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"Studio" - a programme marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of station 1YA's new studio building in Shortland Street, Auckland in January 1935.
Various reminiscences about working at 1YA from studio guests, technical and announcing staff. Musicians Pat Towsey, Moya Rea and Felix Miller comment on the standard of the studios in the new art deco building.
Sid Edwards, senior technician at 1YA recalls the high standard of the technical facilities which he had a chance to compare with the BBC's studios during the war.
Pat Towsey was piano accompanist and recalls some of the eccentric performers who auditioned in an attempt to go on air. Live performances were typical until the advent of tape recording [ in the 1950s] and musicians recall the formal standards of dress and how live broadcasts kept them on their toes.
Oswald Cheeseman had a long association with 1YA as a musician and composer. A musical excerpt is heard.
Alec F. O'Donoghue was the station manager of 1YA in the early days - a disciplinarian with very high standards, recalled by interviewees.
Stan and Lulu Asquith performed sketches and light entertainment items on 1YA in the early years. They demonstrate some of their items in an interview.
Children's sessions were also a feature of 1YA's programming. Roy Melford, now a Television New Zealand manager was involved as a child as he recalls.
Radio dramas - sometimes performed live - are recalled by actor Yvonne Lawley - and also the inventive way sound effects were created.
When television arrived, 1YA's building was chosen as headquarters the location for the new medium, with the radio station moving to the Durham Street home of commercial station 1ZB. In April 1961, a fire caused widespread damage to parts of the Shortland Street building, as recalled by Lionel Sceats, manager at the time. He says staff referred to the windowless building as "The Mausoleum." He says acoustically it was a very good building, and it worked well for television, although the studios were a bit small.
The programme ends with the Auckland Radio Orchestra conducted by Russ Garcia, playing a Latin American number "Baillia."