Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 29, 31 January 1930, Page 7

Auckland Notes

(By

Call Up

: "THE rebroadcast of the King’s speech from 1YA on Tuesday night was a great performance. After the first part, when static was noticeable, the broadcast came through remarkably clearly. It is easily the best rebroadeast from a short-wave which we have had, and all the local listeners who sat up to get it were amply rewarded. At times the speech came through so well that one might have thought’ the speakers were in the next room, Mr. Wilford’s speech was especially clear. y After the, rebroadcast, when 1YA offi‘eials were indulging in hot pies, peas, and coffee, messages of high praise for the station’s effort were received. HD Northern Boxing Association refused to allow the fight between Billy Thomas (Wales) and Lachie Macdonald (New Zaland) to be broadcast from the Town Hall on Monday night, and it is a point of interest that they had an exceptionally poor house. The fighting was hard and willing, and would have given excellent material for a broadcast commentary. THE Sanders Oup and the two M.O.0. " evicket matches in Auckland are among sporting functions to be broadeast from 1YA in the near future. The Takapuna races are also to be broad-cast-from a position outside the course! °- "THE patience of a busy staff at 1YA is often taxed by listeners:who persist in ringing up to ask fatuous questions. For instance, on Tuesday night a well-meaning lady rang up. "Ts the King’s speech to be broadcast to-night?" she asked, "Yes" (patiently and politely). "Ts it from the Naval Conference?" "Yes" (patiently and politely). Will the King be speaking?" "Yes" (still politely but not so patiently). OMB interesting programmes have been arranged for broadcasting from 1YA during February. These include a special Dickens night by the Dickens Fellowship on February 7, the famous wyriter’s birthday; a whole night devoted to pantomime, and items by Elton Black and Bennetto. . The latter are two professional artists well known in England, who will broadcast both comedy and straight stuff. Mr. Owen Pritchard, 1YA programme organiser, has worked with them previomy when they appeared on the same HE report that programmes are to commence at noon, and that the silent nights are to be abolished this winter, has naturally been well received locally. The increased hours, however, will put a severe strain on the supply of local talent, which even now ‘is found to be so comparatively scarce that approximately eighteen hours a week are devoted to gramophone records, Even the task of selecting the gramophone records is no easy one, for about one hundred and fifty different records are played from 1YA in an ayerage week. The New Zealand station managers and programme organisers have to use their artists like a cricket captain uses his bowlers-give the best » ones & turn, then let them rest while the change bowlers (or artists) carry on, and then put the best ones on again for another spell.