New 1YA No Advantage to Dunedin

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 25, 28 December 1934, Page 21

New 1YA No Advantage to Dunedin

Reception of New Powerful Transmitter No Better Than That of Old Station-Good Sporting Service Arranged for 4YA During Holi-days-Royal Ball Description Heard Well in Dunedin.

Sr. HILDA’S Collegiate School in ~ Dunedin, has had some benefit from the loan of a wireless receiver, instructional talks being of advantage to the girls. It was explained by the principal (Miss D, G. Blackmore) at ihe breaking-up ceremony, that ° the school was in need of a set, as one had to be hired during the period that 4YA broadcast the matriculation lectures. This enabled all the girls at the school to hear the special talks, the boarders and those who live away from the school listening-in together. Had a raceiver not been obtained at that time, the boarders would not have been privileged to listen at all, while many’ of the others would barely have had time to reach their homes after. lessons before the talks were scheduled to be given. The receiver was still at the school when the Centenary Air Race was in progress, but it was away when the Royal wedding took place. "No one realised our loss so much a3 the boarders," stated Miss Blackmore, i. her report, GOMETIMES When an artist is broadcasting from 4YA;_ the iiverage listener hears the wmusie or the song without knowing anything of the preparatory work that was performed "behind the scenes" before the item was put on the air. When a new performer wishes to appear in a programme, it is necessary to carry out an audition at the station in order to determine many points, among them being the best position of ‘he artist in relation to the wmicrophone, and how he "comes over." On a recent afternoon the "Radio Record’s" correspondent was permitted tv hear an audition. A ’cellist. recently arrived from the United States, where ke was a member of one of the famous symphony orchestras, was placed in 2 studio which was not being used for hroadcasting purposes at the time. The microphone was switched on to the amplifiers, and the energy received was transferred to a speaker in another part of the building. It was in this latter room that those who heard the audition were stationed They listened to the strains of the ’cello issuing. from the loud-speaker, an@ were thus able to make several adjustments in the studio between items, in order that the instrument, when eventually broadcast on a future night, might be heard to the best possible advantage. HILE Dunedin wis listening to the rebroadcast from Wellington of the arrival of his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester. there were several interruptions, usually at the most inconvenient times. These were cause by a fairly powerful Morse station. the signals from which almost completely obliterated the words of the commen-

tator on the launch in Wellington harbour. Whether the station’s wavelength was approximate to the frequencies of 4YA, 2YA, or the shortwave transmitter on the launch, is not known definitely, although many are of the opinion that it was near the Wellington station’s wave, as Morse is often pickegl up in Dunedin with the 2YA transmissions.’ ‘THREE different types of sport are to be .broadcast by the main station over the holiday period. Movements at the Macand¢cew’s Bay regatta, an annual event that many sportsmen follow with interest, are to be relayed first, and on the same day and the next a local race meeting is also scheduled for broadcasting. Ou December 31 and January 1, 2 and 8. it is proposed to cross to the Carisbrook ground at intervals for descriptions of play in the cricket match between Auckland and Otago for the Plunket Shield. HERD were a goud many local receivers tuned to 2YA on the occasion of the broadcast of the proceedings of the arrival of his Royal High. ness the Duke of Gloucester at the re-

cent civic ball held in the Wellington Town Hall. For receiving speciai functions of this nature, 2YA is quite a good "alternative" for Dunedin and surrounding districts, and the same applies to 3Y¥A, but unfortunately, this ‘cannot be said of thenew 1YA. So far as the south is concerned, the station is hardly any better than the old one at night, and can hardly be heard by many during the day. N January 4, the A station is to compare the voices of a number of bass singers, who are well-known ag gramophone artists. "Down Among the Basses," as the entertainment is entitled, will feature many vocalists; Ivar Andresen, Paul Robeson, Marcel Journet, Chaliapin, Horace Stevens. and Malcolm McEackern, to mention only a few. This promises to he a most interesting programme.