Our Mail Bag
a — Variety Entertainment. . WHAT is happening to the radio pro- . grammes? We get the best programmes during the day,’ when a wide variety of records is put over, but what of the. thousands who can listen at night only? They have to put up. with the trashiest of stuff that the stations see fit to inflict ubon them. We get an overdose of the so-called coneert orchestra, while the happy little combination forming Frank Crowther’s orchestra only appears about once in two weeks. Further, what are the programme organisers doing with our Sunday fare? Hach Sunday from 2 p.m. we have to grin and bear the dullest of records, and last Sunday (August 21) was the limit. We had 27 minutes of most difficult piano music, Hasn’t 2¥A realised yet that somebody else beside music-teachers pay their 30/license fee? The same night we had more dreary music.and singers. Must these singers give us the heaviest stuff they can find, and why don’t they, too, submit their songs for approval to the programme organisers? It is about time that they teo took pattern from the world’s greatest singers, who do ot always sing high class songs. Now "band concefts from the vatious theatres are no longer broadcast, away goes our best entertainment of the week. Are thete any listeners-in who cah truthfully say they enjoyed last Sunday’s output from 2YA? The bells! Are we to be always inflicted with these? Why old-time dances and variety entertainments from Australia and not from New Zealand? Is 2¥A afraid it might get too gay? Oh, well, we ean still get opera and plays from Australia. se there is some consolation.-
F.
Osborne
(Wanganui)
Stumbling-Blocks. WHEN a man is getting his announcer’s ticket he should be put through a test in the pronunciation of | some foreign titles. Some of the attempts at pronouncing which one hears should be compiled and recorded. Among some of the. howlers I have heard there seems to be a difference in opinion about words such as ‘"Mignonne," "Bach," "d’Helmets," "Tauber." There has been a growing tendency for all stations to give listeners "feast and famine" programmes. That is, for a time there is too much popular music and very little if any classics. Then the pendulum swings the other way, and we have a feast of classics and a famine of popular music. I have heard of late of a great number of headaches due to listening to massed orchestras playing classics whiéh sound like thunderstorms-e.g., a rmapsody in fifty different sharps and‘ flats entitled "Blunt," by A Cheapfileonasaw (pron. Shepfilyonasor). This piece has not yet been written, and I hope it will never be."Nuff Sed." ; "B" Stations. T WAS surprised at the remarks made by "Wairoa" in your issue of the 26th instant concerning "B" ' stations and their programmes, He deseribes the programmes as "tripe" and "tosh." May I ask him if he has ever listened to 22ZW? "B’ ‘stations must be given a chance, and if "Wairoa" is dissatisfied let him turn over to the "A" stations. His opinion is without any justification, and his uncalled-for remark of "When we must depend on ‘B’ stations
For Seivices Rendered. OUR correspondent "Walroa," in — criticising the vorabulary of others, diséloses the inadequacy of his own by his use of such Vulgarisms as "téipe ahd tosh." I suggest that he remove the mote from his own eye first. . According to him, "B" statiohs are unnecessary; well, probably as far as he is cancerned they are, but he must remember that it takes all types of people to compose this world, and fer one still consider that the service rendered by the "B" stations merits reward. He must also remember that here in Atickland at least the inerease ‘in popularity of radio during the last few years is directly due to the service of the despised "B" station. He must recall also that there are many who are not at all interested
in either sports of racitig, and for these an alternative programme is necessary. Undoubtedly ‘he suggest the old remedy, ia, "There is no necessity to listen, they cah switch off"; but-is this what we pay 380/+ a year for? It may also be of interest to him to note that here in Auckland "B" stations supply us with 7} hours’ service a day before 1YA comes on the air at all, and evén when the extesion of time comes into operation. they oa still be on the air 24 hours before "Again, would your corresponder considér that hé had received a fan reward if, after building up radio to its present-day popularity, he was calmly infotmed that now he was not wanted and that somebody else would take over and run the whole concern? Although the board is to be ¢ommended for the start it has made, the least it could have done was fo permit the
sponsored programme, lmiting, of course, the advertising to the name of the sponsor. in conelusion I think that the mem: bership of the newly formed "B" station clubs js sufficient reply to his retharks on the "noisy minority," especially when one takes into consideration the objection of many persons to the membership fee. I am exceedingly pleased to read that the worthy pergon is prepared for some amateurism in New Zealand local talent; undoubtedly there are amateurs; but much of our local talent is by no means inferior to many of the recorded artists. It grieves, me, however, to note ‘that the worthy person found the nerassitv to econeeal his or her
.dentity behind a nom-de-plume-
T. J.
La[?]e
(Auckland),
{The board has no control over the udvertising question, which is dealt with solely by the Post and Telezraph I‘epartment.-Hd.] "RB" Stations. HAVE been an admirer and appreciative reader of your Static Section, but "Spark" has disappointed nfe this week in his paragraph re 2ZW. His last two sentences about charity are not worthy of a broad-minded writer. It is undoubted that 2ZW has done an immense amount of good in this line, but apart from the relative amounts of sérvice rendered by 2ZW and other agencies, why not give credit ‘where eredit is due, or at least refrain from disparaging worthy endeavour? "Spark" considers that sponsored programmes ate too near the advertising mark, I fail to see any reasonable argument why "B" stations should not be allowed to advertise. The opposition to radio advertising does not lie with those who use radio-listeners-but with powerful outside advertising igencies and mediums, aes How many of us would seriously object to limited advertising? Do we not put up with it from Australia’s many "B’s’? I’m certain most of us would prefer to listen to a little advertising than to be forced. to listen to our four model YA stations because the "B"’ stations, from whom we do get good programmes, were forced to close down. My best wishes for success to the deputation led by Mr. P. Fraser, M.P.,
Iast week ~
Oigle
(Oamaru) .
Broadeast Service, T seems that our "hard-to-please" lis tener "Hed Up" (Auckland) is very much against the Broadcasting Board: dud its pregrammes. I suggest that he makes or buys a short-wave set, if these programmes are not suitable. Nearly all the listeners in our district and others I havé spoken to seem to be satisfied with the board and their programmes, The board is trying to suit the needs of the majority
~ of listeners, but it is impossible to suit everybody. especially the "Fed Up" class. ‘Perhaps if ne repairs his set a little he might get better results, as he has been a listener for seven years. If he has been using the same: set it will probably want renovating or remodeling. Let him keep to the "B" stations if they suit him. as he is not compelled to listen to YA stations only. I would like to know why he does not like the National Anthem played before the concerts we — —
any more than after. . He must remember that when they used. to play the National Anthem at the end of the concerts and programmes there was no closing down melody. He is now getting more music for his monev.-
Wireless
(Omarama),
Cheap Gramophones. IN reply to your Wairoa correspondent, whose unsigned letter appears in ‘this week’s "Record," I would like 20 say that gramophones are still cheap. a —
~ ~ I am one of the "noisy minority’? who has hitherto been’ silent. Long life to
elass stations !-
L.
Angelini
‘(Pahiatua).
"Disappearing" Uncles. REFERENCE has recently been made to "uncles" disappearing from 2YA. your correspondent complaining that various ‘well-known characters have been allowed to depart "without one word of thanks or good-bye." As one of the "uncles" concerned, I
pnintabpensters should like to state that at no time during my long association with 2YA did I expect or desire the thanks of either the company or the Board. The time devoted to the children’s session, so far as I am concerned, was cheerfully and gladly given for the purpose of assisting ‘to interest and entertain the juvenile listeners, and I value most highly the many expressions of appreciation voiced by. the children from time to time. I hope in the not far distant future to be able to renew radio acquaintance with many whom I am glad to call my
lttle friends:
"Uncle
Jeff 9
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Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 8, 2 September 1932, Page 9
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1,566Our Mail Bag Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 8, 2 September 1932, Page 9
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