Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 52, 10 July 1931, Page 7

Our Mail Bag

While we welcome the expressed views of listeners on topics pertaining to radio, we ask that these communications be kept to minimum length, as heavy demands are made upon space. Mere reiteration of arguments cannot be accepted for publication, and we cannot take responsibility for views expressed. Address eommunications to the Editor, and sign all correspondence, though a nom-de-plume may be used for publication. .

No Advertisements by Request. WAS astounded to hear the Post-master-General’s statement that he would permit a B station to allow the name of a firm sponsoring a programme to be announced before and after such programme is broadcast. This is the thin end of the wedge. Traders dealing in radio who desire to run a B class station are justly entitled to announce at reasonable intervals that "this is station -- broadcasting from the. business premises of Messrs. Mick Doolan and Coempany, Bunker Street, Wellington." No exception can be taken to that. Where the trouble starts is with sponsored programmes, Any radio dealer who feels it is worth while running a station will, of course, do so, if he can meet the annual exenditure involved. It is the pollution the air with advertising matter that ‘we want to prevent. I believe that sponsored programmes .would do more harm than good to any radio dealer, and particularly to the firm supplying sponsored programmes, From an advertising point of view, radio is not the attractive channel for tapping the public that the average man might think. Many. factors have to be taken into account, the psycliology of human nature being the cardinal feature. What might tickle the ear of one person might offend the feelings of hundreds of others, If one advertises in a newspaper, a ‘ reader does not become incensed. He can read or leave it; and, if need be, refer several times over to that advertisement. To mix music, song, and verse, drama, ., opera, sketches, etc., with even some direct advertising "over the air" will not be relished by the average listener. I have taken a very keen interest in publicity during, roughly, 30 years, and been connected with some huge publicity campaigns for business purposes. I have also studied the psychology of publicity, and can safely say advertising "over the air" is not good policy. Hveryone in Wellington knows perfect ly well that -- are prominent boot people, but they won’t buy more boots because of the radio publicity. Radio, if anything, will tend to reduce the status of that firm. . The trouble is, many business men in control of their individual advertising expenditure have not had time or inelination to study publicity; and perforce must leave that work to others with an expert knowledge of the peculiarities surrounding the question of pubigcity, and dangers facing the adverMusic soothes, but talking anoys many. Talking at length is most unnerving and very. tiring, and is the cause of many a breakdown in health. Listening to music will seldom, if ever, kill anyone. Listening to advertising over the air would in time irritate and wreck the nervous system, By all means let’s have plenty of good music, but not advertisements, over the air.-R. Leslie Jones. Satisfied! I HAVE been a listener and a reader of your excellent journal for some months, I have read with utter

amazement and disgust very many criticisms during that period, thus feel I should like to express the views of one who thoroughly appreciates the extraordinary value one is receiving in return for 30/- per annum. I consider the Radio Broadeasting Company is deserving of the highest praise for the entertainment it provides; it caters to every possible taste, it supplies a wonderful dinner hour session of the hest type of music, and I often wonder if the critics have ever The children’s hour, the "foxtrots" I detest them personally, but realise: others desire such music. The trouble taken to

relay multifarious concerts and events, all these and other benefits too numerous to mention for 30/- per year. paused to estimate what the cost must oe of the hundreds of records used for this purpose. My wife and I are extremely fond of male part singing and cannot speak too highly of the items provided by the Melodie Four from 2YA. The balance, light .and shade, enunciation, etc., are equal to, if not better than, anything of the kind in the Dominion. In conclusion, we, in common with thousands of other listeners, are very grateful for all that the Broadcasting Company has done, and is continuing. to do, for us.-O. G. Bryan King, Timaru. Advertising Approved. wHy all this fuss about advertising -"" over the air? To my mind the Minhas made a very worthy concession to B stations by allowing them to broadcast sponsored programmes, and I for one cannot find anything objjectionable in the matter, So long as the Minister does not extend, and his responsible officers see that B stations do not exceed, the limits as at present laid down I conceive that any objections will be in the nature of cayilling. Instead of being impressed I was somewhat amused at a letter in this week’s issue over the nom de guerre "Music." When referring to broadcasting in the United States of America ‘he has surely forgotten to mention that listeners in that country do not pay any annual license fee, and therefore the broadcast-

ing stations are solely dependent on advertising for their upkeep. The YA stations in New Zealand have no need to have recourse to advertising, as they receive the whole of the license fees collected, less a small percentage to the Government, and this outburst against the B stations appears to me to savour of selfishness. In any case if some listeners find the B programmes objectionable why listen to them? There does not appear to be any reason why these listeners, a very small put noisy minority I fear, cannot keep

tuned in to the YA stations.-A Change is as Good as a Rest. \ What is Wrong? Your paper has been kicking up a terrible song and dance lately about advertising over the air, but did it ever strike you that the readers of "The Record" could get just as tired of reading about it as they could of hearing advertisements over the air? ‘Then again, what is wrong with advertising? The best set in this country will. not pick up more than one station at once, and if the "A" stations don’t advertise, and a listener does not want to hear, he can tune to them, If he wants to listen to "B" stations, let him put up with what they give him-we do that with the "A" stations anvhow-he does not contribute

anything to their upkeep.

L.C.

A.

Band Musie Desired. ALLow me to congratulate, through your journal, firstly station 2YA for the broadcast, and secondly the Garrison Band, Wanganui, on their splendid concert on Thursday, May 28. By luck

I tuned in to the first band concert I heard on the air, and it was the Gariison Band, and as an old member of this band I was all ears to hear them. The reception was perfect, no static, and very little fading, so that I was able to hear the selection of "Iolanthe" with ease, and enjoyed it very much. The trio by the Bridges family was a treat. To 2YA I say: Let’s hear more of this band. You have many Sunday nights on which the Garrison could give u recital, and I’m sure they would only be too pleased to be on the air again and give them plenty of notice, as. 1 want a line from them beforehand. LI have written them, telling them how much I enjoyed their concert, and ‘to try for the air again, so I hope they ere successful. . 3g " I heard you again to-night in Scotch numbers, and, not being Scotch (except when drinking) I dialed for a band concert, and got the military band from 3LO, and am enjoying it now.-Leigh P. Halle, late Australian Commonwealth Band, Wanganui Garrison Band. Not Overcome. Your editorial with regard to the Wellington station’s activities re sponsored programmes and advertising prompts the following remarks from a listener’s point of view. Firstly, may f state that I have listened to 2ZW’s transmissions since their opening night, and I cannot say that I have been overcome with advertising matter from it. I have not heard them recommend any firm’s goods either directly or indirectly. The mere fact that a business firm has sponsored a programme does not affect my pleasure or otherwise in that programme. Surely when 2YA announces a programme, "By courtesy of the Bristol Piano Co.," or the talks on "Cooking by Gas," etc., these are just as liable to be stigmatised as advertising matter, as anything 2ZW puts over. Your inform~ants who "closed their sets down" rather than listen to this station’s programmes seem to me to be of the type who would "out off their nose to spite their face."Daniel McLaughlin. A Question of Orchestras, AFTER reading Mr. J. F. Knight's comment in the "Record" of June 12, I would like also to say something on the subject of the 2¥A orchestras. Mr. Knight is quite at liberty to have his own opinion and call a spade a pitechfork if he wishes, but he cannot tell the world that nonsense and get away with it. I know most of the musical folk in New Zealand, particularly in, Auckland and Wellington, but cannot recollect having heard of Mr. Knight as a musical critic. He certainly takes a false step when he says that good classical standard music should not be played by a small combination, Allow me, sir, to state that there is a wealth of good standard classical works _ specially arranged for small orchestras by worldfamed celebrities, and when these works are played by a combination of eleven first-class instrumentalists, of which, J] understand, the Orchestrina is compos it is a pleasure to listen to them. look forward to Monday evenings’ p grammes for that very reason. conductor of the Orchestrina is too w known as a2 musician, and he does need anyone to advise him in his fession. (One might as well tell Kinz ford Smith how to fly.) Therefore giv him and his talented instrumentalists th credit which they richly deserve. Per (Concluded on page 10.): ..

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-000-0000-00000000000 COOOCOOOOOCOOOOVEC "The Sultan of Ju-ju Land" -a comedy to be broadcast from 3 and 4YA on July ii. DODOODO-OL)-00- 0-0-0 0 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0000000 0000000

Our Mailbag a

(Continued from page 7.) sonally I congratulate the Broadcasting Company for the delight the Orchestrina affords to so many lovers of good music and for having--secured the services of the . finest combination of orchestral instrumentalists in Wellington.-R, Sutherland (Wellington). ’ Other Views. ITH reference to ‘"‘Music’s" complaint, I fail to see where the station concerned can be blamed. Itis a B class station, and gets no license fees. Therefore "Music’s" friend, who pays a license fee, should go to the station he supports, if he wants to make complaints about advertising. By this I refer to the thinly-veiled advertising done by 2YA in their daily programmes.-" Way: Trap." ri MaAx I comment on your article dealin with the "Advertising Menace," "It appears that your paper is biased against B stations. I have heard numbers of people state that they cannot understand your strong objection to sponsored programmes. Anyhow, what’s wrong with a little advertising to help defray expenses, seeing that B stations have no income from listeners? It is no trouble to turn to another’ station if anyone objects to it. The person who was "obliged to cut off the station’ probably enjoyed. many items from the same station with unusual quality--"*B, Fair." More Humour Wanted, [* the fon. J. B, Donald’s concession to the B class stations is hailed with general rejoicings by the listeners-in, I’m afraid that the R.B.C.’s ultra "high-class" programmes are largely to blame for their jubilation. Search the printed proeramme of 2YA for the week June 21 onwards, and see if you can. find the little word "humour" prefixed to a single item. ! I can’t, anyhow. What on earth are the responsible parties of the R.B.C, thinking of? Again, owing to the. prevalence of the talkies, how many musicians are at present unemployed, while the Broadcasting Company fills in the dance sessions with hideous gramophone records. Surely a little orchestra of five or six performers and a relieving vocalist or two for a few hours a week at the four centres would not hurt. One more. suggestion: eae radio in our homes, "Saturday night" a thing of the past, so why not on the late nights of the various stations start ‘right off at 8 p.m. sharp and make it throughout a lively and humorous night till the final jazz squall at 11 p.m.. with an old-time dance night once a month from each station. : Anyone with a valve set will have a chance to forget his or her troubles every night in the week then. In fact, as hig Wxcelleney said, more or less, at Palmerston North, in respect,‘ Maw believe, to cheese: "Give the people Nea they want and not what you. may think is good for them." Winally, his Dxcellency has also told us to* advertise, conditionally on our advertisements being of a high standard. Now why should not the B class stations be permitted to follow his excellent advice if. only as regards our New Zealand products of industry? © In regard to what Mr. Brooks Gifford says about advertising on: the American stations, well, as far as the main stations, of which I’ve heard a dozen or two, g0.: it’s utter bunkum; they merely mention on whose behalf the programme is given, and occasionally the-most bloodthirsty scene from a talkie is put over for advertising purposes. No doubt the hundreds of smaller stations may do 80, however. Mr. Ellis will tell you. I. Fraser, Box 29, Ohura, / 4