Germany's Bid for Radio

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 41, 19 April 1935, Page 6

Germany's Bid for Radio

~ ERMANY has always had a reputation for thoroughnéss. .If it’s war the country throws itsélf into the business heart and soul; if dictatorship is to be the form of government then the dictator must be a man beside whom even the Almighty must take second place; if it’s building a broadcasting service then the programmes must be put out in a multitude of languages to reach the whole world. This story is concerned with broadcasting and the writer feels tempted to doff his hat to the "Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft," which is the Gertnan tiame for Broadcasting House in Berlin, for the exceedingly

thorough manner in which the authorities have set out to provide a shortwave service which is equalled oly by that provided by the British Broadcasting Corporation. In the cable news a few days ago appeared a message dealing with Ger- | many’s efforts to establish a broadcasting service in the British Empire. Berlin sends out shortwave broadcasts from 15 to 16 hours daily on various wave-lengths. For the. first zone, embracing Bom- | bay, Batavia, Sydney and Auckland, the English language is used; for the second zone, the Far East, Dutch is used; for the third zone, Africa, English is used; for the fourth zone, South America, Spanish and Portuguese are used; ard for the fifth zone, North America, English is used, . 7 The message goes on’ to say , that . | ‘the programmes are intended — for™ 30, 000,000 Germans living ‘ abroad. Semnidocuments admit. . thatthe service is intended for propaganda for’ the homeland." Whether this is the -case‘or not, the fact ‘remains that ’ Germany is providing New. Zealand and Australia with an ex-

cellent ser'vice,‘as readers. = — of the’ weekly page headed "Germany Calling New Zea- . land" and listeners-in to the shortwave broadcasts have probably discovered. The actual propaganda put over the. ait ig small. On the:occasions when the writer has tuned in to DJB and DJN the concerts have been mostly . orchestral, with periodical relays of splendid music from the Opera House at Hamburg.

It was eatly in the New Year that Berlin got in touch with the "Radio Record" regarding the publishing of the shortwave stations. The paper’, anxious to give as full a service as possible to New Zealand listeners, replied that space would be foutid each week for the programmes. Sitice that time the authorities in Germany have forwarded a complete moriths’ schedule by air mail sufficiently far in advance for the progtammes to be published in the same mariner as the New Zealand and Australian programmes are.. The schedule is printed in both English and German (th programme for Sunday, April 21, and Monday,

22, is teproduced on thi page) and each month it contains a message from Hitler, printed in both languages. It was in the autumn of 1923 that Germany first entered the broadcasting field-exactly 12 months later than England. Although British experience was available Getmany did not choose to follow the British system of a centralised service. It was contended that, while -at+ tistic talent and activity was mainly centred in London (making a centralised service highly de-. sirable) Getmany’s talent was spread over a number of cultural centres, each of which was entitled to consideration in the drawing up of a broadcasting policy. Thus Germany had large and important broadcasting stations dotted all over the country, and each one of. them drew up and was fully responsible for its own programmes. "8 ‘But as the service ne ‘a partial fusion took. place. For instance, the huge Broadcasting House in Berlin was founded and technical experts were dispatched to the different stations to keep them up to the required standard. A common programme

a committee, a centfar Of fice for school: broadcasting and a Central Aid Station for listeners were also established. How then does the German organisation functign to-day? ‘The transmitters are operated by the Post Office, but with this exception: all business common to the stations dotted over the country, including questions of organisation, management and. engineering, is

SONNTAG, DEN 21. APRIL: Berliner Sei Anfage DIB und DIN (deutfdh, englifc) 9.45 Deutjches Voltslied ; Programmborjchau (deutfcb, englifch) Das Widhtighte der Woche Sum DOfterfeit! 10.00 nDie helle Ofterfonne fpendet das 10.15 nente Licht .. 7 Friedrid) Rayfler Nachrichten und Deutidglandbericht 10.30 (englijd) Wir juchen mit den Hdrern Oftereier! 10.45 Heinrich Schinsnus fingt 11.30 (Schallplatten) Nachrichten und Heutichlandbhericht 11.45 ' (deut}) Unterhaltungsfonjert — 12.00 Nachrichten und Deutfchlandbericht . 13.00 (englifd) Wbfage DJB und DIN (deutfeh, englifdh) 13.15 MONTAG, DEN 22. APRIL: Anjage DIB und DIN (deuty, englif) «9.45 "Oentidhes Volfslied Programmvorjdhau (deutfd, englifch) Lindliche Oftertlange --:10.00 Miniaturen fiir Englifjd Horn 10.30 und Ravier . ; Aus der Heimat des Fiihrers: 10.45 Gine Ofterwanderung Durd) Wald- | und Snnvierfel | Frithlingsweijen 11.30 Seitfunt 11.45 Unterhaltungstongert 12.00 Die BVlumenausftellung 13.00 Ubjfage DIB und DIN (deutfeh, englifch)- 13.15 Above is reproduced @ portion of the German shortwave programme schedule as it is supplied to . the "Radio Record." The translation will be found under the headings of Sunday, April 21, and Monday, April ’ 22, on page 44.