B.B.C. And The Test Matches

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 36, 15 March 1935, Page 8

B.B.C. And The Test Matches

Empire to Have Commentary on England v. South Africa Test Matches — What is the Ideai Interval Signal- — Whither Television ?

(Special to the "Radio Record" by Air Mail.)

This page was, written specially for the "New Zealand Radio Record" by L. Marsland Gander, a well-known broadcasting writer in London. Lonilon, February 26. T is a safe prophecy that the B.B.C. will have special commentaries ou the England vy. South Africa Test matches this summer, and that they will be relayed to Empire listeners either direct or in a recorded version, aecording to time factor. Last year Mr. Howard Marshall (of "Under Big Ben" fame) held a watching brief for the B.B.C. at the Australian Test matches. Whenever exciting things began to happen he called Broadcasting House on the telephone and came on the air with his commentary, which broke into the programme. In addition he gave the score and brief summaries at the lunch and tea intervals and other fixed times. The whole arrangement was most successful. PEHAKING of Mr. Marshall reminds me that he has’ been threatened with a health breakdown, and was ordered by the doctor to take an immediate holiday. He was packed off to the Isle of Capri to recuperate-pos-sibly beneath the shade of an old walnut tree. In the meantime dinner talks in the Empire programmes are being given by Mr. Cecil Maiden, a journalist who has written one or two books in a

light style on Continental travel, besides one novel. He is an authority on the waterways of England. His talks for the WBmpire, describing current events in England are called "English Diary." HAR that on March 21 there is to be a relay to Empire listeners from the Imperial Press Conference in South Africa, and it is probable that Genera! Smuts and Major Astor will both broadcast, In this programme wil! be introduced a talk by the lighthouse-keeper at Cape Point, the extremity of the Cape of Good Hope. The B.B.C, are now hunting feverishly for suitable relays from the Empire for inclusion in the home programmes. So far, it must be confessed their efforts have not been crowned with complete success. Something very characteristic and romantic is wanted. The B.B.C. want to take the microphone into the jungle; their latest hope is that when the beam telephone to Kenya is opened a rich field of possibilities willbe opened, HAT is the ideal interval signal? The B.B.C. is much exercised on this point at the moment. The Empire service used Bow bells; after a time the home stations grew envious and also adopted Bow bells in place of the muffled ticking of what was known at London headquarters as "the ghost in goloshes." Now opinion is violently divided among British listeners. Some

declare that the bells produce chronic melancholia; others that they are a constant delight. The B.B.C:, after ignoring the storm for some time suddenly appealed to all the’ Regional stations in the British Isles to suggeSt their own interval signals. Results ‘to the time of writing have been distinctly entertaining but impracticable, or likely to be intensely irritating. Whether any of the suggestions will be adopted is somewhat doubtful. For instance, the Midland station proposes the soft murmuring of the River Dove over its bed; the Western station the roar of Atlantic breakers on the beach. Belfast, the shipbuilding centre, suggests the Devil’s tattoo of a riveter.at work. Scotland insists on the squeal of ‘the bagpipes. There is also a strong school of thought which says that on the American principle there should be no intervals at all. Now it is the turn of Empire listners to suggest a change. It is a question whether Bow bells are ideal. One alternative proposition is the opening bars of "Rule Britannia." What various Continental countries do is instructive The most striking signal of all is that of the Italian sta-tions-a mechanical nightingale which warbles realistically up and down. the scale. HEN will Empire listeners become Empire lookers?) The report of the Television. Committee which suggests (somewhat optimistically I think) that the range of high definition is 25 miles, makes it seem as if the answer to this query- is "Never." But, just as the B.B.C, distributed. to Empire stations gramophone records of typical programmes for local relay, so, I think one day they will send out B.B.C. films for televising by the local transmitters in wl parts of the Wmpire.