"Of Cabbages and Kings"

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 22, 9 December 1932, Page 7

"Of Cabbages and Kings"

"The time has come, the Walrus said, "To speak of many things, "Of shoes and ships. and sealing wax,

A review by Mr.

N. M.

Richmond

B.A. Director

of the Workers’. Educa: tional Association, Auckland District

OF

NEW period of W.E.A. history "on the air" opened in April last when, by arrangement with the New Zealand Broadcasting Board, the period 7.30 to 7.55 p.m. was allotted to W.E.A. talks on two nights per week at each of the four YA stations. Now that these talks have practically concluded for the year, to he resumed next March, it seems a good opportunity to review what has been done. The talks were planned by each local W.E‘A.,. co-ordination and liaison with the Board being maintained by the Dominion W.E.A, Broadcasting Committee -Dr. I. L. G. Sutherland, Wellington, and Messrs. W. H. Cocker and N. M. Richmond, Auckland, assisted at its meetings in Auckland by Mr. E. Blair. Looking at the situation in the light of reports from all centres, this committec feels that a good beginning has been ..made. The panel on this page showing Nthe number of talks on various subjects roadcast-from the YA stations shows that an excellent, well-varied programme of alternative talks has been at the command of listeners in touch with more than one station. Every effort has been made not only to present topics which are of interest, but to put these into the hands of speakers able to adapt themselves to the special conditions of the microphone. It is at this particular point that the W.E.A. can probably be of most service. Writing in the current number of "Sight and Sound," a high broadcasting official in England points out the paradoxical fact that "a broadcaster speaks to a world audience, but the most successful broadcasts are conversational in tone and method." "A difficulty arises at once," he continues. "Listeners want to hear experts of established reputation, but expeMs are generally either public men

with a platform manner, or university professors accustomed to the lecture-room, or writers, scientists, or administrators who tay never have spoke in public. The tutcr

of an‘adult class has the. experience which is nearest to broadcast conditions-a small informal group with whom he is in intimate contact. The microphone is an ‘acid test-it is merciless to those , whose voice does not carry at least something of their personality." The, W.E.A., then, as the chief agency of adult education in New Zealand, has special facilities for drawing to the microphone those speakers who are most likely to

make a success of this new educational) ' force. gs ey The committee makes no extravagant claims. It knows that there is plenty of; room for improvement, and possibly scope for greater freshness and variety in sub-ject-matter and treatment. It feels that the Dunedin experiment of "Conversations" is one to be commended. Something similar was done by Wellington last year, and it is hoped it will be tried further in all centres. Such dialogues have formed a particularly interesting feature in the B.B.C. programmes. _ The committee would also welcome a very much greater volume of criticism and suggestion than comes its way at present. Its means of knowing how the talks are received are so far comparatively small. There has been a considerable amount of favourable comment in the "Radio Record," whose critic is not in the habit of mincing words when he is feeling adverse. W.E.A. groups and members in various parts of the country are also known to have appreciated the talks. But the general body of listeners remain comparatively silent. This, of course, raises the whole problem of how best to organise the listening end. _ The B.B.C. during the past season had well over 1000 listening groups, and ran more than one summer school for the training of group leaders. The B.B.C. is, of course, a wealthy organisation, with facilities that we cannot hope forspeakers of European reputation, the excellent weekly "Listeners" and its. accompanying pamphlets, and so on. It has a spécial adult education section of its full-time staff, which not only arranges the programmes, but spends time and money on the organisation of listening groups, lending out receiving sets where necessary. It is to be hoped that ulti

mately (and before too long) time and money wil be devoted to bullaitg up a network of listening groups in New Zealand. A full-time man im

each centre directing this side Of things-travelling round to advise and assist groups as they were formed, keeping touch by correspondence, making available a library of suitable books, perhaps editing a section in the "Radi Record"’-would probably hav few idle moments. Until such a man is availabie, however, we shall no doubt have to be content with-the persistent pursuit of methods aizeady at eur (Continued on page 23.)

Table showing the number of talks on various subjects broadcast from the four YA stations from April to November:

PBVRURUARUBHBUBUB UR BR BB BRR MURR RAE W.E.A. Talks (Continued from page 7.) command. The W.E.A« has a netiork of existing country groups through which a knowledge of ‘the talks can be spread among likely listeners. We have yaluable publicity available also in the "Radio Record." which goes to many listeners outside’ the present ranks of the W..A. From the beginning of the present scheme last April, there has been a full page available each week, of which somewhat erratic use has been made. The committee suggests that more use might well be made of this, and that the most effeetive method would be for each centre to use the whole page once in four weeks, More Continuous Series. S a further encouragement to systematic listening, it is suggested that at least some of the series planned for 1988 should be of greater length

than those given this year-say 12, or even 24, talks. It may be mentioned that the only two listening groups so far formed by the W.BH.A, in Auckland were formed in connection with a series of 12 talks on "Questions of the Day" in 1981. The groups resulted purely from repeated announcements over the air, plus notes in the "Radio Record." Cyclostyled notes of the lectures factually box scheme material) were supplied to members, a box of books was sent to each group, and a fruitful correspondence developed. Those 12 talks were all by the same speaker (fortnightly), but similar continuity could be obtained if series of 12 (or even 24), were taken by three or four speakers, each dealing with a particnlar aspect of the general topic. The famous "Changing World" series put over twelve months ago by the B.B.C. provides examples of this sort of series-"Industry and Trade," a course of 24 talks in four sections of 6 taken by three well-known economists; "Literature and Art," course of the same length, one speaker taking the first. 12, and two others the remaining 12; "Science," with the first & by one man, the next 6 by another, the third 6 a symposium, and the last 6 by another man again. From an educational point of view this B.B.C. series was an outstanding success, and may well serve as a model.. In conclusion, our thanks are due tu the New Zealand Broadcasting Board, the YA station directors and staff, and the editors of the "Radio Record," for their co-operation with this educational step forward, and we hope that our excellent ‘relations will continue in the formative years which lie ahead.

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