Broadcasting Station

Self-Help In Honiara

Local Residents Run the Broadcasting Station

rHE new BSIP Broadcasting Station, VQO Honiara, trans iting on 1030 kilocycyles in the ledium broadcast band, was opened n September 23 by the High Com nissioner for the Western Pacific Mr. R. C. S. Stanley) who broad ast a short address to Protectorate steners.

Station VQO Honiara, which roadcasts nightly except Sundays ■om 0700 to 0800 GMT (6 p.m. to p.m. Solomon Islands time) is no rdinary station. It has been putting a an excellent programme of ;corded music, sporting and local jws, and “live” items from local jrformers but it has very few funds id is being run at present entirely i volunteer enthusiasm. The Chief 'ireless Officer (Mr. R. F. Calvert) ho built the broadcasting equipment rgely in his spare time, is acting announcer and the Assistant cretary BSIP (Mr. C. H. Allan) is ogramme Director. Mr. Allan is voting much spare time to general ogramme planning and talks of :al interest. The news and the ve” musical items, are also spare le jobs, and local residents are ming records until such time as j record library can be built up a self-supporting level.

Mr. F. Eastick of the Honiara idio Station has ably assisted the ief Wireless Officer in maintenance d technical problems.

As everybody concerned has a full le job by day and is working der pressure owing to staff short js, one hour’s broadcast each day all that can be managed at present, t as soon as it is possible to do so onger programme will be given.

Sunday, September 21, saw the Sth and last of the series of half ir Sunday News Broadcasts, which ft been given as a point-to-point tismission over VQJ2, the Honiara vernment Radio Station once a sk for almost five years. •Vhen HMS Challenger arrived :k in England some time ago )fessor Gaskill, scientific officer >ard her reported that a short ed albatross—first of the species be reported for sixteen years— I been positively identified in the -ific. He said that the bird had n thought to be extinct and that identification of one was of con irable ornithological interest.

Mr. W. H. Cumines, representative of one of Australia’s largest islands exporting firms, is of the opinion that the South Pacific market, once the preserve of Australia, is being lost because Australian goods are too dear. He recently visited Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti and his impression is that goods from Japan, America and even New Zealand are replacing

Australian products. He believes that only increased production and lower prices will save the day.

Mr. and Mrs. John Kuder, of the American Lutheran Mission, Lae, New Guinea, returned there recently after 18 months leave in Niagara Falls, USA. Their 12-years-old son James was with them.