Notes and News from the North

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 27, 16 January 1931, Page 16

Notes and News from the North

(By

Call-Up

URING the holiday period 1YA provided some excellent programmes, and their: extended service was much appreciated by listeners. The many extra hours of brosdcasting, and the absence of a number of regular speakers and artists who were away on holiday placed much extra work and responsibility on the station staff. They deserve the thanks of listeners for whose entertainment they worked hard while others were holidaying., A NUMBER of new artists are to be heard from 1YA toward the end of this month, these ‘including two new vocal trios and a new instru mental quartet... The Smithson Trio. which will be heard for the first time on January 23, is of special interest in that it consists of three members of the same family, father, son and daughter. A new instrumental quartet will play on January 27, led by Mr. David Whisker, the well-known’ Auckland flautist. On January 29 the: Royal Trio will render vocal and: instrumental extracts from musical comedy pieces. R. CULFORD BQRLL, station announcer at 1YA, will leave for his annual holiday on January 26, and during his fortnight’s absence Mr. Len Barnes, the station direcfor, will deputise for him at the microphone. How many northern listeners know what a balalaika is? Not very many, one supposes, but after January 21 it should be quite common knowledge. On that evening Simon Philippoff, who has already been heard from southern stations, will render items from 1YA on this Russian instrument -so uncommon to this part of the world. TATION 1YA rebroadcast 3YA’s relay of Mr. Guy Menzies’ speech from Hokitika on Wednesday night last. During the earlier part of the evening, while. station officials were in touch with the Christchurch station, the southern programme was coming in very clearly, but when they switched over for the rebroadcast conditions were not so good and there was a considerable amount of static. However, the few words Mr. Menzies had to say were heard quite distinctly. Previous to his talk 1YA was rebroadcasting the gramophone items from 3YA for over half an hour. During these items a disgruntled listener ’phoned the studio. "This is awful," he said; "there’s so much static coming through. Why I can get 3YA clearer if I pick it up direct myself." He seemed rather sur; prised when the 1YA official politely explained that the station had no juris-’ diction over static, and suggested that if what the listener said were true, the best thing for him to do was to tune-in to 3YA direct! Miss BUNTY STEUART, a Scottish contralto, is to make her first appearance from 1YA on January 31. Miss Steuart has had considerable professional experience and has sung on numerous occasions from radio statious in Australia, although this is her first yiczophone appearance in New Zeaan

THE Auckland morning daily ceased publishing the 1YA programmes as from January 1, and as a result ‘many listerers have been wondering if the station was off the air. This is certainly not so, Full details of the whole week’s programmes are available in the "Radio Record."