Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 22, 13 December 1929, Page 13

Notes and Comments

Bu

SWITCH

4 -_ OTWITHSTANDING the tremend: ous popularity of the a.c. sets, Wellington radio dealers state that the battery-operated. set will continue to be used by thousands of listeners in the Dominion for some years yet, A correspondent writes to a New York exchange that probably three-fourths of the listeners living west of the Mis- _ Sissippi River depend entirely upon battery-operated sets, and they take their batteries as far as 15 miles to have them re-charged. ~ "THE director of 2YA, Wellington, is ever on the look-out for interesting subjects for broadcasting, and he does not miss much. On Thursday evening, December 12, Woolley. Duleepsihinji and Gilligan, of the visiting paps cricket team, will speak from of" at 9 o'clock. It has come under th writer’s notice that the 2YA prograinme organiser pursues every visiting notability who would provide an interesting broadcast as soon as he or she artives in Wellington. In fact, the organiser is always on the watch for interesting personyges who hive been interviewed by the Press in other centres, and who are likely to visit Wellington, "Switéh’ can assure listeners that there is no lack of enterprise, in this respect, at 2YA. "THERE is a no more enthusiastic listener than Mr. W. McIntosh, mate of the coastal steamer Hawera, which runs between Wellington, Patea and Wanganui. He takes his 3-valve short-wave set to sea with him, and. Heing musically inclined, employs 2 plug-in coil which adipts h’s set to the broadeast baud so that he cun listen to 2YA, Wellington, It was anythine hnt 9 mild pieht at sea when the

bes -_ en ee little steamer Hawera was out in Cook — Strait on the occension of the relay by ©YA of the Wanganui Choral Society’s final concert of the senson. Despite — the tempestuous conditions. Mr. MeIn- * tosh had 2YA on his loudspeaker, and enjoyed the concert which was entertaining the large audience at the Wanganui Opera House, and also thousands of listeners comfortably seated in their homes. CCASIONALLY. certain gramophone records put on the air by the "YA" stations. make an instantaneos appeal to listeners, and it is due to the programme directors to mention MdéMdalay," broadcast by 2YA Wellifeton, appeared to make a widespread appeal, judging by the numerous favourable comments heard by "Switeh." The music was tuneful, the words thoroughly effective; and the. male vocalist had caught the atmosphere of the theme in such a manner as to delight many listeners. "Switch" mentioned the ropularity of the record to the programme director of 2YA, who kindly repeated the item last Saturday night. "QWITCH". has heard much favourable comment upon the recent first appearance of the Boys’ Institute Military Band at 2YA Wellington. This was the band’s initial performance before the microphone, and their playing EY ‘suecesses. A record, "Rose of took listeners by storm. There are 35 performers, mostly yuaths who are members or ex-members of . the WelJington Boys’ Institute, a kind of club with a well-appointed club-house and tepid swimming baths, Mr. A, Iremonger, the conductor, has every reason to be proud of his band, judging by the broadcast performance, "Switch" commends the players for

their excellent combination and tone, and has a special word of praise for the bass section. The band will be heard again from 2YA in the near future. HERE are few stage productions which make completely successful radio plays, but the famous play "Caste" is an outstanding example of the exception, 2FC, Sydney, is broadcasting this play on Thursday evening. December 12. "Switch" would like to hear Mr. Montague. of Auckland, and a select little company put "Caste" on the air, Though "Caste" has been performed in all parts of the world since 1867 it still proves a big attraction. It deals with the problem of marriage between people of different social stations. and the subject is just as vital now as it was 50 years ago.

HAT has gone wrong with tre Australian stations?’ writes ‘’Tinwall" (Wanganui). "They appear to be suffering from an attack of the talkies, Night after night one hears nothing but speech from Sydney. Virst a radio play, then a lecturette, then speeches from a dinner or reception, until one is glad to tune back to one of our own YA stations." ‘"Tinwall" can obtain’ an abundance of musical entertainment from the New Zealand stations without tuning in the Aussies. "Patronise your own" should be the slogan of our listeners..

EW ZEALAND listeners who tune in from 4.30 o’clock in the afternoon may shortly hear some _ shortwave as well as ordinary broadcast transmissions from W2NAG, Schnectady, New York State, which is about to test with a power of 200,000 watts. An American exchange Says: "The advantages of high power in broadcasting will be determined in tests at 200,000 ~watts by the General Electric Co., of Schenectady, N.Y. The Federal Radio Commission has renewed the experimental license held by the Gener al Electric Company for the power tests. The experimental station, with the eall letters W2XAG, operates on broadcast as well as short-wave channels. The test station is associated with WGY. The licenses authorise the tests between midnight and morning, subject to conditions which will prevent interference with regular broadeasting and reception." The shortwave broadcasts, "Switch" understands, will be on 35 metres. WGY operates on 790 kilocycles equal to 379.5 metres, which works out at about halfway hetween 8LO, Melbourne, and 4QG, Brisbane, on the tuning dials,

(CONTROL of radio broadcasting through a world organisation under the jurisdiction of the League of Nations was recommended by the International Parliamentary Economic Congress which recently met in Berlin. A proposal that an international statute shall govern world radio activities was made, this statute to provide among other things the elimination of transmission conflicts between various competing stations and also guarantee more equitable distribution of shortwaye allocations. The fact that radio is of an international structure, which makes it a valuable agency for the promotion of peace, was pointed ont. While its functions are akin to those of the press, the stage and literature, it commands an unique position in re lation to problems which affect human endeavour, it was further stated. Recommendations for the erection of an international broadcasting station at Geneva were also made. RYING to explain to your guests that the roar that is obliterating "outside" stations is merely an electri-. cal leakage from «a loose tramrail bond. or a neighbour operating a yiolet-ray outfit or some such ether disturber, is not always an easy task. Your innocent guests are prone to ask

you. "Why don’t you shut it out?" "Why don’t you tell these people to stop that noise?’ and then a lady will say, "Our set never brings in that hor rid uproar. We get 2YA without the slightest extraneous noise." Then you meekly ask, "How do you get on when you tune in 3¥YA, T¥A or 4YA? Don't you get a little statie cocasionally?" The reply comes, "Our set has only two valves and is only for local reception.’ You murmur "Ah!" and get back to 2YA. RECENTLY 2FC, Sydney, relayéd 2 programme from Holland, . and the principal item which came through was "Sonny Boy"! "This reminds "Switch’ of one evening, not so loug ago, when he was’ listening té J OHK, Japan, and he heard "Ol Man River" sung by a Japanese girl in Her native language. "(10OD Manners" (Kelburn) writes suggesting a few hints on radio etiquette. (1) When you _ invite friends to your home to listen in to a first-class concert, and you find their ceaseless chatter is being interfered with, turn off your set. (2) If your guests prefer "There’s a Rainbow Round My Shoulder," don’t insist on making them listen to the. sextet from "Tucia di Lammermoor." (3) If you tune in 8YA, Christchurch, and you get a roar like a steamer blowing down her boiler. don’t attempt to explain that the noise is from a near-by electrical leakage. (They wouldn’t understand if you did.) Just say that it’s a radio play with realistic effect, and that a train is rushing through a tunnel. Then tune in the good old xeliable 2YA, sans static, sans electrical leakage, sans silly questions. ‘ ne aa aenenemmnnemematenninnedl