Extension of the Broadcast Service

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 52, 12 July 1929, Unnumbered Page

Extension of the Broadcast Service

Fottowmne an epoch-making meeting representing the principal agricultural bodies of -New Zealand it was resolved to set up a Primary Producers’ Advisory Board Committee to arrange the details for the further application of Radio in the assistance of the primary producer.

ITU teOL MINIMUM hey TE DUM, GEATRAER MEETING of epoch-marking importance to broadcasting in New-Zealand was he:d in 3YA studio on Tuesday, July 2, when there was a representative and influential gathering of men connected with many organisations interested in farming. The Broadcasting Company has lately been considering further development of its service to the primary producers and the meeting. on ‘Tuesday was a definite step forward in that direction, for it was then decided that an advisory committee should be set up to work in co-operation with the Broadcasting Company. in regard to the preparation of suitable talks for the benefit of people on the land. Unanimous approval of the company’s policy in this direction, was expressed and all‘ the organisations represented offered — their hearty support. Mr. Arnaud McKellar, one of the directors of the Broadcasting Company, presided, and welcomed the delegates. Apologies were received from Sir Heaton . Rhodes, the Hon. Mr. Smith, M.L.C., and Messrs. Jas. Deans and J. E. Strachan. There. were present: Mr. Jolin Deans (Lincoln Agricultural College), Mr. R.E. Alexander (Lincoln Agricultural College), Mr. J. G.°Herdman (President, A. & P. Association), Mr. M. E. Lyons (Secretary, A. & P. Association), Mr. O. W. -B. Anderson (Horticultural | Society), Mr. A. W. Cockayne (Department of Agriculture), Mr. McGillivray (Christchurch Branch, Department of Agriculture), Mr. C. McIntosh (Farmers’ Union), Mr, C. H. Hewlett, Mr. H. E. S, ,Turner (Chamber of Commerce), Mr. H..G, Denham (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research), Mr. P. R. Climie (Canterbury Progress League), Mr. ©. T. Aschman, (Board of Governors, Canterbury College), Mr.,A. R. Harris

"(General Manager, Broadcasting Company), Dr. Chilton’and Mr. J. Ball. Mr. John Ball, Editor-Announcer, then outlined the Broadcasting Company’s proposals to extend ‘the _broadcasting service to the primary producers of the Dominion, and in doing so, by way of emphasising the, value of the scheme, he referred to the actual results which had followed upon the formation of the other advisory committees. "In the handling of this new and wonderful service," said Mr. Ball, "the directors of the company realised that this was a fair case in which it might be claimed reasonable to solicit the wider council of the multitude. It was obviously impossible to act with the listeners en masse. Mr. Harris has devised . a scheme whereby: the listeners can, be represented. It so happens that the Broadcasting Company in New Zealand came rather. late into the field. The company was thus able to profit by the mistakes of others, and to learn by the experience of older established: systems. "A scheme has been devised which I believe is in advance of anything in the world to-day. JI may say that Mr. Harris founded this scheme on an honorary community service, non-political basis. _Each committee is composed of experts in their particular field, and the ‘members act in. an honorary capacity. They are under no obligation to the company, and their sole purpose is to act for the listeners. "IT have already indicated that the scheme which we have put into operation , . is in advance of anything in the world to-day. It is very interesting to- note that as a-result of the operation of. our scheme during the -last- two years, inquiries are coming from Australia ‘and Canada, presumably with the intention of following New Zealand’s example. I

might mention that we had in Wellington recently, Rev. Ernest Weeks, ""Uncle Ernest," of 2YA. His work took him to Canada, and he spoke from one of the Canadian stations, with the result that the Government asked him to confer with the Minister of Education with the idea of devising a scheme whereby Canadian stations could follow our Children’s Session policy. "I do not hesitate to say that our Musical and Dramatic Committees are exercising a decided influence towards improving the public desire for good ‘music. Similarfy with regard to the Children’s Session and Church Service Committees. "Now we are asking you to help us in what may be considered one of the more important sides of broadcasting. You each represent a certain farming interest, and would be able to advise and assist us with regard to broadcasts to primary producers. I could give you many instances of the value of radio to farmers in isolated districts. A certain amount has already been done, and I wish to take this opportunity of acknowledging the work of the Canterbury Progress League, the Agricultural College, and the Department of Agriculture. "We want you to co-operate with us to help us to extend the service to make it of as great value as’ possible to the whole Dominion as:a whole." R. Chilton, late Rector of Canterbury College, said: "First. of all I would like to thank you all for. your attendance here to-day. We have endeavoured to invite representatives of all the various bodies and institutes connected with the ' farming and pastoral industries, and I think we can congratulate’ ourselves that we have succeeded in getting a very representative gathering. 7 -Continued on page 2.

teen] . Extension of Service | (Continued from front page.) "The directors of the Radio Broadeasting Company, having been desirous of extending the advantages of their service to the primary producers of the Dominion, have asked me for advice and assistance in drawing up the scheme. Feeling confident that I could rely upon the co-operation of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture, the agricultural colleges» the Agricuitural and Pastoral Association of Canterbury, and other similar bodtes, I have accepted the duty, for I feel that we have a splendid opportunity of assisting the primary producers and of benefiting the Dominion in general. | "In the past a great dea! of useful work has been done .by. the scientific investigator, but there has been some difficulty in bringing the results of his work prominently before those who have to put them into actual opera-

tion on the farm or station. It seems to me that the broadcasting service offers unique opportunity of bridging this gulf, and it is of particular importance at the present time to take advantage of this opportunity. We have reached a timé in New Zealand when the old haphazard methods of farming have ceased to. be profitable. "The natural facility of the soil has been largely exhausted, and if farming is to be successful it is essential that the results obtained by scientific investigation must be put into effect. Other points, of special importance naturally arise, At the present time there seems some danger of the wool industry being seriously affected. by artificial fabrics such as artificial silk and wool, and it will be a question for our wool growers to consider how best to meet this position; either by inmproving the quality of the wool and endeavouring to produce it more economically, or if that. is found impossible to direct their ‘efforts in some other direction.. "J should like to express my appreciation of the work that has already

aE been done in the way of educating the farmer, A great deal has already been done by -the Department of Agriculture, by the Lincoln Agricultural College, the Canterbury Progress League and other bodies, and there is no desire in any way to enter into competition with this or to overlap it» but, if possible to help in making it more effective. ‘It is desirable to have a committee to guide and assist us in finding out the information that will be most worthwhile to the farming community and how best it can be supplied. There is plenty of scientific information available of the utmost value, and we want to know how best to pass it on for the benefit of the primary producers. "The lectures or talks will, in all probability» be short, not more than fifteen or. twenty minutes each, and we hope to draw up a2 programme for the whole year with the object of broadcasting the information at the most suitable seasons. An endeayour will be made to build up a large body of intelligent listeners who will cooperate and take an interest in the work that is being done. Possibly some method can be devised where #uch listeners can send in questions about any point on which they require special information, and then these can be answered either by direct correspondence, or, wherever they are of general importance, by broadcast, "Again there is the possibility of publishing the lectures after they have been broadcast. This might be done in the "Radio Record," or perhaps, in some of the daily papers and would be effective as supplementing the actual. lecture itself. "Another very important point is the broadcasting of the weather forecasts. Dr. Iidson, Director of the Meteorological Department, has promised. to give every assistance in this way. During the last harvest special weather forecasts for farmers were sent. out and proved of great service and there would seem to be a possibility of further extending this method and of thereby saving the farmer from much loss that might otherwise occur. "In the meantime the broadcast lectures will be devoted mainly to the ordinary farming and agricultural pursuits, and it is hoped afterwards. to. extend it to other departments, such as horticulture, growing tobacco, the beetroot industry» and ‘so on." R. A. -H. Cockayne, Assistant Director-General of Agriculture, who had been asked by the Minister of Agriculture to attend the meeting, said he was anxious to know how best the officers of the department could assist the committee in carrying out the proposals made. For some considerable time they had been broadcasting a talk from the Wellington station on one evening a week, and there had frequently been difficulty in securing lecturers owing to the fact that officers were often away from Welling+ ton on duties connected with the department. He wished to know if the committee would supervise and arrange for the radio talks at ali the four stations or not» and if it was necessary that the lecturer himself should give the talk, or whether this could be done by the announcer if a typewritten MS were sent in. On behalf of the depart-

ie ment he said they were willing to fall in with any satisfactory arrangement, and to assist the movement in every J possible way. In reply to Mr. Cockayne, Mr, A. R, Harris, general manager of the Broadcasting Company, said that there were three factors to consider in the broadcasting of information of this character: desirability, acceptability and practicability of the matter. to be broadcast. As to the desirability there was probably no doubt in respect to the broadcast of information concerning development of primary production. With regard to the practicability of the broadcast, whether from the studio or by relay from the colleges or institutions concerned, tha compgny could decide, also the time of From information gathered, 7.30 | was the best time for the farming community. It was in respect to the acceptability of the matter to be broadeast that the company particularly sought the assistance of those. present. The company desired the advice of a committee as to what the farmer wanted, when he wanted it, and how he wanted it. It was not the company’s intention to. overlap the. work already being done by educational institutions, Government departments and farming organisations, but to broadcast to the farming community acceptable matter that was already available: Mr. Harris assured those present of the company’s support in anything they. proposed. Dr. Chilton said that the intention in his mind was that the schem should be a Dominion one. Replying to Mr. Cockayne, he said that it would not be necessary for those who prepared the talks to broadcast them, Mr. John Deans said that Lincoln College would be glad to assist. He asked how many farmers had receiving sets and. Mr. Harris replied that they had no list of farmer listeners-in. Mr. Cockayne said that the number. was very large, as everyone knew ‘who moved about. Mr. Turner said that the Canterbury Chamber: of Commerce would give all possible assistance. As they would have noted, the Chamber recently published the first bulletin of its Agricultural Hconomics Committee, and he suggested that the Advisory Committee to be set up might be able to use the information contained in some of those bulletins. It was resolved, on the motion of Dr. Chilton, seconded by Mr. Hewlet: "That this conference ap-~4) proves the extension of the public relations scheme of the general manager of the Rac’ Broadcasting Company to include a Primary Productions Committee in extending ifs services to primary pro- _ ducers. . The following sub-committee was set up: Dr. Chilton (convener), Messrs. Alexander, Lyons, Climie, McGillivray, and Herdman. The next meeting of the Advisory Committee was set down for the StS ‘instant.