Our Mailbag

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 26, 10 January 1930, Page 8

Our Mailbag

A News: Session Complaint. "THERE are a few things I would like to say that may seem a little nasty about the service given, in parts, to.the 50,000 contributors of 30/- per year. ‘There are certain results in sporting, events that are eagerly awaited at news session time by many people. The news session is excellent, but there is a certain amount of carelessness in the announcing of same, For instance, . to-night Mr. Announcer took something like a split minute to tell the world the results of to-day’s trots at Auckland, thus giving nobody an opportunity to mark the paper for the benefit of those who were unable to listen. Country papers do not get the results.of every meeting, as they go to press so early, but there is, always the wireless to fall back on. If the most important of the YA stations is not going to improve its ways re racing results, it is not much to fall back on. 1YA and 3YA are much better at announcing this type of news. Iam as annoyed as the proverbial meat-axe that I ever purchased a set when the results are given as poorly as they were to-night. It was almost as bad as the night we were told that Hector Gray was to:motor from Whangarei to Wellington to ride at Christchurch, and then omitted to tell us the Whangarei results. A live news. editor would look on this class of news as something in the nature of a scoop, as it would be beating the newspapers to it. Another thing, would it be possible to get 1YA and 3YA put up several watts in power so that they could be heard by country subscribers during daylight hours. Don’t say get a better set-I have a good one, and while 2YA leaves little to be desired on daylight work, it seems to me that the power is boxed up in one station to the detriment of the others, If listeners eould get 1YA here in daylight they would have reason to hope for 100,000 listeners next year. I am annoyed about to-night’s broadcast of news, and I know it, so you can discount my complaint a little, but as 2YA is our main station, we look to it for our news. Otherwise 2YA is, int my opinion, one

of the best and we would not be with. out it-I am, etc,

SPARTON SIX

Dannevirke_

A Maori Appreciation. S a Maori.student and sometime contributor to the press of the Dominion, I would tender my thanks for, and appreciation of, the courtesy _ of those gentlemen. who showed me over the well-equipped and commodious premises, and for explaining to me the wonders of the equipment of 2YA. I have occasionally listened-in, but it was a peculiar treat to see and to hear at first-hand all that radio means. The hour that I spent there last evening was most interesting and profitable, for it included a lecturette by the distinguished Hare Hongi on Maori subjects which have « particular charm for those who take a deep interest in the study of the ~Maori race. Such lecturettes ought to assist listeners-in in the correction of the deplorable malpronunciations of our Maori names and place names, for example Waitara and Taranaki, which we daily hear used as if spelt Wytarra and Tarranacky-mere tarradiddle. The long name Tetaumataokiokingawhakatangitangihangakoauauatamatea, must have astonished some of your listenersin; but that unique name was correctly given. It -was as very happy thought to have the Lord’s Prayer given over the air in Maori, I am. not aware that it has been done before,’ Tena koutou katoa i te Tau Hou (Greetings unto ye all in the New Year).-Yours, etce.,

RORE JOHN

JOSEPHS

Maniapoto tribe, Te Kuiti.