The voice of time: the story of broadcasting in New Zealand from 1925.

Rights Information
Reference
149560
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Reference
149560
Media type
Audio
Categories
Radio docudramas
Radio programs
Sound recordings
Duration
00:52:23
Credits
RNZ Collection
Drummond, Clive (b.1890), Speaker/Kaikōrero
Huggins, Bill, Interviewee
Venables, Tom, Interviewee
Daisy, Aunt, 1879-1963, Speaker/Kaikōrero
Earnshaw, Pat, Announcer
New Zealand Broadcasting Service (estab. 1946, closed 1962)

This programme marks the anniversary of twenty-five years of radio broadcasting in New Zealand. It consists of narration, music, dramatised sections, excepts of historical recordings and interviews.

Dramatisation of father and son listeners tuning a wireless and picking up early radio test broadcasts (Enrico Caruso singing.)
Broadcaster Clive Drummond of 2YA Wellington recalls the small operating budgets for radio stations in 1925.
Dramatisation of radio listeners complaining about reception and the reorganisation of stations by the government.
August 1st 1925 the government draws up agreement with the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand to establish a radio network.
August 1926, 1YA Auckland on air (re-enacted announcement)
Former 1YA engineer Bill Huggins and announcer Tom Venables are interviewed about early radio in Auckland. Bill Huggins recalls the studio set-up when 1YA was in Scots Hall. Mr Venables explains broadcasts mainly consisted of playing music recordings with occasional live performances by artists, but it was hard to get people to turn up to the studio.
There was a landline to a local theatre to broadcast the theatre orchestra, which played to accompany the silent films. The few staff were jack-of-all-trades filling most of the roles. Mr Venables recalls how the first 'talk' broadcast on the radio was a newspaper story by Mark Twain about a frog, which he read off the greasy fish and chips wrapper that had held Bill Huggins' supper.
They then moved to new studios in France Street, which was a more 'serious' enterprise, which more staff. Their first outside broadcast was from the "Peregrine" which went down the harbour to meet the visiting Duke and Duchess of York (22 February 1927.)
In February 1927 3YA Christchurch opened, followed by 2YA Wellington in July 1927 - the most powerful station in the southern hemisphere.

Dramatisation of a phone call from a listener complaining about a musical broadcast.
September 1928 - dramatisation of a broadcast commentary of the landing of the "Southern Cross" by Charles Kingsford-Smith in Christchurch.
Dramatisation of broadcasts to Antarctica in 1929 and report from the Byrd expedition which could pick up 2YA.
A dramatised sequence highlighting the service role radio began to play: a missing car report from the police. In June 1929, the Murchison earthquake highlighted the civil defence role radio could play.
In October 1929 4YA opens in Dunedin.
Dramatisation of the arrival of electric radio sets, replacing the battery models.
In March 1930 Admiral Byrd returned from Antarctica and a three-way broadcast linked 2YA with stations in New York and Sydney, to listener amazement (re-creation is heard.)

In the 1930s special equipment for playing electric recordings arrived from overseas. February 1931, the Napier earthquake again brought radio to the fore, with a 24 hour service by broadcasters.

Dramatised debate over government control of broadcasting.
New Year's Eve 1931 - dramatisation of a 2YA announcement that stations were now controlled by the Broadcasting Board and the acquisition of further small stations.
Educational talks and local talent appear on air, broadcasts to schools begin in 1933 and the first recorded programmes from the BBC are aired.

In 1936 government-controlled commercial stations begin (dramatisation of an irate listener, played by Selwyn Toogood and a re-created early radio commercial.)

Some early commercial voices from 1936 are still on the air in 1950 - "Aunt Daisy" (Maud Basham) is heard. Parliamentary broadcasts began in 1936 and further private stations were purchased in 1937. By 1938 there were now 300,000 licensed radio listeners.

The march towards World War II - excerpt of the broadcast by Neville Chamberlain (via shortwave) announcing Britain is at war wtih Germany. Excerpt of another BBC broadcast about New Zealand and Australian troopships arriving safely. Excerpt of "Radio Newsreel" - and a list of other wartime programming is given. Announcement of Japanese surrender.

March 1946 - dramatisation of a radio listener (Selwyn Toogood) talking about how he got used to radio during the war. Discussion of the expanding role of radio, local stations outside the main centres opened, the National Orchestra became a reality.

September 27, 1948 the Radio New Zealand shortwave service begins transmission (on Dominion Day) - excerpt of the official opening broadcast.
Its programmes were targeted at Australia and the Pacific, but are heard much further afield. A letter from an Australian listener about enjoying radio coverage of the 1950 Empire Games, is read.
Radio New Zealand and Radio Australia combined to cover the British Isles rugby tour of New Zealand and beam coverage to Britain. An excerpt of coverage by announcer Pat Earnshaw is heard.

Credit: Written and produced by the Auckland drama section the New Zealand Broadcasting Service.