1In the 1920s all radio was experimental and listened to by the amateur constructors. They listened to Morse code with the rasping sound that came from 'spark transmitters'. The sound of these changed when valves developed in World War I were used. Then ways were found of modulating a carrier wave for voice. On 17th November 1921 Professor Robert Jack from Otago University made the first public radio broadcast which included both speech and music. These broadcasts continued twice a week until the end of 1921.

2The people experimenting with radio in 1921 were the amateurs who bought the parts and assembled their own radios (crystal sets) as none existed to buy. However the bureaucracy around getting a radio receiving licence from the Post Office was complex, and cost 5 shillings.

3The regulations did not work with the new invention of radio broadcasts and had to change. Charles Forest set up in the Hope-Gibbons building (cnr of Tory St and Courtney Place, Wellington) put an aerial on the roof with a one room studio and, in early February 1922, regular broadcasting started Monday to Friday 1930 to 2100. He was the 'father' of commercial radio in New Zealand as he advertised radio parts for sale. He had no transmission licence however.

4A few months after the Wellington station went on air an Auckland group, Douglas Shepherd and R D F Burrell and the Johns Brothers who were selling radio parts, began broadcasting around the middle of 1922 from His Magesty's Arcade. Christchurch and Otago also started and a second station in Newtown, Wellington by A D H Simpson, Arthur McLay, R Appley with Clive Drummond as the announcer.

5In 1922 broadcasting in Wellington consisted of a small studio, a piano, gramophone and a carbon microphone which needed constant maintenance. Beggs music shop were amongst the first paying advertisers, advertising the music for the song "Yes we have no Bananas".

6The first person to sing over the radio was Mrs Violet Giles, and the first man was [Coney]. A music company, Williams. loaned the station the records to play in return for mentioning they were for sale. To get a piano they asked the audience for half a crown each and got around 100 pounds.

7Band music was the most popular programme, male voices were good but women's voices came over badly. Bill Huggins was a young radio engineer who started installing receivers, the masts and aerials into individual houses. Some of this original 1920's equipment is in Broadcasting House in Wellington.

8Today Radio and Television are taken for granted - even from a space station. In the early 1920's it was a source of wonder and newspapers reported the reception of radio concerts. In September 1922 the government released its new Broadcasting Regulations, and this is their 50th anniversary. They opened the door to organised broadcasting in New Zealand. They divided the country into four regions for call signs which still exist: the style was 1YA, Auckland, 2YA, Wellington, 3YA Christchurch and 4YA Dunedin. There was a licence fee and broadcasters could broadcast educative or entertaining material. They were not allowed to advertise and there could be no propaganda or anything offensive. Listeners also paid a fee. Of the original stations 4XD Dunedin still operates.