News from Across the Tasman

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 12, 4 October 1929, Page 3

News from Across the Tasman

Impending Broadcast Attractions

PROGRAMMES consisting entirely of old-time dance numbers are at present a highly popular feature in Australia. These programmes have met with such universal enthusiasm that there is little doubt that listeners regard them as, perhaps, the most enjoyable of all. Not only do old people prefer them for the memories they recall of bygone days, but the younger

generation find in these catchy melodies a certain fascinating lilt which makes a strong appeal. RRANGEMENTS have been made in Australia for a series of educational lectures to be broadcast every Monday until December 2. It is hoped that this series will be so successful as to justify its continuance after Christmas. The lectures, which occupy half an hour, cover a wide range of subjects, including poetry, agricultural science, birds, plants, music, and books. These should prove very interesting, and New Zealand listeners should make an effort to hear them al. _

HE A.B.C. should be very proud of their recent morning service innovation. A letter of gratitude received recently ran as follows:-‘"I wish to express my great appreciation of the beautiful little service you are so good to broadcast at 11.15 every morning from 2FC. I am an invalid, unable to attend our church services, so this call to prayer is to me a very great comfort, as I am sure it must be

to many similarly situated. I thank you, and pray for its continuance." Not often do broadcasting companies receive such a genuine and touching tribute, and this letter alone should amply compensate them for any trouble they may have taken in arranging for this period of daily worship. "THE fifth annual exhibition of the West Australian Wireless Institute, held at Perth early in September, proved an unparalleled success. It was arranged to coincide with the official reopening of 6WF, Perth, which now operates on a wavelength of 435 metres (690 kilocyecles). Sir Benjamin Fuller, in speaking of the policy of the

Australian Broadcasting Company, hinted that a new "B" class station might shortly be established in Western Australia. AUSTRALIA, despite her sparse population, compares very favourably with other great countries in regard to the number of listeners, and from the latest sources of information | it is possible to ascertain what world ratios exist. Listeners per 1000 population. Australia ......... 47.90 Austrian cece ee eee 538.31 Great Britain ....... 59.48 Germany ..... sesee 43,92 Hungary ween eeeee 20.10 United States ....... 68.10 New Zealand (approx.) 30 The license increase for the past two years in Australia has been a steady 25,000 per year, and it is predicted that in 1980 there will be 380,000 licenses in the Commonwealth. N item of especial interest to New Zealand listeners will be broadcast from 2FC by Miss Jean McArthur, who recently left New Zealand to study music. Before her departure she was listening-in one night to 2FC, and heard Alexander Sverjensky broadcasting. She at once decided that she would like to study music under him, and so wrote to him asking if he would accept her as a pupil. He agreed, and now, curiously enough, she is broadcasting from the very station responsible for her emigration.