Topical Notes

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 18, 15 November 1929, Page 26

Topical Notes

* ESPITE unfavourable atmospheric conditions and a heavy background of parasitic noises, the rebroadcast by 2YA of the running description of the Melbourne Cup was fairly suecessful, The commentary was .broadcast by Station 83ME, the short-wave station of 8LO, Melbourne. It appears that the short-wave Sydney station, 2MB, was no better than 8M in vol-+ ume, and there Was a considerable amount of land time background owing to the 500 miles separating Melbourne and Sydney. 3ME was heard very loudly.and distinctly from the studio before switching over to the racecourse, but when the latter was effected the background noises were very apparent. A CERTAIN Wellington short-wave Morse station (not an amateur) situated in the Newtown district made itself obnoxious when the technicians of 2YA, Wellington, were endeavouring to rebroadcast the Melbourne Cup description from the short-wave broadcast station 8ME. ‘The said local Morse station employs 1500 watts, and its note "hammered in" on top of the Melbourne station just before the barrier went up for the Cup race. This spoilt reception of much interesting preliminary talk from 2YA. HE actual description of the running of the Melbourne Cup from the Flemington racecourse was given by Mr. Erie Welch, 3L0’s famous sporting announcer, The description of the race was wonderful, and those who heard it could easily visualise what was happening. Mr. Welch never hesitated, never stumbled, never allowed personal excitement to obtrude, and carried his vast invisible audience with him from start to finish, It was a classic achievement on the part of the announcer, and should stand as an example to those ringside announcers who invariably lose their heads under stress of excitement, and Iéave their listeners "in the air’ wondering what is happening. SOME Australian listeners contrive to tune in the American stations even at this season of the year. Here are some of the Americans they hear frequently :-KHJ, Los Angeles, 333.1 metres, 1000 watts (just under 1YA, Auckland); KPLA, Los Angeles, 526 metres; KFRC, San Francisco, 492 metres; KEI, Los Angeles, 469 nytres ; KFVD, Venice, U.S.A., 428 metres; KOMO, Seattle, 326 metres;, KFWB, Los Angeles, 316 metres; KPLA, Los Angeles, 300 metres; KNX, Hollywood, 286 metres; KMOX, St. Louis, 275 metres; KMIC, Inglewood, 268 metres.; KEX, Portland, 254 metres; KFOX,| Long Beach, 240 metres; KPQ, Seattle, 248 metres; KGER,. Long Beach, 219 metres. All the foregoing stations are heard in South Australia up till 9.30 o’clock (N.Z. time) each evening. A very full and useful list giving both wavelength and frequency is found in "All About the All-Electric." {