NO RADIO ORCHESTRA.'

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 151, 28 June 1928, Page 9

NO RADIO ORCHESTRA.'

INSUFFICIENT REVENUE.

EXCESSIVE MOTICAX- FEES. DECREASE IN LICENSES. Mr. W. 3. Bellingham, the Broadcasting Company's director of music, made the following statement thie morning:— "Auckland listeners ■\vjll be disappointed to learn tiiat delay has occurred in the maturing of the Broadcasting Company's plans for the formation of an orchestra at IYA. . It was the company's intention to establish an orchestra of the same size and calibre as the combination in Wellington, but unexpected difficulties have been encountered. The excessive fe<ss demanded by the leading instrumentalist* when considered in the face of the fact that the number of licenses in the Auckland district is still distinctly below that of "Wellington, and that the licenses have not yet returned to their original level, make it impossible at the present time for the company to take the risk of spending beyond its revenue to the extent that would be necessary were a full orchestra formed under the present conditions. "After a careful analysis of the broadcast programmes of British-speaking countries, I have no hesitation in saying that for the amount of revenue available the programmes broadcast and the service rendered by the New Zealand .stations compare more than favourably with any otbeT station in the Englishspeaking world. At the present time the Wellington station has an orchestra which is larger in point of numbers, and in efficiency is undoubtedly superior to any similar combination in Australia. The programmes as a whole compare more than favourably with those of 3LO Melbourne. the revenue for the Wellington station is slightly less than one-ninth of the 'revenue which is available for the '- Melbourne station. The reasons why such efficient service is possible are three-fold. Firstly, there has been the greatest economy and efficiency in the management of the New Zealand broadcasting stations. Secondly', a number of prominent people in the country have been prepared to give their services for nothing or at a lower fee than they might reasonably expect. Thirdly, the company has been prepared to take the risk of spending an amount on the service in excess of what it should reasonably spend, with the idea of building up licensee for the future. "The latter two conditions will not continue and if the.general public is to expect a continuance of the

present excellence, it is essential that j..iie next move must come from the] iifltener-in. The total anlount of license Fees paid must be increased. In this respect the listener-in can assist. By >»'O"" s ftip<* the excellence of the service he can encourage fresh licenses. Adders,* criticism can have only one result—decreasing the revenue on which listeners depend for service. The 'istener should also use every means '" hi« nnnvr to protect himself from being exploited by the man who has no' paid his license. There is no doubt that ■r\- ••!>>.;,vi licenses account very largely for the present decrease in license fees For i.h<» reasons mentioned the establishment of the Auckland orchestra wil ; be delayed until such time as the licenses return to the level which they had reached at the end' of last year. In the Tieantime, as a temporary expedient, the present trio will be ref*onstructed into a small salon orchestra."