Seeing Radio from a New Angle

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 48, 13 June 1930, Page 5

Seeing Radio from a New Angle

The Other. Man’s Point of View

By

CALL UP

N a previous issue, the writer tried to show how the radio viewpoints of different people did not agree. The angles taken by the educationalist, -the gramophile dealer, and ‘the layman were so different and interesting that I have collected further viewpoints from men prominent in Auckland’s radio world. The next man whose viewpoint I sought was Mr. T. T. Garland, better ‘Tomd to. Auckland children as "Uncle to adult listeners as a’ humorist. . "Uncle Tom," as he prefers to be called, was asked to give his point of view on broadcasting for . children, and the sincere way in which he gave it proves that his heart is in his job, or hobby, as he calls it, of being a radio "uncle." "T believe, 2° he said, "that more adults than children enjoy the children’s hour, but this must not be taken as any evidence that the children’s hour is not a success. There is a quality in the children’s hour which j makes it quite different from any other broadcasting hour, and which makes a tremendous appeal to both young and old. The quality I mean is the in- » timacy between those in the studio and those listening in the homes. It is one hour without any of what may be "Baigmed the official routine of broadasting. The entertainment is more spohtaneous, ‘there is more originality, and a more human element. It ‘is this charm of getting closer, this more personal touch, which gives the children’s hour its influence to attract listeners. of all ages. If radio can exercise any moral = influence on the world I feel sure that the children’s hour is its best and greatest medium. | "In conducting a children’s hour one’s subject is primarily entertainment, with a little education in the background. However, when- at its best it. becomes something a little more personal than pure entertainment. I always picture to myself, when I am before the microphone, an _ ordinary middle-class sitting room, with dad readin the paper, mother sewing, and dren listening. I am sure this to give a better ‘atmosphere’ Tf one imagines one is addressing an audience of thousands of children. In fact, I think the children’s hour should be called the ‘family hour,’ " Other remarks of "Uncle Tom’s" were that he considered that a slightly later hour than 5-6 p.m. would be more suitable for the children’s hour; that he has enjoyed his hobby ~° being an "uncle" tremendously during the whole of the three years he has been pursuing it; and that more important than the elimination of the silent days is the provision of Sunday morning programmes, for this is the time in the "he when most people are in .théir THERE are few listeners who are not interested in some sport or other, and who do not enjoy a certain number of the sporting broadcasts. In looking for someone to buttonhole for an opinion on radio from the sporting man’s angle, I naturally thought first ‘s

of Mr. Gordon Hutter, whose able roadeast descriptions of various sporting fixtures have won him great popularity. Mr. Hutter is a versatile sport and is entitled to speak on behalf of all sportsmen. He has broadcast descriptious of racing, trotting, Rugby football, swimming, motor-bicycle races, tennis, boxing, wrestling, yachting and cricket, and: what is more; he has actively participated in these sports. He sailed in the yacht "Joan" in Sanders Cup races, won the. Grammar School boxing tournament as a boy, has played senior grade cricket in Auckland, has been captain of the Cheltenham . Life-saving Club, wrestles regularly with Ebert, the well-known German professional, and has played both Rugby and Association football, hockey and tennis with more than average success. Surely this record.:will take some: surpassing. "In regard to the old question: ‘Does broadcasting harm attendance? I wae the proved and confident answer 0 "Broadcasting benefits attendance, as has been proved time and’ time

again. ‘Take wrestling, for instance. At the first big match in Auckland, before they were broadcast, there were only about three hundred people. Now, one can hardly get a seat. ' "The football, wrestling, speedway, and cricket people do all they possibly can to help us and nothing seems to be too much trouble. The attendance at all these fixtures is. satisfactory, and the moral is obvious. "Broadcasting sporting fixtures is by no means an easy job. Footbali broadcasts are the easiest io do and give the best results, but cricket is hard. The races and trots were all right when we were allowed on the course, but.it is a different story now. For Ellerslie we set up the ‘mike’ on the verandah of a private house which faces right across the course to the totalisator. With a powerful telescope I can read the figures on the ‘tote,’ although they are the best part of' a mile away, while I follow the actual race with field glasses. Unfortunately the crowd on the inside of the course obscure my view of the straight except for the jockey’s caps. "The Takapuna and Avondale

courses are comparatively easy to see from the outside, but the trotting eourse at Hpsom is extremely hard and I ean hardly see anything of the races. The traffic officers sometimes try to move us on, but we are used to this annoyance and can cope with it. At boxing and wrestling contests one of the hardest things to do is to keep some of the language used from going over the air. We also have to be pretty quick sometimes in saving the ‘mike’ from being smashed. Not long ago it was knocked over by the contestants in one match, but no. harm resulted. "Tf do not know the position in regard to the other stations, but I think 1YA gives just about the right -proportion of sporting items. Dverything of special note in any branch of sport is done if possible, and I think the sports get their fair share of the broadcasting hours." HE presentation of plays has for some time been a prominent feature of the 1YA programme, and I interviewed Mr. J. M. Olark for his views on radio from the dramatic point of view. Mr. .Clark /is well qualified to speak on anything to do with plays, having been connected with the stage for over fifty years and having learnt most of what he knows of acting from none other than William Hoskins, the man who taught Henry Irving and who has been widely acclaimed as the greatest actor of his age. Mr. Clark has produced about half a dozen full evening plays from 1YA. "Soon after the present 1YA opened," he’ said, "I’ suggested that‘ good ‘plays would prove acceptable to listeners if well done. I was told that it-was thought to be quite impossible to expect listeners to spend a whole evening listening to a three-act play. Later they began to present short sketches and one-act plays, and then I was invited to produce some long plays, being distinctly told to confine myself to light pieces. However, I later put on Gilbert’s ‘Pygmalion and Galatea,’ written in blank verse, and this was a great success in spite of pessimistic anticipations. Finally I had _ the temerity to produce ‘Paola and Francesea,’ a real tragedy, also written in verse form. ‘This also was a success. The successes of these two plays makes me inclined to think that the public can appreciate better quality than is popularly supposed. "fT think that radio will evolve a new type of drama for its own special purposes;. in fact, ‘this has already happened, "However, special radio plays can never bring authors the same. monetary reward as stage productions, and no doubt this will stop many clever writers from attempting special work for broadcasting. "Two points for which I am a great stickler in producing plays for broadcasting are that the voices of the different characters must be plainly distinctive from each other and that the plays must be thoroughly rehearsed. If a play is merely read it cannot be expected to grip the listeners. It Concluded on page 40.)

. Points of View. ? , : . (Concluded from page 5.) must ‘be acted, and this requires thorough rehearsing. | "Some actors cannot do so well before the microphone as they can before a theatre audience, but person:. ally I think that I.can do better in the studio, as. one can: concentrate more on the words and their sentiment. "One disadvantage of the studio, however, is that while the play is actually on one does not know how pete

it is being appreciated, and one is always apt to imagine that it is a dismal failure and that by the last act all the listeners will have switchoff, "It is vitally important that all radio plays be absolutely clean both in language and sentiment. ‘They are listened to in private homes where all the family, including the children, are gathered together, and it is abusing the privilege of radio’s entry into the home if sex and other questionable matter is broadcast. Things that can pass on the stage must be ruled out for radio purposes. "Naturally I am disappointed that long plays are not to be presented from 1YA for some time at any rate. e