Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 30, 7 February 1930, Page 25

Auckland Notes

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ROM Sunday, February 2, Mr. Culford Bell, announcer at 1YA, will be away on a fortnight’s holiday, and Mr. Len Barnes, station manager, will officiate in his stead. Mr. Barnes, whose voice is familiar to all 1YA listeners, is indeed a busy man. In addition to his’ regular. duties in directing and supervising the working of the station, he frequently takes his place as an artist in the programmes, writes original material for broadcasting, is continually seeking out fresh talent and arranging novel and special broadcasts, devises effects for radio plays, and fills the role of announcer whenever necessary. Through it all he always appears smiling, polite, and genial. HH broadeast description of the Takapuna races on Anniversary Day (January 29) was a credit to Mr. Gordon Hutter, who has achieved a well-earned popularity as a sporting broadcaster. He combines a graphic description of the actual races with interesting and authentic notes on bygone contests and old records, and intersperses the whole with a racy humour which greatly appeals to listeners. His remarks on Wednesday re racecourse patrons trying to park their cars in the limited space at their disposal were vastly entertaining. As a good example of Mr. Hutter’s capabilities one would point out the way in which he never let the broadcast flag, although one of the races was twenty minutes late in starting. All the time he kept on talking interestingly. Negotiations are now being made for the broadcasting of the motorcycle races from the Western Springs Stadium. This stadium is a good way from town, but if the negotiations are satisfactorily concluded Mr. Hutter will officiate at the microphone, and such a broadcast should prove very popular. PROMINENT feature of the IYA programmes for some time past has

been the number of plays put over the air, this station having given more than the other ,three YA stations put together. It igs understood that this policy is to continue. At any rate, on February 14 we are to hear "I’ll Leave It To You," by Noel Coward. This is to be produced by Mr. J. M. Clark, who has previously given us several broadcast plays which were very successful. Auckland listeners are fortunate in having such capable producers as Mr. J. HW. Montague and Mr, Clark at their disposal, and also a very excellent coterie of amateur actors, N ambitious item on the 1YA programme for February 27 will be the production of the pantomime "Dick Whittington." This.is to be done very fully with a ballet, choruses, and full sound effects. In vegard to the production of sound effects for radio plays a great deal of ingenuity has to be exercised. At many of the stations in England and elsewhere there is a. special room for the production of sound effects and a whole outfit of apparatus for making sounds representative of trains, motors, rain, thunder, the sea, ete, but at the New Zealand stations such facilities do not exist, nor are they often required. A vacuum cleaner and a motor-car tyre-pump have been utilised at 1YA for various effects, but the whole staff has been stumped so far at representing the sounds of a burbling brook! N up-to-date and business-getting man who tuns » small sweet-shop on the fringe of the popular Takapuna beach has recent!’ installed an expensive all-electric set 1n his shop. As a result there is always a large crowd of listeners on the beach in his vicinity, and business consequently is good, During the broadcast of the Takapuna Cup on Wednesday a large number of bathers and picnickers listened-in to the set, and on fine evenings there always seems to be a good crowd gathered round to hear the programmes, The beach in the cool of the evening is certainly an ideal setting in which to listen-in.