Presbyterian Church and Wireless

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 19, 23 November 1934, Page 23

Presbyterian Church and Wireless

Special Committee Appointed By General Assembly to Investigate Suggestions Regarding Church Broadcasting — Is Broadeast’ | ~ Description of Sanders Cup Yacht Races Possible? .

BROADCASTING and the’ chureil , came under discussion during the sessions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zeilind held im Dunedin, The matter arose from an overture from the Auck-. land Presbytery to the effect that the vssémbly: atnoint'a Special committee fo cotisider and report to-a later meeting on various questions touching on radio broadcasting in relation to the church, The overture consisted of four clauses, which suggested that the conimittee ‘shoul? deal.with the advisUility. of formulating regulations for the government of broadcasting within the church, should give attention 19 such matters as the length of time a given church should remain on the air, and the conduct, personnel, and time allotted for the: week-day devotional service; Iso; consider the advisability of broadcasting’ lectures ‘on religious :education and nerhaps Sunday school 1essons, and various other points, -Speaking in support of the overture, an Auckland member stressed: the importance to the church of broadcasting. N. overture was "also: presented py the Bay ‘of Plenty Presbytery, which asked the. assembly. to consider the advisability of setting up a chureh broadcasting station, and of appointing a committee to explore the whole field. It was finally: decided that. a committee be appointed.in terms of- the Auckjand.overture, and. that. the Bay of Plenty overture should. be presented to the ¢committee for its consideration ‘to report to the assembly. UNEDIN’S big community singig -night, which was held as a grand finale to the committee’s season for 1934. was, of course,. broadcast by.4Ya, and this procedure, together with the fact that during the evening a scheduled talk was presented from the studio, and that the relay was eut to broadcast, the station’s dance session,: caused . differences of opinion to. be expressed by some. As it was, diverse tastes were catered for, and all parties, if they had teen reasonable, should have been satisfied, The explanation . is given that the talk was one of a series, which’ could not ‘be ‘postponed because of ‘all those who were interested, while the community singing leader’ answered. the other complaints made. Iie made it quite clear that the Broadcasting Board had made arrangements to’ broadéast the sing at very short notice, dnd that the session was [to have concluded at10 p.m., but was extended at the last minute. The relay Wis not cut until 10.20 to allow of the scheduled dance music being broad. cast. This course of action should have pleased everyone, but it did not. One side thought, that the relay. should have been stopped at 10 to give way to the dance session, and the other considered that the dancers should wait until the finish of the singing for their favourite hour.

TATION 4YA did hot -take’any part ' in the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s annual show fixture, which has just passed, as there was no official opening ceremony, and there was very little else that would lend itself to broadcasting. As is always ‘the case during’ show week, race mieet‘ings are being: held at Forbury Park, and descriptions of the events are be--: ing handled by the main station. HD biggest yachting fixture of .the year, the Sanders Cup contest, is to ‘be sailed over a, couse at: Is‘and early next year, Unfortunately, the board has no’station furtler south than Dunedin, but it is suggested that ‘there would be little difficulty in broad‘casting a description of the races from the island. The portable short-wave

« ‘fpansmittes ‘used by 4¥YA on many occasions could be transported to the ‘island; and its signals: periaps received at Awarua, and transmitted by landline to the Dunedin station, Such a service from Stewart Island would be ‘greatly appreciated ‘by thousands of iisteners’ located, in’ al {parts "of! New "Zealand. : N Saturday. next. an 1 ola-tinie dance programme is to be broadcast; this should proyide an appropriate: ‘wind-up to the race meeting that, day, A spe"cial band: and, a, aaster: of. ceremonies have been ' ‘engag red, ‘dnd it ds.antieipated that.the programme-avill-be as successful. and ienjoyable.as:those given in the past, . Those.who'intend to organine private dances to synchronise with the.. statign’s, dance night: have’ little time left. EO PREPATE. sey sch Go Mobed