THREE BIRTHDAYS

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 1, 12 July 1935, Page 5

THREE BIRTHDAYS

EN years ago New Zealand was becoming "radioconscious." On. July 18, 1925, the. PostmasterGeneral (Sir James Parr) entered into an agreement with Messrs. William Goodfellow and‘A. R. Harris for the formation of a company to undertake a radio telephone broadcasting service for the. Dominion. Five weeks later the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand was brought into existence for the purpose of equipping and maintaining broadcasting stations in the four centres, Auckland was the first city.to be provided with a new station, the premises in Newton, lately vacated in favour of the new studios in Shortland Street, being brought into action less than a year after the formation of the company. The Christchurch station was opened a month later, and 2YA, then the most powerful station in the Empire, followed in July, 1927. The Dunedin station had been remodelled, and was operated in the Exhibition grounds under the ¢all sign of VLDN., In May, 1926, 4YA was opened on its present site, Since then New Zealand broadcasting has undergone many changes. Control of the service passed out of the hands of the Broadcasting Company about three and a half years ago when the New Zealand Broadcasting Board came into existence. Hours have been extended, new stations have been built-the entire national system will have been completely. replaced before another year passes, policies have been revised, important overseas artist have been engaged, negotiations have been entered into with the B.B.C. for the sending out to New Zealand of outstanding recorded programmes. When 2YA was opened there were 18,000 licensed listeners in the country; to- day there are nearly 160,000. Another pirthday that falls within the week is that of the opening of the new’ 2YA, then the most powerful station in the British Empire. To the old Broadcasting Company: must go much of the credit for putting Wellington on the map. The station on Mount Victoria became the talk of wireless: enthusiasts the world over and messages from such distant places as Alaska, Tokio, Vancouver, Rio de Janeiro testified to the strength of the new station. At the opening in 1927 the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) said: The new station. ..is ready, should the time ever arrive, to become part of our national equipment. If it is not equal to actual personal contact it is, at any rate, the next best thing, It is eight years ago since those remarks were made and yet, so greatly has radio advanced-and so greatly, sad to say, have fears of war and crises grown -that 2YA is shortly to be rebuilt and given 10 times its present strength, "‘in case of a national emergency." Let us hope, that the broadcasting stations of New Zealand will be called upon to-serve no other purpose than that of giving education and entertainment to a happy. contented people. The third birthday of the week is our own. Eight years ago the ‘Radio Record"’ presented its first paper to the public-1I6 pages of matter. To-day we celebrate the occasion by. publishing a 68-page paper. In those eight years the "Radio Record" has experienced all the vicissitudes associated with the Great Depression. But, unlike some of our contemporaries, we laid down a policy and- went forth, -fully prepared, to meet the Dragon. An editorial.in our first issue said: ‘The "Radio Record" will offer a meeting ground for all points. of view in relation to broadeasting. Where criticisrh is deserved and is made in the constructive sense without rancour or bias, it will receive full hospitality and courtesy in our columns. .. . It will be only by mutual co-operation and mutual that the common desire will be attained, and-in that spirit we are satisfied that our paper will constitute a definite service. To-day, with readers in every corner of the counetry, our responsibilities are greater than ever, but we feel-and we hope our readers feel, too-that we have not wavered — the ideals set down in that first issue of July, 192%,