Our Mailbag

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 44, 15 May 1931, Page 36

Our Mailbag

Government Control. N a previous issue of the "Record" you invited your readers to send in their opinion of the projected, Government control of broadcasting. In my opinion it would be an absolute calamity. I think the Radio Broadcasting Co. is doing all it can to please listeners, often going out of its way to give them something good and fresh. In the radio notes of a weekly contemporary of about three weeks ago, an article was published showing what Australia has lost by the Government taking it over. I think it would be interesting to your readers if you were to reproduce that article. Now, I have heard many expressions of opinion about radio. For instance, I have heard it stated that there is nothing in wireless, or that there is too much music sent over the air, or that wireless is not yet perfect. In reply to these statements, I would like to instance the opening of the Dunedin Radio Wxhibition lately by the Postmaster-General at Wellington (not of Wellington, mind you). This was rendered possible by the wonderful system of relay. Then, as to too much music, the other evening just before going to bed, I

tuned in to Adelaide and heard part of an address by Lord Baden Powell to boy scouts. It was most | and was one of many lectures and ad-’ dresses that can be heard any night. As to not-being perfect, is anything perfect? Four or five years ago we thought motor-cars were perfect; now a five-year-old car is almost out of date. These facts are well worth considering. -Scotty. : : B Class Stations. you mentioned in your editorial that you were afraid that some of the money paid for listeners’ fees would be given to B class stations. I think that as far as Southland is concerned some of the money should ‘be given those stations because the Radio Broadcasting Co. has not given us a station of any consequence to suit this part of New Zealand, The only station any good for this part is the Wellington station, and at times is quite unsuitable, and not suitable,in any way for crystal sets: One lal B class station is increasing the power from 100 watts to 1000 watts in the next few months. I do not think that listeners who could get a reliable. service from this station would object to their fees being paid to it. Apart from that, the programme he gives. with records is superior. to the Wellington station’s programme, with its 80 per cent. singing articles, and most of them are only third-raters. What we want is powerful stations with plenty of good musical items, , and when singing is put across it should be of the very best. Otherwise I think gramophone music the best every time. -HPfficiency. [The position of Invercargill and provincial towns in a similar position would most satisfactorily: be met by arrangement being made for the _ Broadcasting Company to extend its/ services to such provincial centres by the ‘establishment’ of suitable relay stations. A programme. proposing this development was advanced by the Radio Broadcasting Company more than two years ago. ‘The main advantages of such a scheme. would be (1) that the one overhead would cover the whole service, and (2) linking in with the main stations would result in the provincial towns being given a much better range of programmes than can be given by a.number of independent and isolated B class sta~tions. The provincial towns. certainly deserve consideration, but they will yeceive a far better service by incorporation in one full scheme for. the whole Dominion than by the diffusion of listeners’ funds over a number af independent B class stations -Hd] }