Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 41, 22 April 1932, Page 9

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 communications to the Editor, and sign all correspondence, though 2 nom-de-plume may be used for publication.

+4 Improvements, MPHE 2YA, good-night melody is a distinct improvement on the mono-..tonous-though opatriotic-tune of "God Save the King." I feel sure, also, that the vast majority of 2YA listeners will appreciate the return of Will Bishop with his vast repertoire of original humour. I strongly disagree with A.B. (Wanganui East). The YA stations broadcast religious services for only one hour each Sunday evening, and yet he complains that there is too much religious service! In his thoughtlessness he has no doubt overlooked the fact that there are in various hospitals and sanatoriums those who are unable to attend chureh services, and who eagerly look forward to the broadcast of the Sunday evening service. There is some type of musical entertainment from 2YA every evening (including Sunday, from 8.15 to 10 p.m.), and I think that this is ample. No doubt what the board does, it will never be able to satisfy everybody. Fee Music Lovers’ Competition came as "4a welcome diversion, and I hope that the board will inaugurate some cther similar type of competition when this one is concluded. ; Re this "Go-o-o-0-od night" business, Isn’t it about time we stopped acting like a lot of sulky children and left the matter in more capable hands than curs? Personally, I think Mr. Drummond’s Good-night is gradually becoming elongated again, and I do not think the board will object when it reaches its full development again. Let us wait and hope. Thanks to the questionnaire, there® will be a little less dissatisfaction re the programmes in future. As for myself, I prefer the whole-evening plays of the Victor 8. Lloyd type, and I think that mezzo-sopranos should be abolished, but, no doubt, many will disagree with me, and I am willing that all programmes should have fair turn about. 1. do think that sketches and the like should get a little more frequently broadcasted than they are at present -they are not geting "fair turn about,"

-‘Turn About-

Fair Play

(Welling-

ton).

Quarterly Licenses. HEN paying my Radio license I found that the full amount had to -be paid; that the guarterly payments would not be accepted. Times are hard, and I am a working man, like many other listeners. For what reason are we not permitted to pay quarierly, as it is very convenient when one has a large family, and these hard times some of us at times will have to close down until the money is available. We should be Bivey a little consideration and allowed aquefterly licenses until thines brighten

up-

H.

Nagel

(Feilding)

Complaints. Tt all who complain read "S.W.C.'s" remarkably capable and sane epistle in "Record" dated March 24. Maybe then they will learn to understand and appreciate the broadcast entertainment that at present they condemn. It takes all kinds of people to make a world, and all kinds of people have ‘\all kinds of tastes. The much abused Broadcasting Board has been absolutely satisfactory in its difficult proposition of catering for all these differing tastes -a proposition which I am sure not many of us would care to contemplate.

These dissatisfied members of the listening community would do well to remember that individually they are as drops in the ocean, and as no two of

them seem to howl for the same thing, should be treated as such. More than half their complaints are due to a complete lack of tolerance, and the rest to a complete lack of commonsense. One man’s meat is another man’s poison, and I should suggest that those who cannot appreciate this fact should buy a gramophone and leave the ether clear for those blessed with broader minds, and your correspondence columns free from these depressing and

inane complaints.-

C.B

. (Auckland).

Short-Term Licenses. THE policy of the present Government is to cut down expenses, but when it comes to collecting fees it is like Shylock, and wants its pound of flesh, I am not talking politics, but refer to radio license fees. A lot has been written about quarterly fees. Owing to slackness of work I recently applied for a six-months’ license, but was refused entertainment although willing to pay for it. I contend that the listeners have the remedy in their own hands. If 50 to 75 per cent. of license-holders notified the P. and TT. Department that they did mot Intend

to renew their licenses I guarantee, within a month, the Government would

be issuing quarterly licenses.-

-Disgust-

ed

Listener

(Auckland).

Religious Service. OUR correspondents W.S. (Inglewood) and A.B. (Wanganui), in their letters show a very selfish spirit re religious services. We have between 240 and 260 hours weekly from the YA stations, and out of that the religious services occupy 5 or 6 hours. Surely W.S. and A.B, are not altogether heathens that they want to deny the right of the churches their small quota of hours. There are hundreds of old people who look forward to these services who are unable to attend their churches. I’m afraid W.S. and A.B. have little or no time for anything that is uplifting. It is a pity they did not tune in on 1YA last Sunday night between 7 and & o’clock. They would have been better men (I don’t think any woman would write such letters) and less selfish.--Old Age. Short Wave Club. I WISH to correct a statement made that a S.W. club was floated in Auckland on the lines of the club in Wellington. There is no short wave club in Wellington, but a branch of the very popular New Zealand Short Wave Club, which also has, by the way, a branch in Auckland, in charge of one of New Zealand’s most enthusiastic short wavers. With the good service we receive from the club there is no

need for a separate organisations 28 fact, New Zealand is too small to rum a number of societies when there is already a Dominion concern which has done such good work here and overseas, _

R. E.

Action

(Wellington).

A Complaint, "PAIR GO" complains that we are becoming too classical in’ that we have not been publishing the views of listeners and giving too much space to notes of classical interest. While it is regrettable that due to space reasons we have had to curtail our Mailbag section this last week or so, we cannot agree that our paper is "going classical." Features which "Fair Go" complains about have generally been appreciated by others. Morse Interference. "THE Broadcasting Board should keep firm control upon the many amateurs who are polluting the broadcast band with Morse signals during broadeast hours. It is‘ unbelievable that for a small fee these pests should be permitted to spoil the reception of programmes, and poor old "Static" and "Atmospherics" should carry the blame that should be given to these interfering carriers of unwelcome discord who cause "rapid fading" and "funny noises." Only for "§S.0.8." work should the air be taken by any of the small vessels fitted with wireless. There is ample time to practise when 2YA is off the air-Disgust-ed 2YA Listener. [Are you quite certain they are amateur signals? BWxperienced amateurs keep a fairly careful watch on their straying brethren and it is not often they are to blame for intrusion on the be. band. More often ship stations are the offenders.-Hd.j Church Service Broadcasts. OR pure downright selfishness the people who protest against the broadcasting of church services hold the palm. This is, in name anyway, 2% Christian country, and yet these people protest against 14 hours weekly being devoted to broadcasting the praise and worship of the Head of our religion. Do they in their desire for jazz and yet more jazz ever think of the unfortu nate people lying on beds of pain and sickness to whom the broadeast of ehurch services are a source of comfort and help in their time of need. (Continued on page 22.)

Our Mailbag

(Continued from Page 9.) Your correspondent "A.B.," who is evidently one of the type that considgrs no one but himself says, "Broadcasting stations are few; therefore, let the non-church-going listener have his fair share of them." If every hour in the week that the Y.A. stations are on the air, except 14 hours on Sunday, is not a fair share for him and his kind, I don’t know what is! Let him, and those who think like him, be honest and say, "We want everything for ourselves and wish to deprive all those who appreciate the broadcast of church services of the 14 hours they now have." Per-. haps if "A.B." and his friends listened to some of the church services they might learn that The One in whose honour Sunday is kept (don’t forget that, "A.B."), taught us that one efy the greatest virtues in life is unselfishness. Let "A.B.," and those who write in the same strain, remember that it is because this is a Christian eountry that they have Sunday as a day of rest. Finally, I feel sure that the display of selfishness on behalf of your correspondents is due almost entirely to failing to see the "other fellow’s" point of view, and not from a desire deliberately to deprive those who, especially in hospitals, enjoy the 14 hours a week devoted to the broadcast of services on the Lord’s Day. It seems strange that writers like "A.B." and "W.S." should seek to hide their identity. Are they ashamed to let us know who thev sare?

-V. G. Bryan

King

(Dunedin) .

A Correction. RECENTLY you published a letter which I wrote concerning the recent radio servicemen’s examination. In this letter I stated that I considered that an individual who could not answer the simple (but vital) jwestions which were asked in connection with the electrical regulations should not be allowed to service all-electric radio sets, or to tinker with the supply mains in any way. Owing to a slight misprint my letter as it appeared read "the simple but vain" questions, which somewhat altered the meaning which I wished to convey.-

Radio Dealer

(Reefton).

A Plea for Better Music. At present a great variety of material is being broadeast by the YA } stations, but one field of entertainment and education is being left entirely alone. So far I have not heard any of the major works of our greatest composers, past and present. I refer to the symphonies, sonatas, and other works of length written by our classical and composers, such as Beethoven, hmaninof, I claim Schuhert, or Rac

not five per cent. of New Zealand people _ have ever heard a symphony in complete form, and consequently they do not know what these beautiful works are like. Why not give them a chance of hearing at least a few of the brighter ones? Durning to a lighter vein: How many people have heard a recording of a complete Gilsullivan opera? I know that many listeners would say, "Oh, I am tired of hearing the ‘H.M.S. Pinafore.’ " and all they know of it is "When I Was a Lad" and "We Sail the Ocean Blue." Let them hear these gems in their beautiful entirety, so as they can appreciate the works as a whole, and not as separate songs. I suggest that one hour a week be devoted to major works, from each station, and in the case of a long opera one act at a time might be broadcast. I may remark that at least one B class station has nut on the air an

opera in complete form.-

Opus

Glen

orchy) _