1936-07-25 — Page 10

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. BATURDAY, JULY RA, 1936,

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ENTERTAINMENT PAGE

"FIRST. NIGHT," ON BEHALF OF HONGKONG LISTENERS, WRITES AN OPEN LETTER

1

To The Hongkong Government And, More Particularly, To The Hongkong Broadcasting Committee

A PLEA FOR

A FAIR DEAL

IN BROADCASTING

GENTLEMEN:

This Page and its readers do not con- sider that you are giving Hongkong lis- teners a Fair Deal..

Your bargain with the 5,800 licensed listeners in the Colony is a one-sided one.

Each of these 5,800 people have contracted to pay you $12 per annum in return for your pro- grammes. Paying this huge total, naturally, will not cause rejoicing among 5,800 inhabitants of this Colony unless you enn give them something approaching value in return.

Do you consider that ZBW programmes for the past twelve months were, in entertainment value, fair return for your customera' ensh? Are listeners any better off than they were when you took control of Broadcasting in, 1929?

admit that, since those “early” days of brandensting in Hongkong, ZBW has improved, despite the fact that some listeners believe that it has deteriorated, and despite, the fact that more complaints are pouring into newspapers about the monotony the anemie quality of pres grammes than ever before.

But! Five years ago your revenue from Broadcast Licences was only $17,880. Two years ago it was only $32,780 This year you already, have 5,800 listeners. They are paying $12 per annum each Instead of the $10 you formerly isoposed. In two years your revemie from liceners han

rupled.

THE KING Ban Old British

BROADCASTS · TO-MORROW

TWO important relaya scheduled

from ZW this week-end. To-night you'll hear Com- mentary and results of first two Kingler matches in Challenge (Australia v. England) for Davis England v. Indin Cup, and Test Match. Commentary will be from 9.30 10 9.45 p.m. H.K.T. (If you want more June to Daventry direct)

and results

will be rendenst from 11.30 to 13.45 p.m. 1.K.T.

Second Zaw relay front Daventry is most Important since H.M. King Edward mandé hik Accession Broadenst. The ceremony of the unvelling by Ha Majesty of the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge in the presence of the President of the French Republic, will be broadrast by Daventry, relayed by ZBW. from 9.30 to 10.30 p.m. H.K.T. to-morrow night.

NEW FILMS

Pictures

In Hongkong

SUGGESTS "FIRST NIGHT”

THAT British

film producers and distributors regard Hongkong as one of their vital markets is evident by the fact that four questions were asked in the House of Commons on Wednesday relative to the absence of British pictures in this Colony.

One Member of Parliament urged a special registration tax on foreign films, analogous to the present tax on motor vehicles.

Another politician suggested compulsory ex- hibition of 20 per cent. British films at each per- 'formance.

Heaven forbid that either suggestion be adopted.

THE WEEK-END YOU'VE

ALWAYS DREAMT ABOUT HAS ARRIVED

THIS is a week-end of superlative entertainment at both first This is a weekend of. It is a terre certainly not this doubled. In five years it har qand-summer--since this Page has been able to wax enthusiastic about

entertainment in general,

THAT SHORT-WAVER

True, you can point with pride to a basketful of reports from listeners in Australia, South Afrlen, Malaya, Canada and China about your short- wave programmes, recently Inaugur ated. But your Hongkong listener, who pays for broadcasting in this Colony, is not interested in the R-7 reports from a twelve-year-old dial- widdler In Timbuctoo. He wants better programmes in Hongkong.

You may also pomt with pride to the fact that you have built a new transmitter, and have under con- struction a 3% kilowatt set that will Feach to all parts of the world. Doubtless Sir Hubert Wilkins, as he makes his dash under the ice to the North Pole, will be overjoyed to hear the "Voice of Hongkong" broadcast- ing mid-summer greetings from the tropies. But your Hongkong listener would be far hujier if you'd cut off three of those kilowatts and put the money you'll save into a really good Blattnerphone in order to bring the B.B.C.'s electrical transcriptions one-valve Hongkong set-owners, ANNOUNCERS

to

You can take your pick of four absolutely first class new pictires and of three equally good second and third runs.

Among the first runs. if you want something light, choose “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", at the Alhambra.

If you want powerful drama of the type that makes you remember a pleture for a long time, choose "Fury", which ends its frst run at the King's to-day.

If you want the polished acting of the type that wins the Academy of Arts prize for best performances, coupled with everything that is top-notch in motion picture entertainment, make "Dangerous" at the Queen's your choice.

If you want to see one of the best British filma shown in long kong this year, book your seats for "Thirty-nine Steps" at the King's to-morrow.

My advice is to make tits a week-end of sheer happiness by seeing as many of these pictures as you can.

Or, if you are a second-run fan, and prefer to see the above when they come to the smaller theatres, see either "Captain Blood" at the Star, "Frisco Kid" at the Oriental. er "Robin Hood of El Dorado" al the Oriental to-morrow.

Reviews on Page 14

our

ed that you are no longer appointed by the Government bat, as vacancies occur, co-opt from the ranks of those whose interests may be diametric Another matter for self-congratu-ally opposed to the interests of the

minjarity of listeners. intion, doubtless, is that you have so

Neither, so far as we can ascer- "Be siduously cultivated the

tain, have the dealers representation British" attitude. Your announcers

on your Committee. Most of may not employ the faultless pro- nunciation of one of their B.B.C. con- dealers do not rely upon the sale of small receivers capable of tuning in Lemporaries, but we all must admit only ZBW for their business exis- that they provide a deadly diction

tence, nevertheless many of them are that is a model of decorum.

greatly affected financially by the success or failure of your efforts to sustain public interest in broadcast Ing.

Your Model B.B.C." attitude even extends to the creation of an om. nipotent oligarchy, you having for- gotten, no doubt, that while listeners at Iome can tuin to dozens of Con- ! Linental stations, your monopoly here is absolute, unless we include the quents and squawks of average short wave reception as "Entertain- ment".

You have done all these things.

BUT YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN US BETTER PROGRAMMES! Many Hateners blame your Pro gramme Secretary and staff for this

state

nairs. That is unfair. They have done comparatively well within the limits under which they must necessarily work. YOU ARE TO BLAME

1 you, originally appointed by the Government to look after our Interests, who are the Directors who mould the policy of this Business of Broadcasting, and It is you who must take the blame and criticism when anything goes wrong,

Among your numbers we can find no nanies of people associated with Hongkong's amateur entertaining so- cieties, rich fickis for talent. You have no representative of the Phil harmonie Society, which one offered to help you out with your pro- tic Society, the grammes, with the Amateur Drama

Chcoro Club, the Army and Navy or the European M.C.A., institutions which could fo incalculable good for broadcasting in this Colony, STATELY SECRECY

=

You may rest assured that adili- tional taxes on foreign films will not be paid by the Americna dis- tributor or the Hongkeng exhibitor. I will be passed on to you, already more than fairly taxed for your entertainment.

But even that would be preferable to the suggested compulsary exhibi tion of 20 per cont. British films with ench programms. I have seen that scheme tried fewhero. It benefited » nobody but mall "quickie" studios, which turned out the most horribis trash that prissed as quota films.

Do not imagine for one moment that a 20 per cent. British quota would bring you British feature films. It would mean that the present Peto Smith's, the Mickey Mouses, Sy Symphonies and American gazettes would be substituted by British

"ghorts".

We all want to see more British fla in Hongkong. Many great pic- tures have been turned out of Bri- tish studios in recent years. But we have got to confess that Britain has not yet turned seriously to the all- important subject of short M-ups for the main features.

There is such a paucity of British "shoris" that most of the distributors London Flms) must turn to

America to map their programmes

This Putro

Page Img been a consistent supporter of British films, and believes that its constant advocacy of Empire products in no sinull measure in- fluenced the recent decision of the King's Theatro to show at least one British fim each month.

KING'S EXPERIMENT

The King's Theatre has expressed,

Have you ever sent a representative along to one of these concerts spon. satisfaction with the results it has sored by Services social committees? You'd be surprised at the wealth of gained from this experiment, so much

almost predominated in its talent. Don't you think you could, in fact, that British Alms have award a teeny-weeny prize for

during the pus! six local studio play 7

Л

Have you ever considered the oft- repeated plen (by dozens of listen. ers and by all the denters) for morn. ing programmes?

KTAMINER

opro-

wak

The success attending the experl- ment at the King's Theatre shows that British films can stand on their own feet, and can oven out-rival American You have done none of these products with organised distribution. Therein lies the story of the failure things. Therefore, you should allow some fresh blood to be injected into of British pictures to adequately the somewhat amoribund Hongkongnetrate the locni market during the

past two years. Broadcasting Committee.

IDEAL COMMITTEE

Without representatives from any of the above bodies, to whom do you turn whom you consider future pro grainme polley? When you meet in august and atately secrecy, what de you discuss ?

Have your discussions

pro. grimenes been so nebulous that you 66 have been unable to provide, us with better programmes than those em- anating from ZBW in this present year of grace?

Broadcasting, la ព· busiusis, just as la selling shoe-laces or sausages. If the talpans of the shoe-lace or saU- Have you ever considered the suge factories find that something is modernisation of your methods of wrong with their Snlos Departments, broadcasting by substituting elec or hear a swelling tile of adversetrical transcriptions for some of the rumours about the quality of their overlastingly reiterated records in products, they search for a remedy, your library?

if they don't do so, they soon go out

Have you ever considered Inter- of business or, in the case of a Board changing recorded programmes

Our Ideal Committee would be one that would represent:

The Government;

The Churches and Schools; The Amateur Dramatic Society; The Philharmonic Society; The Army and Navy: The Y.M.C.A. and kindred or ganisations;

The Chinese;

The Sporting Bodies; The Newspapers;

The Dealers;

and last, but not least.

THE LISTENERS OF HONGKONG.

LETTER 'Announce. More", Says Reader To Broadcasters

of Directorn, are replaced by the other Far Eastern broadensis with SINCE most of ZBW's pro- shareholders by a more aggressive. tlong which, somehow or the other,

gramme consists of record- Board. Shareholders usually have always seem to have something froshings, couldn't they include a bit that privilege.

and original.

more announcing about the discs. Of-times I've felt like purchasing certain records for my radiogram,

“GIVE US WHAT WE WANT OR-"

But we, shareholders in ZDW, have no voice in the creation of our own Board of Directors. We cannot go to you and say (unless it be in an Open Letter such as this), "Give us what we want, or make way for some- one who will.

We have no representation on your Committee. We have oven discovers

HONGKONG'S TALENT

It ia R strange anomaly that hitherto the distribution. of major British films has been left almost. entirely in the hands of American distributors

olicy has ben somewhat in recent months, and several British producers now have direct re- presentation In this Colony.

Thoss producers must support their now Hongkong distributors. To in- sist, as one American company did with disastrous results when it first entered the Hongkong market, that all previous filma, no matter their "nge" must be exhibited before marleyn films are released, would ritin this market.

CUT THE LOSS.

Far belter La cut the loss on films that are over 12 months old, and start off on par with the Americuns. To release. "Man of Aran”, at a {first-run house'nt this late date was a mistakoa mlatake intensi0nd by the fact that the accompanyarriage. of Reel was one showing the the Duke and Duchess of

Kent

News-

bolleve that British film producerm

cu capture the British market with out Government intervention, provided they go about It in the right way.

If British producers won't help their Hongkong distributors, how. ever, and Government Intervention on behalf of Dritish films becomes: necessary, fct Government by all means Insist that at least twenty per cent of the featurò programmes exhibited in this Colony be British.

Do you think that you have made but cannot find the particular record a genuine effort to round up Hong-played by ZDW. Is it that ZBW gels kong's available talent for studiots records, from England before But if Government takes this step, programimes? What about amateur they're stocked here. If so, Where It must protect the Hongkong publle, highta (great idea employed in other | can I purchase them? Endiofan. and at the same time Ello, British pro. parts of the world to find talent), Most of ZBW records are pur-ducor, by banning from Hongkong request nights, studio plays, running chased or borrowed locally, and can cinema housee all3 Britisk, films that commentarien," the Navy" and "Army? I be procured from local dealersTM ure over 15 months old.

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