Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 51, 5 July 1929, Page 8

Auckland Notes

(By

LISTENER

Wits a weekly relay programme now provided, from either the north or the south, Auckland listeners are now being remarkably well catered for. Last Sunday night’s concert from Wellington must be reckoned the best of the series to date. What makes it all the more enjoyable is the atmosphere conveyed by the hearty appreciation of the Wellington audience. Several Auckland listeners on Sunday last enjoyed the unique experience of tuning in the whole four YA’s, and hearing the one programme broadcast by each. It is surprising that, with such excellent items on the air, there should be one or two complaints because certain dialtwisters could not find "variety" in their Sunday night listening. Truly the task of trying to satisfy all types of listeners is a superhuman one. AN unusual experience befel Mr. W. J. Meredith, our football announcer, on Saturday last. Public interest was divided between the finest Rugby game of the season at Hden Park, and the trots at Alexandra Park. The football announcer, enthusiastic in his descriptions, was detailing graphically the crowded incidents of the PonsonbyUniversity game, only to find, later in the afternoon, that he had been talking for many minutes to a dead wire. Through some misunderstanding the relay line from Hden Park was switched off for longer than was intended, and during part of the game Mr. Meredith’s account was not even wasted on. the desert air; it got no further than the portable microphone. However, conditions Were soon remedied, and the coneluding stages of the exciting game suffered nowise in their vividness over the air. CANNING the 1YA programmes for next week, one cannot but be impressed with the improvement in style and arrangement which is noticeable in them. Each week marks some new feature that appeals to the listening publie "A Night With Grass Widowers" is but one example of many. The title alone is sure to intrigue many a wife towards her neighbour’s set, if she. is unforunate enough not to possess one of her own. "THE Wednesday community singing *- broadcasts are enjoyed in thousands of homes, even if father is not there to tune in during the midday meal. Of course, it is almost impossible to obtain balance in a community sing, and the microphone being a faithful reproducer of sounds presented to it, there are at times audible parts of items which verge on the ridiculous. Someone near the microphone will suddenly be seized with the desire to "give it lip" in an air orfa harmonised part which he or she knows, and listeners are bound to get the full benefit of the effort. They should remember, in eriticisng community singing broadcasts, that such conditions are inevitable. If

they do, they will then be able to appreciate certain enthusiastic, if misdirected, vocal efforts of units in a crowd. FARTHQUAKE happenings, and messages to people in the tortured area, have been well to the forefront in announcements from 1YA during the past week. One more of the innumerable occasions when broadcasting has’ been of outstanding service has thus arisen, and country listeners especially must have felt grateful’ for 1YA’s service. AS on previous occasions the station was early in the field with the news of the latest flight of the Southern Cross, and listeners .were kept. fully acquainted with particulars received by wireless, almost as soon as these were broadcast from Sydney. To-day, Mr. Cooper, of the Devonport Fire Brigade station, had the experience of listening on shortwave to the Morse transmission of the Southern Cross as she was speeding from Derby to Singapore. The droning sound used as an "all well" signal was also Plainly audible at various times during. the morning. a