Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 33, 26 February 1932, Page 8

Our Mail Bag

While we welcome the expressed views of listeners on topies pertaining to radio, we ask that these communications be kept to niinimum 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 communications to the Editor, and sign all correspondence, though a nom-de-plume may be used for publication,

Comparisons are--? WHAT a vast amount of difference exists between the A class and the B class stations. Time was when one tuned-in to 2YA he heard a most affable "Good-morning, everybody." Apparently this time has sunk into oblivion, and one is greeted now witb a curt "Good-morning." Have our announcers been missing their daily dose? Has Mr. Go-o-0-0-d-night Man died a natural death? Now with the B class stations one is greeted with a cheery "Good-morning" or ‘"Goodevening, everybody," whichever’ the case may be. To emulate Bendall one may joyfully say: "Give me _ the good old days," as far as A class stations are concerned. In conclusion may I exhort a little more joviality from our announcers and humbly reaquest that Mr. Go-o-o-o0-d-nieht Vian he

resurrected ?-

Fred J.

Martin

Gramophone Records. THE gramophone companies are barking up the wrong tree when they attribute their diminishing sales to the broadcasting of their records. The real reason is that fewer people are buying gramophones, preferring a radio any day. Those that have both as a rule prefer the radio too; that is to say, they use their gramophoney comparatively little. What records they do buy are not infrequently bought because they have been heard over the air. So I suggest that the real cause of diminishing record sales is the advance of radio itself, particularly, its convenience compared to the gramophone, and not the broadcasting of records -DNX2IA, Praise for the Board. Re all the letters condemning everything possible connected with radio appearing in the "Record," I would like to say that we are quite satisfied with the new board. We think the programmes have improved 50 per cent. A lot more humorous records are a pleasing feature. We think that 80 per cent. of the people writing to the "Record" have never been out of New

Zealand, or ever heard a programme in America or England, and when an up-to-date board. tries to raise the standard of broadcasting, the 80 per cent. are not used to it and start squealing. If the "Gooooooood-night" is wanted, let us have it repeated 20 times at nine o’clock every night till everybody is sick of it. Even Uncle George is not free from criticism, Who will be next? In conclusion, Mr. Editor, I should like to say that if economy is needed in the "Radio Record," cut out anything, even fhe programmes, but increase the Mailbag Column tenfold; it is the one thing we look forward to weekly. -‘Traveller." Very Displeased. listened-in to the programme provided by station 2YA on Saturday, February 6, and must say that I was extremely disappointed with same. Now, Sir, Saturday night, under the Broadcasting Co.’s regime, was always a very pleasant night’s entertainment, for it is a night when mum, dad and the kids all stay up a little later, and sleep in a little Jater the next morning, and therefore light and enjoyable

music is wrat is wanted. Therefore, Sir, we were extremely disappointed to hear, when we tuned in after 8 p.m., to find a loud voice telling us about the immortal works of Dickens, our exclamations were all the same, "To the dickens with lectures on Saturday night." In desperation we began to turn the dial, 8YA, relaying 4YA, extremely distorted and fading, 1YA rapid fade, so back to 2YA, and what

did we get, another lecture! A gentleman with an extremely foreign vdice telling us about "My experiences with the Bolsheviks." About twenty minutes of this and we had had enough, twiddled the dial again, and then back to 2YA in time to hear more about Dickens. This finished our entertainment for the night, and we went to bed, an extremely disannointed family with our night’s entertainment. In conclusion I would suggest that a vote be taken on the type of entertainment provided on Saturday nights, and the same be forwarded to the Board, otherwise there will be many less licenses issued in the Marlborough district after March.-‘‘Dial Twiddler." Overseas Good-nights. ITH regard to the ‘"Good-night" announcement from the _ broadcasting stations, I am pleased to see the announcers making the best they can of the ordered curt "Good-night." As for New Zealand announcers haying more personal levity than most countries is a mistaken idea. This is how KFI, Ivos Angeles, closes down at 8.10

p.m.: "Good-night, and pleasant dreams, from K¥FI, broadcasting on & frequency of 640 kilocyeles on their 3582nd broadcast." A record, "Aloae oe" is then played, and as the music is going the announcer’s voice is heard, spaced like this: This ...is... K...F...1,., now... closing ... down.... Good... night.... From oo K.P... I-DX 56M.0. [M.C. denotes Marlborough-Canter-

bury.

-Hd.]

Gramophone Records and Broadeasting. OUR informant who put forward the case as stated for the companies, in a recent issue, appears to be sadly out of touch with his own trade and to hold opinions contrary to those of the directors of the industry in England. The statement: "It is a popular fallacy to imagine that the broadcasting of records benefits their sale; exactly the contrary result follows by reason of the fact that they are broadcast," is diametrically opposed to the opinion of the chairman of the H.M.V. Company. This can be verified by looking up the report of that company for two or three years back. Further, I shall be pleased to hear that the larger companies are manufacturing records to retail at one shilling or eighteenpence, I can only conclude that Mr. Representative has misread or misunderstood the reference to cheap records in your issue of 5/2/82. Last December an official of the Columbia Co, in England made the following statement to the Press: "We cannot keep pact with our orders for records, and we look like having to carry orders for about 100,000 over into the new year." An H.M.Y. official, when approached, had the same _ cheerful story to tell. "For months they have been working day and night and seven days a week, and all their output has been sold. They are, in fact, only just catching up with the demand." Can your correspondent reconcile this with his statements: "Every gramophone record manufacturer is suffering severely because of the fact that his market for records has almost ceased" ? I take an interest in this controversy as I am financially interested in the affairs of the H.M.Y. people. Despite the broadcasting of records, I have no reason for dissatisfactiow with the returns on my investment, and think. with the chairman of the board, that gramophone companies owe a lot ‘a broadeasting.-A Country Listener. "Take it or Leave it." AM disgusted with DX4'T’s remarks about Uncle George. If that is the only thing he can write about in the interests of broadcasting, I think the less we hear of him the better, and I hope that Uncle George (if he happens to see it), will place the letter where it deserves to be, namely, the waste paper basket. Now, about "crushing the announcer," as "Six Valve," Christchurch, says. 2YA has to us and many others lost that touch of friendship that existed when the Radio Broadeasting Coy. bad control. The only thing to do now to prevent \

f™ absolutely spoiling the trash that is handed out to us is to put the switch in the "off" position before the stations sign off. To us it sounds as if "well, that’s what we have for you, take it or leave it." And then for a few men who perhaps have never seen a broadcasting studio to turn round and tell 2 man like Mr. Drummond how to go about announcing!!! Yes, Sir, "Six Valve" has expressed my sentiments on the present service very fully. If I had the option, I would certainly forward my 30/- to the B class stations in preference to the programmes the

R.B.C. are dishing out.-

Disgusted

(Wanganui:)

District Petitions. I AM another of the 6900 dissatisfied listeners, and would do all in my humble power to assist "Kaiwarra" his grouch. Our popular 2YA _ announcer seems too stiff-necked now that he is shackled to the Radio Board, not like our pleasant old friend in the least. Now that "Kaiwarra" suggests a petition to the "R.R." by subscribers sending in their names to have their old friend reinstated, how would it do

to have a petition from the various districts where we listeners are all interested, and sending in block petitions to Wellington. I have not heard one in the Far North who does not denounce or condemn the new rule, and am sure I could get more names here in favour of being wished our old goodnight than the 100 who got in first. Cannot someone central organise whereby each town and country district could have a petition paper posted to an enthusiastic listener thereby getting a few thousand protests. I can guarantee to fill a large-size sheet up north.Good Night and Wake Up People. The High Horse. URELY the high horse of officialdom is being ridden to death when the personality of our announcer has been attacked. The genial feeling of fellowship existing between listener and announcer no longer exists and the cold "Good evening" or "Good-night" savours almost of a rudeness. Now, whatever our high official might think necessary for an alteration, we want our genial announcers just as they were with their own individual naturalness. Now that the renewals of our licenses are quickly approaching is our op- portunity for action-that we cancel our licenses until the high officer of officialdom be removed from his stilts. The question has been much discussed here, and listeners think this line of

action would be a capital one.

W.

G.

(Hamilton).

A Contrast. [®t is very nice to hear Brother Bill’s "Hello, Everybody," instead of the curt "Good HBvening" which the announcers have had to adopt lately, as the personal element is a great factor

in radio entertaining:

A.J.

B.

"Oliver Cromwell." WAS amazed to see the criticism leyelled at the play of "Oliver Cromwell." To me it was wonderful, and the reception on our eight-valve set was perfect. Your eorrespondent S. K. Smith, and evidently his friends at Pahiatua (as the wording is practically the same), evidently do not like to hear unbiased history. Every actor in the play was superb, and I voted it quite the best evening’s entertainment I have ever heard. "Oliver Cromwell" was given in the Technical College Hall here some years ago, as a descriptive lecture, and I was thrilled with his strong character. He was one of Eng: land’s outstanding great men, at a time when the nation was groaning under the typranny of Charles I, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent any who dared to resist their policy or differed in religion to the Star Chamber, which meant imprisonment or even mutilation. I am sure that thousands of listeners would agree with me when I say that an evening like that is never forgotten, whereas one of the frivolous kind is just a night’s entertainment with nothing of worth to remeniber it

by.

E.

Gwynn

(Wanganui)

Criticism. For the past few weeks I’ve been very interested in your Mailbag page. I’ve come to the conelusion that certain people must sit each night with pen and ink ready to register grumbles at the radio programmes, Every type of programme, no matter what it is, has been pulled to pieces and criticised, and

in some cases in a very paltry and spiteful manner. ee These chronic grumblers appear to think that the staff and artists of 2YA have a personal grudge against their listeners, and take it out of them in the programmes, They don’t seem to realise that all the people concerned put forward their best efforts to give general satisfaction to the greatest nume ber, , I do not belong to 2YA-I’m just an ordinary-well,.it doesn’t matter, For goodness sake let us be less critical. Times are bad enough without being made worse by hypercritical people searching round for things to grumble at. . And, anyhow, they say that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, so why not eat our own meat and let the other man have his poison if he likes, I think it was Addison who said, "It is ridiculous for any man to criticise on the works of another who has not distinguished himself by his own nerforme

ances,"-

E.M.

L.

(Wellington) _

The Coverage Problem. ITH regard to this vexed question of B stations, I’m a bit with "Put 2YA First" in his views. When you've formed a company to sell anything-re-cords, radio goods, or rags-you take a risk of losing your good cash, If you’ve anticipated something that hasn’t come off to keep your company out of the liquidator’s hands then you’re unluclty. There was an outery from some of the B’s some time ago for advertising rights to enable them to finance their stations, They didn’t get the permission they required (for which the Lord be thanked), and so other avenues had to be explored. Mind you, I’m not referring to the whole-only to the trade B stations. The old R.B.C, rightly wouldn’t subsidise them, so they may or may not have had an understanding to bump them out if possible, and substitute as the controlling body some kinder-heart-ed combination which would assist their profit-earning institution with a subsidy or else take over the dead horse and so relieve the owners of the job of burying it. New Plymouth was a great dump for radio reception before the R.B. Co. realised 2YB was necessary! 2YA was fierce-yes, we know it is the mountain, and so are the others still, unless you’ve got a multi-valve set and A.C. handy, We're outside the service areas of the YA stations, and so are many other parts of New Zealand, excluding Wellington. How on earth they carried on and raised 30 bob for a license fee when they hadn’t 2ZW to listen to gets me! Where does 2ZW get these super programmes that 2YA can’t? The shrieks and wails of birds like DX4ZW, may be applauded by the other W’s, but surely the country listener is entitled first to a service before that necessary alterna. tive and super programme from 27W and others. I’m afraid I, with 99 per cent. of disinterested and not disgruntled listeners, will agree with the chair« man of the Broadcasting Board when he knocked back the dealers and trade stations’ representatives the other week ‘with the reply that no fair-minded person would suggest that the town B stations should be subsidised to the detriment of the country stations. It tickles listeners like me to hear how these B’s give traders that daylight service-that desirable adjunct to the sale of radio sets. What’s that got ba (Concluded on page 24.) .

Our Mailbag

(Continued from page 9.) do with us? We pay dealers 20/- in the £1 for our sets, and they get their profits out of that. Of course we know the dealers say "We’re increasing the nuniber of licenses and thus helping to bujid up the service," and one is still spurred to retort, "And getting paid for it." A lot of us, more or less in the know, take most of these arguments of the trade stations and dealers with a couple of granos of salis, and one is gratified that for the present at least the board does too. We want effective coverage for the whole of New Zealand (including the country) first-then we can talk alternative programmes. The board wants to keep a headlock, or a stranglehold if you like, on its purse, so as to effect that coverage. In the meantime, I for one don’t think that very manyeven of the unselfish squealers-will fail to renew their licenses next monthNot in the Trade (New Plymouth).