IN THE WAKE OF THE WEEK'S ...BROADCASTS...

Radio Record, Volume XIII, Issue 11, 21 August 1939, Page 9

IN THE WAKE OF THE WEEK'S ...BROADCASTS...

HEN somebody told Mark Twain that a ‘faithful household help had been burned fo death over the stove and asked him for a_ suitable epitaph, he replied, grimly,

"Well done, thou good and faithful seryant.’? An epitaph along these lines might well be written . right now about some of the New

Zealand broadcast serials. But, speaking of serials, there are some excellent pieces of humour coming over the air these days. Take the ‘‘Bindle’’ of the NCBS. This is chock-full of neatly-turned Cockney epigrams and altogether amusing. Naturally it does not suit all tastes. But, after all, whoever heard of ‘*Punch’’ being screamed at in Ameriea, or of typical ‘‘Dad and Dave’’ humour going down big in New Zealand? The Cockney is a type apart and, owing to the close association between New Zealand and England, is readily understandable as a broadeast character.

CAME THE FINIS

"Black Flame of the Amazon" has ended from the ZB’s-ended, in fact, some days back, but nevertheless any amount of listeners who followed the feature are still waitine for

the end! The trouble is that seldom has any serial ended

more suddenly. It seemed ali set to continue for another year or two when--sil-ence: the end had come. Months of thrills and adventure -were crudely summarised into a final 10 minutes. All who listened to the serial wanted to know the full ins

and outs of that, but apparently the producers got tired of the whole thing and just wiped it out as quickly as they could without paying any regard to listeners’ feelings, Anyway, taken by and large, it was a dud serial,

KIDDIES’ HOUR DROPPING

"Crazy College" is part of 4273's new children’s session. Its name is apt, for the feature is crazy-without rhyme, reason, or aven humoanr Pooriv constructed.

0 ee nd and eren more poorly executed, it is an ex cellent example of what not to

, give children, Incidentally, 4ZB’s new children’s session isn’t deserving of any praise as yet, being pretty chaotic, without any suggestion of form or balance. When the children’s sessions commenced at 4ZB they received an hour each night except Sunday, when 30 minutes were given. Now the = sessions have been cut down to 45 minutes Monday to Friday inclusive, while both Saturday and Sunday nights

have been cut out altogether. Latter two nights more children listen in than any other night.

4ZB HEEDS "SLAPS AND CLAPS’

Ignoring whatever listening value there may be in 4ZB’s "Slaps and Claps Session", the feature has undoubtedly proved to have value in other regards. Among the slaps and the clans sent

in are odd suggestions many of s which have not gone unheeded.

Frequently Tepeated is the request for more flesh-n’-blood, and to’ fulfil the demands in this connection 4ZB is carrying out a series of trials, involving much work, testing the ability of persons who feel they can entertain over the air. The most promising of these performers will be banded into a party to provide a programme, and it is hoped that the talent unearthed will be available for many occasions. Among suggestions have been many of a competitive nature, and it has been by these suggestions that the several competitions which have been announced of late have been inspired.

COAST COAST

Hokitika Aero Club ball drew an attendance of 1000 last week, in Spite of pouring rain. Included in the programme was a mannequin parade. Visitors came from all over the West

Coast of the South Island. The whole show was broadcast by 3BZB in one of the most

ambitious hook-ups yet under. taken by the commercial service. H. T. Lawn, chairman of the ball ‘committee, introduced Mr. C. G. Scrimgeour (Controller of the NCBS) and Harry Bell, . station director of 3ZB, who gave short addresses.

COUPLETS REGAIN STANDARD

When 2YD first started off "Crazy Couplets," I was pleasantly surprised at the high standard of the gagging. Weeks went by, and the standard was maintained. Then "Ayargv COon-

plets" began to slip, and I am afraid I lost interest in it. Ap-

Parenuy the Leature has taken a new lease of life, for a session I heard last Monday night was both funny and clever. To explain it briefly, "Crazy Couplets" is half an hour of pleasant fooling, some of it dramatised, some of it in rhyme. This is about typical of the verse: The butterfly has wings of gold, The firefly wings of flame; The little flea has none of these, . But he gets there just the same.

SINISTER OLD FRIEND

Lately I have not been following the adventures of my sinister old friend, Dr. Fu Manchu, and, tuning in by chance to 2ZB the other night, I was surprised to find that the tlneation of

the ‘story had changed to a deserted battlefield somewhere in France. and

the theme to a hunt for the formula of a special variety of poison gas. Dr. Fu didn’t turn up at all, but doubtless he was brooding evilly somewhere in the background. When the formula of a gas that has the power of petrifying human beings has gone astray, it is only natural to suppose that the Doctor will be somewhere around, The episode ended on a typical note of suspense. Shots, a cry, a gong, and an announcement about a nerve tonic. I shall be at my radio when next that gong strikes, come- what may.

CHANGE FOR KIDDIES

Station 3YA, if seems, has become alive to the fact that the children’s hour need not necessarily be a session for the spinning of improbable fairy tales. The other night the}

promoters presented something happily different from the usual

run, with a chat about famous old English folk songs, and those of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The announcer mentioned particularly ‘"Widdicombe Fair’, which was illustrated

by solo and male chorus, Short chats of this type are of tremendous value to children and worth more than a thousand callings of birthdays,

HE KNOWS HIS | GARDENING

Station 3YA’s garden expert knows just about all there is to know of the earth and things earthy, what to grow, and where and when to grow it. His fan mail for reading and

consulting pur poses is huge, as is also the pile of speci-

mens sent along to the station for his analysis and advice. A great improvement is noticed, in this speaker’s style of presentation,

MAMMA BLOOM'S BROOD

"Mamma Bloom’s Brood,’ a serial on 2ZB, is rapidly rising to top spot in listeners’ minds. This is one serial, appealing as it does to all tastes, which has received no criticism.

human story otf an American Jewish family, the trials of the

homely old Bloom couple can give New Zealanders a few pointers. The feature is on the air on the first three days of the week at 7.30 p.m: