Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 45, 24 May 1929, Page 16

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 Reeord," P.O. Box 1032, Wellington.

2YA..Revue Company. T HAVD perused’ the letter signed by. -"Good.:Entertainment" in the issue of the "Reidio Record, " dated May oy ' I think, ‘your socceapeiitlent must bé ‘labouring, -uiider a ‘delusion. with re‘gard to the'2YA-Revue Company. He states that he«had‘invited some friends ‘to listen on theit last Eriday evening ‘with him, and that’ ‘they’ were. well ‘sat"isfied the progrdmme until "this ‘nonsensical stuff" \edme_on. . «: Now, in fairness’ to- the. 2YA: Revue Company it.should be.made-clear: that their initial: and only. ‘performance up to date was on a Saturday, ‘not a Friday. But even assuming that your correspondent is just: ‘mistaken in the day of the performance, and that he and the friends really were listening to the 2YA Revue Conipany, it: is -a little difficult to understand his: com-, ment that "they were. well . satisfied. with the programme until this nonsensi-’ eal stuff came on," considering that tlie ‘entire evening performance was: ‘provid: ed by the 2YA Revue Company. : Moreover, your correspondent states’ that "after listening to many concerts, in various parts of the world": he has "never heard such matter." It would be interesting to know if his wide experience includes London, because 75 ‘per cent. of the matter he complains 2bout bas been presented in the prineipal London revues during the last. -year or so, with outstanding success. Is

‘London’s taste so very poor?

Victor S.

Lloyd

(Wellington),

Conditions in Hawke’s Bay. © ~ I NOTH "Record" dated May 17, 1929, three complaints from correspondents in refereince to the diminished power of 2YA. K.S.G. suggests the company is trying to make things

better for owners of valve sets. I do not know if this is so, but personally I would like to stress the point that as an owner of valve sets, reception of -2YA has not been good since the day 2YA’s aerial collapsed in a gale some weeks back. My sets, a nine-valve and a three-valve, used as an emergency, have. been thoroughly tested out, and _reception on all other New Zealand and Australian stations is above the average. In fact, the three-valve set is bringing in the 2BL children’s session with. big volume, on a 16ft. hornspeaker, and yet on the same voltages ‘and aerial we cannot get 2YA worth "Jistening to. We used to glory in "2YA’s clear afternoon session, and in the evenings, when static became bad, Wwe could cut down on the big set until -the static was not heard. Now that is gone, and the big set has to be opened out and the small one is useless, Also fading is so bad that the station entirely disappears, a thing that did not happen before. I hope the company will be able to restore the old volume and give us something to get our backs up against when.fighting "Old man 8."

Radio

(Hawke’s Bay).

Programmes Improved. AM pleased to note that the programmes provided by 2YA have improved considerably of late, much of the so-called "high-brow stuff" being curtailed. I am rather fond of some

of the classic numbers rendered, but through repetition they become monotonous, also I think a few of the artists that perform so frequently should be pensioned off. The announcer has a way of his own; he has a pleasant voice, but his pronunciation of some of the foreign words is-well, to say the least of it-unique. He uses the word diminution frequently, but perhaps when he reads this he will be wondering where he gets that "a" from! The dinner music innovation is a distinct improvement. Ag for the "news and reports’ session, I am willing to suffer that, as I recognise it is of value to the country people, but having already absorbed most of the news of the day before it is put over the air, you can imagine how interested I am. However, it is easy to cut it out. Generally speaking, we listeners get our thirty bobs’ worth, but the: Broadeasting Company being simply a commercial project, will realise from experience that what the public wants it will have. I am glad that it has been decided that the air shall not be polluted with advertising piffle, though some of the alleged talks put over run danger-

ously close to it.

Sapiensis

(Upper

Hutt).

"What is Wanted." HE YA stations programmes taken on a whole are all that can be desired, but I hope the Radio Broad. casting Company do not give us too much of one thing. Shakespeare Night, in particular. What is wanted by the majority of listeners, I think, is plenty of bright and breezy music, with a good variety. It is to be hoped that the Radio Broadcasting Company will see their way clear to give us dinner mousie from 1YA, Auckland, and start the children’s session at 5 p.m., as I think most mothers like to see their children in bed as early as possible these cold, wet nights. I must say that 1YA, Auckland, put over a great treat to-night, Thursday, it putting on:a:concert from the Auckland Radio Society. It was really good to listen to, and I must give credit to the society. I sincerely hope we will hear more from them, Wishing you and the Radio Broadcasting Company every success in putting radio on a sound footing.-

N.Z.

R.

(Otahuhu).

What Was This? — HILST listening-in to a lecturette on "Sugar" a few nights ago at 1YA at about 7.35 p.m., I could hear an orchestra playing Suppe’s "Light Cavalry" overture. Could any of your readers tell me .what station this would be? It éame in so loud at times that it nearly drowned the speaker

Puzzled

(Auckland),

2YA and Reception. HAT is, wrong with 2YA? Since the windy night in Wellington when so muich damage was done to the aerial, the volume from ‘this station has considerably decreased. Previous to the breakdown the yolume was so strong that: I.had to detune at times,

2 a, with the control knob just connected. Now I'must have the exact setting (a point one way’ or ‘other will cut: them out) and the control knob turned well, on, There has also been slight fading at times. Static is also more preonounced, I only had to close down.on one occasion previous to the breakdown, but now it is fairly frequent. Now, I know it will be said it must be my set. Well, if this is so, there must be a good many sets out of order, in and around Masterton, as I have s. sken to a number of owners of sets, and they are all of the same opinion, Also, if it is my set at fault, why should I get all Australian stations without increasing my volume control from 2YA setting? I have always had to increase it before. I not only get Australian stations without altering the volume control; but reception is'100 per cent. better thah 2YA. Pleased to say 4YA is coming through with good volume at the present time. I wold like to congratulate 1YA for tke splendid evening’s entertainment of May 2, "A Night of Convivialities," and would like to have more of that class of enter-

tainment from the YA stations

J.W.

de C.

(Masterton).