Our Mail Bag
‘The Cockies’ Grouch, "L'ARMER’S WIFE" (Putaki).has the usual cockies’ grouch and shows little consideration for town listeners when she advocates still lengthier news sessions. Also would she please say from what ¥ station she is getting less news. The board are guilty of many things, but I wish they were guilty of cutting down the news sessions... Did "RWarmer’s Wife" not fill in her questionnaire? If so, why accuse the poor board of wishing to give listeners what they (the board) think desirable? Her whole letter is so full of misstatements that one wonders if "Farmer’s Wife" is
another propagandist, -=
Banker's
Wife
(Hataltai).
‘\ Satisfied. ON behalf of this family of seven I wish to congratulate the board on the vast improvement effected in the service, Don Bradman was much appreciated and the literary competition, though too hard for us, afforded us entertainment, "the best ever,¥ The tacing broadcasts are also much appretiated, especially by mother, who, knows, does not get much other pleasute these hard times. In talking the matter over to-night we cannot suggest in what way further improvement ean be effected.--"Content." Statement Challenged. I HAVE a bone to pick with R. M. K. Stapleton (Masterton), who infers that listeners frequently get classical programmes. the same night from all the YA stations, As a lover of classical music, my complaint is that I don’t get nearly enough, . and I therefore-challenge the writer re‘ferred to to substantiate his statement and say on what nights the conditions
he outlines exists.-
Opus
(Ngaio) _
The Result of Propinquity. THE questionnaire seems to have caus@d quite a lot of talk and goes to show that New Zealand has still a long way to go before she can be considered in the same musical street as the older European countries. There is, of course, nothing detrimental in this ; indeed, New Zealand would indeed be a precocious child to imagine that she can equal the musical taste-of her elders. I believe, however, that the public education in this respect started some five years ago with the advent of commer: cial wireless, and it is going on all the time, the process must, in the very nature of things, be a slow one. Upon the programme organisers rests a . tremendous responsibility in this respect, and, judiciously administered, the public taste should gradually be tarned more and more toward the lasting works of classical ' composers. Then, perhaps, if another similar questionnaire were submitted to listeners in 20 years’ time, the results might be very different. As a matter of idle conjecture as to what results would have been obtained from a similar questionnaire in Europe, I shoul hazard a guess that Italy would have had operas and oratorios somewhere near the head of the */ lst; Germany, classical and song music » with perhaps orchestral and band music "next; England, light classical, orchestral, song and classical music, and probably humorous items high up, too. After all, it is somewhat natural that ‘band musie should be so popular here; it is the only music that has been readily accessible to the general public,
a through the medium of race meetings, band contests, ete.; and love is often the result of propinquity. The® programmes at ‘present are fairly well leavened with classical music, and are well balanced; the organisers are to be congratulated on introducing the thin end of the classical wedge so successful’>, Now for just a few words of criticism regarding the arrangement of the news and lecturette session from 7 to 8pm. Iam so situated that 2YA and 3YA are my best reception stations. It
is often noticed that 8YA is a day behind 2YA in the latest news items; it is most annoying to hear the same news all over again from 3YA the following night that it was heard from 2YA, Surely this could be rectified. On the other hand, I think 3YA arranges the news in a much better manner than 2YA, Seeing that the questionnaire was inaugurated to gauge what the majority wanted most in the way of music, surely it is only fair to supply the majority first in the news session also. For instance, if one is not interested in plotting a weather chart, it is still necessary to listen to the beastly thing in case one should miss any of the news which follows, The same thing applies to the market reports; and by the way, in this latter respect, it should be borne in mind that there are a tre mendous number of 2YA listeners in the South Island and elsewhere who are interested in the general market reports such as wool prices,.ete.; but
who are not a bit interested in the local North Island sheep and produce reports, as they are no criterion of South Island prices. Therefore, the general reports should be given first, and those people disinterested in the following reports could switch off their sets without fear of missing anything. Not only is it a decided advantage to be able to switch off for the foregoing reasons, but it would also often be of no little advantage-to battery set owners, whose batteries might be running down, to conserve them for even a quarter or half an hour each night, The great majority of people are only interested in the news and weather forecasts, and possibly the lecturette next; they would then switch off their sets and have a little peace until 8 pm. I cannot see that this arrangement would inconyenience chart plotters at all, as they would surely want to hear the news, ete. as well as& anyone else. The above reasoning appears to me to be so obvious that I suppose there must be some yery good reason why it has
mot ween done belore.-
J. O.
H.
Tripp.
Well Pleased. S$ one who has viewed the propaganda against the Y service with disgust, I desire to express the keenest satisfaction with what has already been done to improve matters, There has been considerable initiative shown in providing entertainment of a new kind -in the way of competitions, ete-~ and programmes of a much better balance are the order of the day. Anyone dissatisfied with the present seryviee is in my opinion difficult to please.
Well Satisfied
Miss James’s Talk, LISTENING last night to Miss Ester , James’s report of her tour through New Zealand, I was struck very foreibly by one remark she made: that all through her tour she had not had one nasty experience. Now, apart from advertising New Zealand goods, doesn’t that say something for the character of our people, that a young girl could walk that distance by herself from one end of the country to the other and no one to molest her, and as she said, not one nasty experience? I wonder if the same could be said of any other country. So cheer up, New Zealand, our folks are all right! ‘Why worry! ’ . Also, I would like to congratulate Miss James on her very fine voice and manner of broadcasting, every word so distinct. She knew what to say
and how to say it, and said it.-
M. M.
Marlborough
(Blenheim),
Unwanted Artists. { AM another listener who is glad that the wiles of the propagandist have been: laid bare by the Control Board's plebiscite. It was always patent to me that disgruntled artists and B station supporters for their own selfish ends were behind most of the criticism of the service. Wellington is not the only city where a disgruntled and unwanted artist is actively "anti-poard" and "pro B station." We have several of the type here, and one in particular is doing his best to discredit the Board and its management-particularly the
latter. He is taking up the view tha% the management should be compelled to tell artists why they are not being em gaged. I suggest that the Board could ~ best silence this criticism by having published in your columns the corre spondence it exchanges with these une wanted. artists. Listeners would then be able to appreciate the true worth. of the criticism emanating from these-™
I was going to say
sundesirablee;"
"Plain Talk"
(Auckland).
Enjoyable Programmes. Micar I add our mite of praise to the Radio Board for recent feae tures. The literary competition was grand, and Don Bradman was par ex= cellence. Congratulations to the general manager, who is quite obviously the
right man in‘the right place-
"Mort
Than Satified"
(Auckland).
Not Se Complacent. Your issue of September 16 exhibits in its Mail Bag, editorial, and else where such extravagant complacency with regard to N.Z. broadcasting that 1é might be as well to indicate that wa are not all complacent. Concerning the plebiscite, forty per cent, of the listeners returned presume ably completed forms; you observe that of the other sixty per cent: "...it can generally be assumed that they were fairly satisfied with existing condie tions." Is it not possible that thig sixty per cent. were so disgusted with the crudeness of the plebiscite that they refused to indicate their views in such an unsatisfactory and contradictory manner? And if we assume for a2 moe ment that the plebiscite was so skilfully drawn up, why was it so necessary cons tinually to exhort the listeners to ecem= plete it, and to extend the original date of possible return? You publish two letters which, if they are meant to prove anything at all, prove that N.Z programmes, and 2YA’s in particular, are the best in the world-for prior to this English programmes were so considered. Would that they were half as good as Australia’s! It may be that English programmes are poor (having heard them, I am very considerably inclined to doubt this), but they at least have on them one of the finest symphony orchestras in the world, the Dick of the military bands, of octets, of sex tets, quintets, quartets, and trios; they frequently include performances by the world’s recognised musical masters, by famous variety and vaudeville stars, and, indeed, by anyone who has made his mark in the entertainment world ; not only this, the relays they carry out are the equal of any anywhere, and their announcers are the best in the world-all these things and a thousand more are on English programmes, and N.Z., ladies and gentlemen, has a con: cert orchestra! It might interest some of those who marvel at the munificence of a ten-and-sixpenny fee that the B.B.C, frequently pays more than five hundred pounds for an hour’s performance by a world-fam-ous artist. I am perfectly well aware that the R.B.C. couldn’t afford any thing like this sum, but I am not prepared to believe that some of the alleged singers, humorists, and so on that we hear represent the best in N.Z., or that their performance was not purchased for two shillings a night. I the board is paying more, here is an indication of possible economy. Of the ¥A’s, I listen most frequently to 3XA, (Continued on page 23.)
Our Mailbag © a (Continued from page 3.) This «stations programmes show the lowest. percentage. of originality, artistry,. or interest that any station could: possibly show. And, finally, I submit that N.Z. programmes are six
years behind the times.-
L. R.
Arnold
Belfast)
Stock Sale Reports. ULD the Broadcasting Board inchide an account of the Stortford Lodge Hastings, stock sale each Wednesday night from 2YA? This sale I should say is the biggest outside of the four centres, and has a big influence on prices in the Wairoa district and, to a lesser degree, right up the East Coast. As many as thirty thousand sheep are sold. in one day during the busiest season,’ and only last week there was an entry .of fourteen hundred head of cattle: We hear sales in Taranaki broadeast regularly from 2YA, so why
not One ga1e for tne Dast Coast?
H.
A.
Martin
(Wairoa).
The Advisory Council. NDER the above heading, one of your correspondents, T. T. Davis (New Plymouth) replied to my recent article reviewing the report of the Broadcast Coverage Commission. He apparently is very unhappy at my criticism of the Advisory Council, which occupied only three or four lines of my review. He opens his defence of the Advisory Council by referring to the sound of my own name as "mellifluous." I do not quite sense the connection between this and the merits of the council, but if it will alleviate Mr. Davis’s distress I tender my apologies for retaining the name of "Meltzer," but. would plead, as extenuating circumstances, that my parents had the same name and they passed it on to me as a baby! I felt quite relieved on reading Mr. Davis’s assurance that the Advisory Council does not consist of a collection of congenital idiots. Really, I never suggested such a thing. I would not go quite as far as that! And as regards Mr. Davis’s suggestion that it would be absurd to suppose ‘that Providence had centred all the wisdom in the heads of "Spark" and myself, really. were it not for my innate modesty. I would suggest that Providence has been most generous to me in this reari er no ‘circumstances would I do envi ing to injure the feelings of the Advisory Council, and when I call to memory the long list of their achievements on behalf of the listeners, I reproach myself for indulging in my wicked orgy of criticism which has stirred. the righteous anger of your correspondent. With a due sense of humility, and with a. contrite heart, I beg of Mr. Davis.to publish in the columns of your, valuable journal an account from month. to month of the activities and , achievements of the Advisory Council ‘on behalf of the listeners they represent, This will serve me as a-constant reminder of my past folly and prevent me, in‘my, moments of weakness, from straying so grievously from the paths of rectitude as to dare to criticise a body of men who are doing such wonderful deeds for the benefit of listen-
ers l~
I.
Meltzer
(Auckland).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/RADREC19321007.2.23
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 13, 7 October 1932, Page 9
Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,348Our Mail Bag Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 13, 7 October 1932, Page 9
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
See our copyright guide for information on how you may use this title.