Special Trains For 1ZB Supporters

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 22, 7 December 1934, Page 20

Special Trains For 1ZB Supporters

"Friendly Road’s" Second Anniversary Celebrations Draw Big Crowds in Auckland-l1YA Provides a Community "Sitting Room"’-Special Power Line For New 1YA Transmitter.

LASt week’s celebration by the Friendly Road of its second anniversary was an elaborate and a huge affair, also a great success, and demonstrated just how many followers the popular station 1ZB can boast. Special trains were required to bring country members to the city for the thanksgiv ing celebrations, which consisted of.a big rally in Carlaw Park, at which six brass bands took part, and two Dig services in the Town Hall, which was packed out on both occasions. HEN the new 1YA station opens shortly and the studios and offices in the palatial new Shortland Street building in the heart of the city are occupied, heavens. knows what some folk in Newton are going to do when "they lose their "sitting room’-the ‘lounge of the old 1YA station in France Street. Situated in the heart of a densely populated area offering no breathing spaces, the studio lounge has for years been’ made great use of by nearby residents and even by kiddies as a place to play. Every night a large number take possession of the lounge, where they. remain until the station closes down. The children’s laughter so often heard in between items broad- cast from 1YA comes from this lounge. AST Thursday night I happened to visit the studio and in the lounge I saw mother quite comfortable in a wicker chair, sewing. Father. was alongside her, smoking his pipe peacefully. Several children were playing on the floor with two dogs-a brown mongrel and a fox terrier, On a nearby settee sat a couple, the young man with his right arm around his sweetheart, The strains of "Calm As the Night" which was being rendered by the Male Voice Choir, relayed that night from the Town Hall were rudely disturbed by the aforementioned dogs, which staged a really good fight on the carpet square. The canine quarrel, with its accompanying yells and barks, could be heard in the well-padded studio until the children separated the animals and ejected them. Truly a remarkable studio vignette. "Thank goodness we won’t have to put up with this sort of thing when we shift to the new station next month," murmured a station official as I took my leave of him. ERHAPS the biggest and best customer of the Waitemata Blectric Power Board is going to be the Broad: casting Board when the new i1YA transmitter goes on the air. The transmitter will require a continuous load of 70 k.w., and to obviate any risk of interruption an independent line is bo be run between the Hender. son sub-station direct to the transmitting station, a distance of nearly three-quarters of a mile, Full arrange ments have now been made by the Power Board for the supply of power to the new transmitter. From midnight last Saturday until 4,30 a.m, oa

the following day, the first of three "shut-downs" was made to enable the work to be carried out. MAXY listeners who were thrilled by the rebroadcast from London of the Royal wedding consider this to have been the best ever. given from 1YA. Conditions here were ideal fo! reception, and the slight surge usually associated with short-wave was not enough to prevent every word of the interesting wedding ceremony. being heard. Tucked away in a smal! shack high on the hills at Brown's Bay. two P. and T. officials sat from 10 nm, to midnight. in order to make this rebroadcast possible. The Londin sta tion was picked up on a single short Wave set and sent to 1YA by land line which travelled some miles before if went under the Waitemata Harbour to the city. It makes one wonde just how much better the rebreadcast would have been had a number of receivers widely spaced, each contributing to the transmitting station been used, as is done in England and America for such work. This ¢limin ates deep fading. NE of the best concerts of its kine’ broadcast on relay from the Town Hall through 1YA was that given las: week by the Royal Auckland Cnoir at

its third and final concert of the sex son, The choral items were ‘both of a high standard, and well varied while the performances of the assisting artists were in keeping with the excellence of the choral work. [\ order to meet the wishes of a large section of listeners who have requested a good session of old time dance music on Saturday night, 1YA has instituted such a session. Last Saturday evening, from 9 until 11 o'clock, a really good programme was provided, also an M.C. present in the studio. The studio -orchestra played well such old favourites as "The Royal Hibernian" lancers, "Chicago" barn dance, "Nights of Gladness" waltz, polkas, Ja rinkas, schortische, maxinas and more waltzes; and "a good time was had by all."