The White Falcon - 10.03.1945, Blaðsíða 2

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Jon Magnusson broadcasts the latest news over Radio Reykjavik.
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Radio Reykjavik
To the people of Ice-
land, scattered throughout
numerous fjords and isol-
ated for Jong winter
months, the inception of
a regular broadcast sche-
dule in 1930 marked a new
era in entertainment and
service. Proof of this state-
ment lies in the fact that
in 1930 there were practi-
cally no radio receivers
in Iceland but by July 1,
1943 there were about
21,400 registered radio
owners in the country —
making one set
five of the popu-
ro uglily
to every
lation. »
With modern studios
and offices in the Teleph-
« one and Broadcast Build-
6 ing on Revk javik’s Borg
-« Square, the Iceland State
Broadcast Service carries
*

«
on its work under Mr.
Jonas Porhergsson, Gen-
eral Director, who was
appointed hv the Minister
of Education. A Program
Council, consisting of five
members elected by the
Althing, supervises the
programming for the stat-
ion (popularly known to
the GIs as “Radio Revkja-
vik.”)
As a stale function, the
broadcast service derives
its revenues from an ann-
ual license fee collected
from the owner of each
radio receiver. To supple-
ment this, considerable
amounts are gained from
the broadcasting of spot
announcements. (Iceland-
ic! radio differs from Am-
erican radio in this re-
spect in that all commer-
cials are crowded into
one 20 or 25 minute per-
iod per day.) Under the
law (which says that the
revenues can only he used
to promote the broadcast
activity for the common
good of the nation), funds
are allocated annually for
courses in radio repair
and the charging of-radio
batteries (mainly in the^
rural districts).
Approximately 17.2% of
all air time is devoted
to the airing of news
which covers not only all
war events and internat-
ional happenings, hut lo-
cal news as well. In order
to keep the people more
informed about the aff-
airs of their government,
discussions are broadcast
direct from the Althing
House. A staff of news ex-
perts (Jon Magmisson,
Axel Thorsteinsson and
Bjorn Franzson) analyse
and interpret world and
local events — just as do
American commentators.
More than fi,000 record-
ings are on file to supple-
ment the musical pro-
grams which are present-
ed by vocal and instru-
mental soloists and the
staff orchestra and mixed
choir. GuSmundu® Jons-
Corps Photo).
son, Icelandic baritone 25
who sang recently before 25
the GIs at the Fieldhouse, ;;
is heard often over Radio it
Reykjavik. 52
Dramas, readings and a ;»
children’s hour are other 25
popular features of the 25
Icelandic radio svstem £;
which, incidentally; pro- 5'
hibits applause during j£
broadcasts. “Remote con- it
hr
trol” pick-ups are made J?
from the Slate Church, 25
the Borg Hotel and the 25
Althing House. One of
£?
(heir greatest engineering 5t
feats came in broadcast- 52
hr
ing the ceremonies from 52
Thingvellir on June 17, 5;
1911 when Iceland was 25
rh
declared a republic. 25
Radio’s use as an cdu- 25
hr
cational medium is not it
hr
forgotten, either. At pres- 52
eiit, four languages are 52
being taught over the air: £;
Icelandic, Danish, English 25
and German. Esperanto 25
was taught
hut has now
for a while 52
hr
been discon- 52
hr
tinned. >2
In addition to broad- 5$
casting to the people, the 52
rh
Iceland State Broadcast 25
rh
Service has leaspd its fac- 25
ilities to the Allied mili-'S
hr
tarv authorities for enter- £2
*" hr
tainment of the troops. 52
Pre-war days found the 52
radio- broadcasting (in 2;
three languages) weather 25
reports and notices of 25
ships. Q
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ATC Planes Set New
Trans-Ocean Records
Seven new trans-ocean
air records have been set
during recent months by
C-54
long-range
Douglas
planes, the Air Transport
Command has revealed.
The latest space-shatter-
ing mark is a record of 46
hours, 45 minutes for the
11,000-mile hop from Miami,
Fla., to Calcutta, India.
Other records recently
made by the C-54s include:
London to Washington, 5,300
miles, with two stops, wit-
hin 24 hours.
Washington to Paris, 3,600
miles, 18 hours.
(During- the temporary afcse nee of Pvt. Jack Gray, this
column is being written by Sgt. Bob Hill.)
Accused of swatting mosquitoes is his sleep, Pl’c. Peter
P. Jencis of a local Ack-Ack outfit is considered by his
buddies to be- living proof that lie was in Panama too
long. Pfc. George Clctcher (Ack-Ack unit news reporter)
say’s that when, on cold, windy nights, Jencis gets to telling
some of his tall snake stories his battery-mates know
definitely that 35 months and 20 days in Panama were
just about 35 months and 20 days too long for Pete.
Seriously, though, Jencis claims he “had it made” down
there on the Isthmus. His two brothers were with him—-
“and there was plenty of wine, women and song to keep
us happy!” In Iceland less than nine months, Pete finds
the climate here more like that at home in Auburn, Maine.
However, when he hears Anita on the “Personal Album”
broadcast over the AFRS station here, Pete forgets all
about the cold and thinks for a morpent that he’s hack
in Panama because “she does something to me!”
Many parties and dances about the island have been
livened by’ the swell brand of jive dished out by’ the hot
combination of Pfc. Mike Germano, Tec 4.Louis Daber-
kow, Tec 5 Daniel Cirelli and .Tec 5 A1 Solov. These four
men deserve a vote of thanks from every unit for whom
they play—as they put in a fidl day’s work before going
out on a job. Dabcrkow is an Ordnanceman, (while the
others are busy during the day at one of our hospitals.
It takes a lot of “get-up-and-go” to play long hours nightly
and then travel hack to camp in the rear of a truck or on
a bus with the only reward being, perhaps, a few bottles
of beer and a sandwich.
*
Pfc. Howard “Pop” Hollister of the Photo Lab has
received word that his wife, Pvt. Betty Hollister of the
WAG, has arrived “somewhere in the Philippines” where
she works in 'the A-2 office of an Air Force unit. Too
busy for sight-seeing, Pvt. Hollister writes Pfc. Hollister
that the girls have managed to pick up all kinds of pets
from monkies to dogs. Beer is rationed, hut there are
plenty of coconuts. “Pop” has been in the service for three
years and his iwife for two years. .... Sgt. Bill Shovell of
Hq. & liq. Co., IRC, is pondering over the intricacies and
ramifications of military courtesy as his wife will gradu-
ate soon from OCS. When he married her in January, she
was a Cpl. in the WAG at Tampa, Fla. “It was easy then
to pull my rank on her,” Bill says, “but when she becomes
2nd Lt. Jane R. Shovell, I’m afraid I’ll he on permanent
KP duty!”
Word comes from Jack Gray, regular conductor of this
column, that the Slates still look the same and that life
is “surprisingly normal” there—and that it’s a treat to
have railroad porters “Sir” him......Pvt. Earl Kitching,
.who iworks at the PX Restaurant (which is still in need
of another name), points out that there are a GROW',
ROOSTER and KITCHEN working ni the RESTAURANT.
Of course, one has to slur Kitching’s name to get “kit-
chen.” The other members of this two-thirds “fowl” trio
arc Pfc. John Grow and Pvt. Ernest Ruester (“Rooster”).
....“Saratoga Trunk,” Edna Berber's best-selling novel,
is running in serial form in Reykjavik’s Morgunbladid
newspaper......“Bor Borsson” is another best-seller in
the capital city these days. It’s a “Babbitt”-type novel.