Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 21, 6 December 1929, Page 13

Notes and Comments

B

SWITCH

NE hears of some protracted periods of continuous broadcasting, including that of our own 2YA, Wellington, when the "Southern Cross" flew the Tasman, but the performance of station KMOX, St. Louis, probably will remain as a world’s. record for some years to come. KMOX was operated eontinuously for 1863 hours-nearly eight days, without a moment’s interruption, during the continous flight of the aeroplane "St. Louis Robin" a few weeks ago. The aeroplane established & new world’s. endurance record, remaining aloft for 420 hours, and refuelling in the air. To keep the public interested during the world’s record flight of the aeroplane "St. Louis Robin," station KMOX, St. Louis, induced prominent airmen, visitors at the aerodrome, the respective wives of the flyers, members of the refuelling crew, and officials, ‘to speak into the microphone from time to time. During the 186; hours KMOX was continuously on the air the batteries were changed every eight hours, and station operators worked in three shifts. About 40 miles of land wire eonnected the microphone at the air field. with the transmitter in Kirkwood. OW that Wellington has a real aerodrome at the nearby suburb of Rongotai, opportunities should ve offering later on for relaying from the aerodrome when any important event occurs. The next trans-Tasman flyers will have no need to seek a landing place other than at the capital city. There is already talk of passenger and mail services in New Zealand, and, Wellington being the commercial centre of the Dominion, the microphone of 2YA will not be far away when anything important is happening at Rongotai.

HP news sessions from 2YA, Wellington, have a distinct educative effect in at least oné"home in the capital city. A listener informs "Switch" that his family are generally at dinner -in the evening when the news items are being broadcast. His children take a lively interest in all that is coming from the loudspeaker, and when an item ‘is heard which the youngsters do not understand he is required to explain it to them> Like a devoted parent he "does his best" to elucidatd such *. items.. ! WELLINGTONIAN, ‘recently re- = turned from a visit to Sydney, stated to "Switch" that New Zealand listeners have a great deal to be thankful for because the broadcasting of advertising matter is not carried out by the "YA" stations. Sydney, he said, was suffering from an overdose of broadcast stations, and four of the six stations in Sydney were broadcasting advertisements every night. "Imagine," he said, "Wellington with. six stations on the air simultaneously. Talk about interference, why, you Wel‘lingtonians don’t know what it means until you’ve been to Sydney." ATELY "Switch" has received let- . ters from listeners which are writ‘ten in such a secrawling style as ‘o be only partly decipherable. Handwriting with a little care can always be made readable, no matter how irregu: lar it may be, but some correspondents dash off their letters with a careless: hess lacking common courtesy to the recipient;

SHORTLY a radio telephone service between. Australia and Wngland is to be inaugurated. The plant has already been manufactured, and includes much new apparatus. New Zealand short-wave listeners who have already overheard oral conversations between Australia and Hngland will be disappointed if they expect to eavesdrop on the new service, as secrecy will be ensured by a system which will probably be the "single side-band." This makes it impossible to receive intelligible speech without the aid of a specially designed receiving set." The charge for talking between Australia and England will be about £10 for three minutes’ conversation. ps the United States owners of the ‘big broadcast stations are realising that the "pollution" of the ether with flagrant advertising matter is creating adverse reactions among listeners, The owners of WLW, Cincinnati, are seeking to restore the goodwill of listeners by reducing to the very minimum the

commercial aspect oL thelr programmes. The management announces: "The first © interest of the owner of a station is to build up the goodwill of its audience. No one installation, even though it could afford to do so, should monopolise the air for its own aggrandisement." That station has, therefore, not descended to programmes in which advertising overpowers entertainment. NEw ZEALAND listeners may con plain at times of serious interference from electrical leakages originating in motors and other electrical appliances, but the trouble in the Dominion is incomparably less than that rife in Australia. So intense is this form of interference in some inland towns in the Commonwealth that listeners are writing to the Press comPlaining that it is not worth while owning a radio set. It is suggested that the Commonwealth Government should pass an Act making all electrical noise-creating gear come under the control of inspectors, who should make tests, and give the owners of interfer-ence-causing gear notice to fit filter chokes, under compulsion of a heavy penalty. N January next, the Australian Broadcasting Company will assume control of 4QG (Brisbane) and 5CL (Adelaide). and will then administer all the "A" broadeasting stations in the mainland. It is understood that promises have been given to the Post Office Department that there shall be a general improvement in the programmes of all stations as.from January next.. How great an improvement in the programmes can be effectéd 9n

the basis of 12/- per license (says the "Sydney Morning Herald") is yet to be determined. It is claimed by the company that the Sydney and Melbourne stations are now being run at a loss. Whether that will be obviated when the company takes oyer the remainder of the "A" stations will depend on the quality and variety of entertainment offered to listeners. LJSTENERS in New Zealand who have listened to the announcing of oversea broadcast stations cannot fail to appreciate the high average ability of the announcers at the "YA" stations. "Switch" invited some friends to note the perfunctory manner of some of the Australian announcers. The names of the performers and their items were literally pitched at‘listeners in a careless, indifferent style, and the pronunciation of two of the announcers across the Tasman would immediately disqualify them from officiating at the "YA" stations. There are some excel-

lent announcers in Australia, but the average standard of efficiency is low. AN aspiring young playwright has asked "Switch" to give some guidance with respect to the technique of a radio playlet. In ‘the first place it must be clearly realised that the average stage sketch is quite unsuitable for broadeasting. The stage sketches rely considerably on action, and, of course, this is not visible to radio listeners. Sound is the mainspring of a radio play, whether it be sound solely in the nature of a dialogue or with "effects." The sentences spoken should be brief and essentially natural. The plot of a playlet by radio should be specious, and there should be a definite climax. The climax, generally, should have an ‘exceedingiy brief. post-climax, Above all, the characters should be impersonated by performers with easily distinguishable differences in voice or accent or other characteristics, so that listeners can readily realise which person is speaking. RADIO playlet should be specious, for if not convincing it is doomed to failure as an entertainment for the majority of listeners. "Switch" recently listened to a radio playlet broadcast from a Sydney station. The theme was so far-fetched that it is highly probable that the generality of listeners would have tuned it out with disgust. It was of the sensational "Deadwood Dick" type, impossible in entirety, and undesirable owing to its crude pandering to the small minority who revel in cheap sensationalism.