Dunedin Falls For April Fooling

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 40, 12 April 1935, Page 21

Dunedin Falls For April Fooling

Neat Joke Played on Many Southern Listeners by B B Station — Fine Special Programme For Bach Anniversary -- More Instruments Needed in 4YA Orchestra.

O stations 4Z0 and 4ZW must go the credit for making an "April Fool" out of practically the whole of the Dunedin listening public. The joke was cleverly conceived and concealed until the critical moment, and thoroughly aroused the interest of everyone. On the day prior to April 1, station 4ZW made. an announcement to the effect that listeners should make a point of tuning in to 4ZO at five minutes to 12 the following day to hear a special an-> nouncement. That started the curiosity -some said that as the next = day would mark the commencement of the new licensing year, there must be an ‘important statement regarding the future of the B stations, and others im-. agined that they would hear of a new Government policy toward the smaller stations. Before leaving home for the city in the morning, business men asked their wives to be sure to listen for the special announcement from 4ZO, and there was general excitement among listeners in anticipation .of hearing something of importance. Sharp at five minutes to 12, 4ZO came on the air, and it was not until the following was heard that listeners realised what "lay it was:-"Good morning, everybody; this is station 4ZO. We would remind listeners that this is the first of April. .We are now closing down until 12 o’clock." "THE special programme arranged by Dr. Galway to commemorate the Bach anniversary was a gem. Both the doctor and 4YA are to be congratulated on the success of this effort, which, if not entirely appreciated by the majority, was most acceptable to many at least. Dr. Galway was a. performer himself, while a string quintet, . with Mr. Max Scherek at the piano, added colour to the programme. Several wellselected items were also presented per medium of gramophone records. At the time of writing these notes. there is a good deal of speculation in the town as to who will be appointed to the new Broadcasting Board. Many possible names and very many: impossible ones have been suggested as likely candidates, and if one counts the na:nes of those who are "sure to get a seat." one will be surprised to discover that the board will slightly outnumber the total of licensees. However, by the cime these lines are.in print the selection of board members will’ have been made. but not until then will many be convinced that their imaginations have played them false. . AVING its beginning in musical circles, the contention is fast spreading that the 4YA Concert Orchestra is of insufficient size to faithfully interpret many of the numbers demanded of it. There is-no intention here to helittle or criticise the present personnel of the orchestra, but even they will admit that they are too few: to give

faithful representations of the works they are set. It ig unreasonable. to expect a handful of instrumentalists to do justice to some of the more difficult and exacting compositions, yet they are asked to grapple with them. Is this fair to the conductor and his orchestra -and the listeners? RAPE CONNOR, the novelist. who is’ visiting New Zealand at the present time, will be staying in Dunedin from April 12 to 15. Here is a golden opportunity for a broadcast item, and it is fully expected that the station officials will have recognised this, and wili have long ago started negotiations to have Mr. Connor before the 4YA microphone. It is hoped that arrangements can be successfully made to persuade the novelist to speak, as a talk by him should prove instructive, informative. and entertaining, SOME will ne doubt have read of the strong criticism levelled at the British Broadcasting Corporation when it presented operas in "potted" form. many complaining of the.corporation’s audacity in giving ‘curtailed versions of well-known operas." At _the time these forty-minute opera presentations were broadcast in England they were recorded for reproduction overseas, and

some have been purchased by the New Zealand Broadcasting Board. The first of the series, ‘"Hansel and Gretel," was broadcast by 4YA the other night, and it will be interesting to see how the local public will react to "potted operas." "The Beggar Student" will be the next opera, this being scheduled for April 22, MR. DENIS DOWLING has now made his final appearance from 4YA under touring engagement to the Broadcasting Board, but will probably’ be heard in the local Town Hall in a week or two, when a concert is to be given on his behalf. He-will probably then leave for England. HERE is quite a marked similarity in the designs of this year’s receiving sets as displayed by Dunedin dealers. An increased number. of buyers is going in: for the all-wave jobs, and the volume of sales generally is quite ‘satisfactory, pointing to. the fact that the: public; is certainly’ becoming. radio-minded.: .Modern sets will not quickly become obsolete, a fact. that present day purchasers seem ,to. realis@, © 0 7S aan.