Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 30, 7 February 1930, Page 10

Our Mail Bag

Will correspondents please practice brevity, as heavy demands are now made on space. All letters must be signed and address given as proof of genuineness; nums de plume for publication are permitted. Address correspondence Editor, "Radio Record," P.O. Box 1032, Wellington.

Foreign Vocal Selections. HESITATE to be among the grumblers concerning programmes, but the Sunday afternoon session from 2YA always causes grumbling in my home. Is there any reason why vocal items for the whole of the first hour of that session should be given in languages of which not one single word can be undexatood by the average listener? At the time of writing (4.10 p.m.) on the above date, there has not been one single vocal item in English. Doubtless there will be one or two; I hope so, being heartily sick of having "Music Without Words." Orchestral, ete., is not included in this category, for that is really what it amounts to.-

Plain English

(Wellington).

The Majority Rules. Your correspondent "Pro Bono Publico" says he noticed "with some disgust" the many listeners protesting against the partial discontinuance of the announcing of racing results, and goes on to call these listeners "socalled sports." Does P.B.P. consider himself a sport in airing his own partieular grouch? Surely if he objects +o listening to sporting results he can switch off his set for the few niinutes necessary to give these.. I am not a follower of racing (it is eleven year's since my last race meeting), but surely it would be a selfish point of view to object merely because I was not interested. So far as the musical items are concerned, there are a number that do not appeal to me at all, but I quite realise that there are many other listeners who no doubt do appreciate them and one cannot please everyone. Doubtless the items that appeal to me do not appeal to others. Cannot P.B.P. take the good with the bad and try and see the other fellow’s point of view? Sports results seem to appeal to the majority, and, after all. it is the majority who should be

considered.-

Marama

(New Ply

mouth).

Silent Day at 2XA. Y LT ask Mr. P.B.P., of Petone, why we are not entitled to sports vesults He objects to a race result being given after Beethoven’s ‘"Moonlight Sonata." Well, Mr. Pro Bono, you will get murders and music all im one issue of any newspaper you like to read, so be a sport and let us listen to our "Beethoven," we listen to yours. Now, Mr. P.H., of P.N., you make some really unkind remarks about the ‘dinner music, race results, and silent day at 2YA. Well, tune in on this. You have a very fine station called

2ZEF. right on your roof every night when 2YA is haying his day of rest, but then I don’t suppose you would give your local station credit for being there. When you say that it would be impossible to discard a wireless. may .I refer you to the Ten ComInandments: you will find one that

fits your case.-

Sparton Six

(Danne-

virke).

Short-Wave Rebroadcasts. HE Radio Broadcasting Co. has to endure such a variety of criticism. most of it thoroughly unjustified, that I do not wish this letter to be inferred as coming from a confirmed radio grouser. Not being a highbrow in musical matters or anything else, I suppose I am easily pleased (at least, that is what some doubtless would say) with what seems to me to be the general excellence of the way the Broadcasting Company serves the , large and eyergrowing number of listeners, but there is one little matter that appears to me to require explanation. and that concerns 2YA’s re-broadeast of the opening speeches at the London Naval Conferenee. I had the opportunity of hearing the speeches direct from 5SW on 2 short-wave set, and I can honestly say that it was remarkable with what clarity they were received in this way. 2YA, on the other hand, was picking up noise from somewhere, according to what I heard at times, when we switched on to this station to hear how it was re-broadcasting the speeches. Several listeners have told me that they were disappointed at not hearing the speeches more clearly from 2YA, although everyone acknowledges that the re-broadcast of SSW was far more suc-

cessful than anything previously attempted. If more of these re-broad-casts are to be carried out, is there anything in the contention advanced by some people that the receiving set for the purpose should be located out in the country somewhere away from high-tension power lines, so as to minimise the risk of undue interference? Perhaps the engineers can advise on this point. Now, for something noncontroversial. You have been publishing paragraphs about direct crystal reception of 2YA on the loudspeaker. That is quite possible with me, and I often listen to the local station by that method in preference to the valve set. My masts are 36ft. high, and the aerial 120ft. long. The volume is sufficient for the station to be heard all

over the house-

K.

Swiney

(North-

land).

"Running 2YA." HERE is no doubt that correspondents writing in the "Radio Record" are sincere in what they say, but I would like to suggest that it is far from the mark when they suggest that the racing "sports" are trying to run the 2Y.A station. I think 2YA is to be congratulated on its enterprise in endeavouring to supply the public with the very latest items of interest, in the prompt and thorough manner as was done during last week, when relays were successfully conducted for the benefit of racing, evicket, and tennis sports and enthusiasts. Your correspondents are no doubt aware that 2YA was on fhe air from 12 noon on Saturday and Monday of the Wellington races. and opened specially on Wednesday, January 22, its silent day. The racing results and announcements take up a comparatively small proportion of the time of transmission, so surely "P.H." and others were on a "win," for they had at least two hours’ extra transmission of musical items each day. Also, 2YA was on the air at 2 p.m., Friday, January 24 (cricket) ; 12 noon, Saturday, January 25 (cricket, tennis, trots), and is opening 2 p.m., Monday, January 27 (cricket); 1 pam. January 28 (Harbour Board jubilee); 2 p.m., Friddy, January 81 (tennis): 2 p.m. Saturday, February 1 (tennis). so surely it proves that all sports fixtures are catered for alike by the B.B.C, And we must not overlook the fine boxing and football relays in season. On the Wednesday afternoon, a long relay was made of the Early Settlers’ reunion during the afternoon, so it cannot be truly argued that the racing "sports" get preferepee to any other broadcast. And the

station can be relied upon to continue, _ to treat all classes of sport on thé »y same level. Just a line about the dinner music, All the wireless enthusiasts I know consider the dinner music session, as at present conducted, the _ brightest hour of the day, and would not like to see the fine musical selections displaced by an orchestra. We get all the orchestra we want during the

evening session.-

Fair Go