Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 36, 22 March 1929, Page 24

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 Hditor, "Radio Record," P.O. Box 1032, Wellington.

Dunedin needs more Power. TI WISH to express my views on 4YA Dunedin. I am at present listening to the above-mentioned station. The set in use is a powerful one, and is quite successful in DX it is, however, almost useless to continue listening to 4YA, as it is in an almost continual fade. Now, the R.B. ©. has three good stations, 1YA, 2YA, 8YA, and I really do think it is about time for an improvement in our southern station. I am trying to get, or rather to hear, the reception given to the St. Kilda Band on their return home. I guess | I will have to resort to ’phones.

STRAINING TO HEAR

(Christ-

church).

Chureh Broadeasts, AM glad to see that apparently * steps are to be taken to arrange for & more equitable and systematic relay of church services. If this is done we will not, I hope, have a repetition of what happened a few weeks ago, when no less than three stations broadcasted services from the Church of .Christ, which is one of the smallest religious bodies in the Dominion. The writer of the 1YA Church Committee report, in your issue of March 8, tells us that they are "trying to arrange for services to be synchronised." But this is just what we do not want, and evidently the committee has not "synchronisation" in mind, but the avoiding of duplication, which is quite another thing. Why is 4YA to be left out of any scheme for the better arrangement

of church service broadcasts? It eyidently is off the air so far as the AuckJand committee is eoncerned —

VALVES

Country Dealer’s Protest. HING a subscriber to "Radio Record" and "Licensed Radio Dealer" up to March, 1929, I think as by notice just received from district radio inspector putting the dealer’s license up from £2 to £7 10s., it is a very unwise and very unfair move. As there isn’t enough in it to stand this exorbitant amount for dealers’ licenses, I think there will be quite a lot cut radio out altogether, and instead of having adyocates for radio it will get the biggest smack it ever had. Trusting you will see and agree we are quite right and get licensed fee reduced.-J. D, JACKSON (Ngaruawahia). [Our view is that those dealers who are prepared to stay in the business will rather welcome the higher rate as tending to reduce unreasonable competition and so make it possible for them to do a bigger turnover and more profitable business.-IEd. ]

Published Programmes. JN writing: on a technical question, "Tiki" (Martinborough), adds, "I do wish, however, that the Radio Broadcasting Company would keep to the programmes published in the ‘Record,’ especially in regard to gramophone records, as it is rather a nuisance tuning in to a station for the express purpose of hearing a certain record, only to have it changed, without a word of explanation, by the powers that be." SOME of the points raised by "H.F.B." | in his letter in your issue of March 14, deserve sympathy. It is undoubtedly annoying to find that a gramophone record that one has purposely tuned in to listen to, has been deleted, and another substituted. This happens fairly often, and it is hard to find a reasonable excuse for this course of action. The announcing in the afternoon session of the name of the piece broadcasted after, instead of before, its performance from 2YA, is not a success. 1YA’s method is preferable. I think, too, that if 2YA would keep the better class music and jazz quite separate, it would suit the convenience of most listeners, as people who dislike jazz (and there must be quite a number of them), would not then be obliged to keep their sets tuned in for fear of missing something they wished to hear. -h. 8. W. Hunt (Bitham). [This question of gramophone records and substitution of others is dealt with by the general manager in the page "The Listener and Service."-Ed.] Titles Before or After? WovuLp you kindly advise me why it is that, in the afternoon sessions, the name and description of the piece played is now given after the piece has been played, instead of before. I have been a close reader of the "Radio Rec‘ord" for the past few months, and I have never noticed any warning given of the change, or any explanation of it. It is certainly most exasperating and trying to the temper, to have to put up With it. No doubt the great majority of your listeners feel this matter very keenly, as I do, and would welcome an explanation, as to why it has ben adopted, and whether it is going to be kept up for long.-‘Musical" (Wellington). [The correspondent is referred to the report of the meeting of the Wel- lington Amateur Radio Society, who discussed this point.-Hd.] Leakages in Kilbirnie. S5t owners (including the writer) in this locality are being subjected at present to very severe power leakage interference, rendering sets almost useless. This has been going on now for some time in spite of notifications to the radio inspector, G.P.O., and being an _ enthusiast I _ feel that lost licenses will result if something is not done to overcome the trouble. You will earn the gratitude of many multi-valve set owners in this locality if you can manage to bring this

ee -~ matter under the notice of the pnroner

authorities.-

A.

C.

Kilbirnie.

[We have communicated with the ‘ authorities urging attention-Hd.] More News Wanted. MAY I ask, through your columns, why the session, 7.15 p.m. to 8.45 p.m., from 1YA, Auckland, is called the "news and information" session? I think it is anything but a "news and information" session. Last night it commenced with a talk on motoring by a gentleman who, two years ago, might have interested some; followed by market reports, and ending with a book review. I do not believe many listeners would be interested in the first and last items. During this session I imagine that the town listener has had his tea or dinner, or whatevpr it is he has at the end of the day, aid has settled: himself comfortably with the evening paper to wait for 8 p.m. and the concert. What of those who can have no evening paper? I bought a set because I thought it would keep us abreast of the times, and bring us all the news we wanted. We get our mail once a month, and news is eagerly sought after. The wireless hasn’t done much as regards giving us information. I refer only to 1YA, our nearest sta- tion, and the only one we can get at times. I wonder how many listeners there are who agree that the so-called "news and information" session is nothing of the sort, and that it is a most unsatisfactory session for those who would appreciate a real "news and information session. That is those who live in lonely places. The time for renewing licenses draws near. Will: there be a further drop in the number of listeners? and is the above complaint one of the reasons for a decrease

in numbers ? I wonder

ALFRED C.

HODGE

(Moko Hinou Lighthouse). _