Waikato's Plight

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 50, 27 June 1930, Page 39

Waikato's Plight

(Lo ‘the Editor.) Re the discussion on the elimination of the silent night, I am inclined to agree with one of your. correspondents who suggests that there are more pressing matters to be settled. Has the following anomalous situation been appreciated by the R.B.C.? That, 2YA being geographically situs ated to serve both North and South Islands equally, the North Island has only one station, 1YA, and the South Island two, 8YA and 4YA? This position is all the more extraordinary’ when it is realised that the number of North Island. licenses is double that of the South: ., i The most casual inquiry will reveal the fact that beyond a radius of 50 miles or so 1YA might as wéll be off the air after sunset. I have been demonstrating radio throughout. the Waikato and Bay of Plenty for over five years, and I have yet to find a single listener who’ can obtain any satisfactory reception from 1YA except in the afternoon. As paying approximately two-thirds of the revenue dérived by the R.B.C., the North Island is certainly entitled to better service than this, and’ the astonishing thing is that it has endured so long in comparative silence such wretched reception as is the gener al rule. . My suggestion is a relay station, somewhere between Auckland and Wellington, and it seems to me Rotorua deserves consideration, as it is not only fairly central but has the inestimable advantage of being well off for Maori talent-surely the most popular form of musical entertainment in New. Zealand. mS 9" Before the R.B.C. incur any fure ther expense I would like them to send a representative round the districts I have mentioned and ascertain the conditions we have to demonstrate under. It is a fact that before a sale can be effected the customer. has to be disillusioned, and educated, to put up with fading and distortion "and weak signals as the general rule and perfect reception. as the exception —

C. J.

Fleming

(Taneatua).