In Ten Short Years

Radio Record, Volume XI, Issue 1, 10 July 1936, Page 8

In Ten Short Years

"Radio Record" Has Seen Many Changes in N.Z. Broadcasting. The first issue of the "New Zealand Radio Record" coincided with the opening of the new 2YA on Mount Victoria, then the largest broadcasting station in the Southern Hemisphere and the second largest in the British Empire. The paper was first distributed free to thousands of listeners all over New Zealand. The response was more than gratifying. Subscriptions began to pour in and establishment was effected. The first issues were printed on a page 18 inches deep by five columns wide. Experience soon showed that a smaller page would be considerably handier, so the depth was reduced to about 11] inches and the number of columns to four. The present size was adopted about three years ago. The "Radio Record" has seen many changes in its 10 years; the Radio Broadcasting Company gave way to the New Zealand. Broadcasting Board; and now the Broadcasting Board has given way to a Minister Broadcasting and a Director. There were about 30,000 listeners when the paper started; to-day the radio licenses in New Zealand have passed the 200,000 mark; in 1926 the stations had silent days-to-day there are no such gaps in the service which is almost continuous from early morning till nearly midnight; all manner of local artists were pressed into service before the micro- : phone in 1927-~-nowadays New Zealand broadcasting can boast of stars of the calibre of Dr. Malcolm Sargent, Florence Austral and Gladys Moncrieff.