International Playhouse — Fun Balloons — Tom's washing machine needs to be repaired but nobody comes to service it, so he goes to the local showroom to complain. There he meets the manager, his secretary and the area supervisor who give him endless reasons why the job cannot be done. It becomes clear that the situation is out of their hands, as everything is controlled by a computer and the remote top management. ABC Radio National, Thursday, August 4, 2.05pm.
That's History — They Called Me Over — A program on Italian migration to the Lismore area. There has been an Italian presence in the Lismore district of northern NSW since the 1880s. Italian Australians from the district recall the confusion of a strange country with even stranger wildlife while trying to grapple with a new language. ABC Radio National, Friday, August 5, 7.10pm.
The Science Show — The Politics of Energy: A Culture of Secrecy — John Merson presents the first of two programs that examine the politics of energy. For first the time since the 1950s, nuclear power is being put forward as an environmentally-safe solution to the ever increasing demand for energy in the Asia-Pacific region. This growth in demand in Asia has been the saviour of the international nuclear industry, with about 65 nuclear power plants to be built in the region over the next 15 years. This program examines the experiences of India and the USSR — countries where the development of the nuclear power industry was surrounded by secrecy and inefficiency with disastrous effects. ABC Radio National, Saturday, August 6, 12.40pm.
BBC Proms — 100 Years — John Drummond is the director of the BBC Promenade Concerts. In this program he talks with Gillian Waite about the 1994 season which celebrates 100 years of the Proms. Drummond talks about Henry Wood's original vision and the artists in this year's programs. Music from historic recordings of the Proms will be played. ABC Classic FM, Sunday, August 7, 8pm.
Rachmaninov — The piano concertos of Sergi Vassilievich Rachmaninov, especially numbers two and three, have always been popular with Australian concert audiences. His symphonies are gradually attaining that status. The four programs at this time feature the four symphonies and much more from the composer's varied output. ABC Classic FM, Sunday, August 7, 10pm.
Soundstage — Night Must Fall — By Emlyn Williams. A lonely house in the wood, a murder, a domineering old woman and the arrival of a strange beguiling young Welsh boy are the ingredients for this superb suspense story set in south-east England in 1935. ABC Classic FM, Tuesday, August 9, 8pm.
Live Commonwealth Games Coverage — ABC Radio will present live coverage of the XV Commonwealth Games, held this year in Victoria, Canada, between Friday, August 19 and Monday, August 29. Broadcasts will include all regular news bulletins, but normal programming will be changed to allow for coverage of the Games.