, tha. the whole effect is lost, through not knowing, or only having a faint memory of having heard, the title, and though striving vainly to bring up to mind what is meant. Meanwhile the music goes on, unheeded, or only those parts which seem slightly familiar, heeded, in an attempt to think of its name. Let us get back to the good old way of first announcing what we are to have, and then the music itself being broadcast, in order to give us a chance to get worked up to the necessary pitch to be able to properly and truly enraptured and enthralled by the works of the great masters." "THE General Manager replied: "It has the advantage that special attention can be given to the title of a selection which may be of special -interest. In the case where the announcement is made beforehand, the title pi a -selection unknown to the listener is not of special interest unless the selection itself is, and the latter point can only be determined after the item is broadcast. The scheme appears to be giving every satisfaction, although we will be very glad to bear your comments in mind."