SPEED

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 26, 8 January 1932, Page 1

SPEED

Wizard Smith’s attempt on World Record will be broadcast

BAR this month, on the NinetyMile Beach, North Auckland, Wizard Smith will attempt to lower the world’s land speed record, now gheld by the late Sir Henry Segrave-an event unique in New Zealand "history. It is not surprising then, that despite difficulties, arrangements

Nave beef Made by the broadcasting Board to broadcast a commentary direct from the beach. The broadcasting of an event like this is not easy to arrange. It is not as though there is to be one attempt-one in which a red flag is dropped, the speeding car rushes over the marked’ mile, and the record is broken or remains. If such were the case broadcasting would be simplified and all that would be necessary would be a brief commentary on the conditions, the crowd, the preliminaries, the start, the finish and the result. But records are not broken like that. The motorist merely makes trials and each trial is recorded automatically bv

an elaborate device that, at the Ninety-Mile Beach, requires ten miles of specially selected and laid telegraph wire.. He notes the condition of his car on each run, adjustments are made, and he tries again. At the completion of each run he does not know whether he has broken the record or not, and so he goes to the trials prepared for a long job-so do the officials. RUNNING broadcast of the trials would be wearisome, consisting as fi would of brief descriptions of each trip, which to the onlooker are all the same, and the times taken by each. Other arrangements have to be made. Gordon Hutter, the well known 1YA sports announcer, is already at the beach, and will remain there until the trials are concluded. With him are operators, who have a portable radio transmitter which will broadcast direct from the

beach and will maintain contact with LYA. The actual situation of the transmitting gear is Hukatere Hill, directly overlooking the scene of the attempts. The district engineer, Mr. E. C. Gage, who will supervise the broadcast, has already visited the beach, and will return there just prior to the commencement of the attempts, which will commence this week, Te arrangements are that, should the record be broken on any trial, broadcasting headquarters in Wellington are immediately notifiedprobably by using the radio circuit. . Arrangements will be promptly made for landlines, and at 9 p.m. or any other more suitable time the four stations will be linked by landline, and Mr. Hutter’s description of the successful attempt will be relayed and broadcast. It is quite likely that Wizard Smith will speak. As part of the policy of the Board, permission will be granted any "B" station making application, to rebroadcast the YA stations. We understand, at the time of going to press, that 1ZR, 2ZW and 2ZX have been granted permission. Due to the fact that the event is of world-wide importance,

arrangements have been made, not only by the international press to have representatives on the scene, but the Sydney station 2UW will also rebroadcast the result. A member of its staff, Mr. James Donnelly, who is announcer and publicity agent for that station, arrived in Auckland last week. Mr. Donnelly, who has been visiting the Rotorua district, has now proceeded to the beach. It must be conceded that the circumstances are difficult, but even under these, the Broadcasting Board has made all possible arrangements to ensure that listeners shall know the result without loss of time, and shall share as much of the thrills of the event as radio can convey.