F—3

Seventeen feature programmes were written, recorded, and broadcast during the year. This was a considerable increase on the number presented during the previous twelve months. Four of these programmes were written to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of organized broadcasting in New Zealand, and were entitled " Marconi's Child Grows Up." Another programme, " Big Hill Farm," was sent to the 8.8.C., while a third programme, " New Zealand Survey," was sent to the South African Broadcasting Corporation. " New Zealand To-day," " Frozen Harvest," and " Training Ship H.M.N.Z.S. ' Tamaki' " were three of the longer features which were well received, while shorter programmes such as " Ernest the Leper " and " The Nurses " were broadcast as appeals. These two were written by authors not on the staff of the Service, Another series of programmes, "At School To-day," illustrated and explained recent changes in the schools' curricula ; and special programmes commemorated events such, as national days, the anniversary of the arrival of the first New Zealand troops in Japan, and the Gunpowder Plot on sth November. D. G. Bridson, a senior producer on the staff of the British Broadcasting Corporation,, toured New Zealand during the year collecting material for a programme entitled " This is New Zealand." Mr. Bridson produced this programme in the Wellington Production Studios with a New Zealand cast, and it has since been broadcast by the 8.8.C. During his visit he also produced one of his verse plays, " Aaron's Field," which has since been broadcast from several stations. Another verse play which attracted attention was the United Nations programme " The Edge of Peace," which was sent from the United Nations headquarters, and broadcast on a network of the National and Commercial stations. During the year 957 scripts were submitted. This was a decrease of 99 on last year's submissions, but again included plays of all lengths, serials, short stories, continuity scripts, poems, novels, and children's books. Of the 957 scripts submitted, 270 were by New Zealand authors, a considerably larger proportion than in the previous twelve months, when the number of New Zealand scripts was 235 out of a total of 1,056 submissions. Of the 215 scripts of all types accepted during the year, 56 were by New Zealand authors. This is also a considerable advance on last year's figures, when 41 out of a total of 312 scripts accepted were written by New Zealanders. The Auckland Production Studios recorded 83 episodes of serials, 4 long feature programmes, and 20 short programmes. The Mobile Recording Unit included visits to Rotorua and Otago in its activities during the year. At Rotorua the Unit recorded material for the Australian Broadcasting Commission and the British Broadcasting Corporation. The recordings, which were intended to be broadcast overseas during the Royal Tour of New Zealand, included interviews covering many facets of Maori life, and in particular the land-development and industrial training schemes. In Otago the Unit collected and recorded material relating to the early settlement of the province and the gold-mining days. The unit was fortunate in making its tour during the Otago Centennial Year, when research into local history had been carried out in almost every centre. The material collected will be used in thirty-one half-hour programmes on Otago towns, which will be broadcast by the Dunedin Stations 4YA and 4ZB. In addition, material was collected for two programmes for the 8.8.C. and twelve single programmes about Otago's past and present. A series entitled " Round About New Zealand," compiled from musical items recorded by the Mobile Unit during the last two years, was presented from one of the main National stations. Other programmes which incorporated material collected by the Unit were " Here and There in Taranaki" and " History and Harmony in New Zealand Towns." Programmes with the latter title dealt with an individual town, or a group of towns, and introduced musical and spoken items recorded in the field.

6