LISTENERS PLEASED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 237, 7 October 1930, Page 8

LISTENERS PLEASED.

BETTER SERVICE EXPECTED.

HISTORY OF MONOPOLY.

ESTIMATED REVENUE, £70 ; 000

(By PHONOS.)

Radio enthusiasts from one end of New Zealand to the other should benefit when the control of broadcasting in the Dominion is taken over by the Post and Telegraph Department on the expiry of the ° Radio Broadcasting Company's license early in 1032. There has been, considerable criticism of the control in the past, and, locally at any rate, it is felt that the change should be,an advantage to the thousands who own wireless sets. It is just over five years ago that the monopoly for broadcasting in New Zealand was granted to the Radio Broadcasting Company in an agreement drawn up between Sir James Parr, the then Postmaster-General, and Messrs. W. Goodfellow and A. 11. Harris. It was a condition of the agreement that the company should take over the small stations which then axisted in the various centres and should establish at least two half-kilowatt stations. It was agreed that these half-kilowatt stations should be established at Auckland and Christchurch and that similar stations should later bo established at the other two main centres. Auckland was the first of the new stations established, the plant coming into action a year after the drawing up of the agreement. The stations previously owned privately were taken over and run by the company. A license fee of 30/ per set was fixed, it being agreed that 23/ of this amount should go to the company. Loan From. Government. While the lit. Hon. J. G. Coates was in England to attend the Imperial Conference he inspected a high power plant for 2YA, the Wellington station. For the establishment of this plant the sum of £15,000 was lent to the Broadcasting Company by the Government. It was agreed that this high-powered plant should be operated in national interests if necessary, broadcasting having proved of considerable value in England in times of strikes and industrial stress. At the same time the five years' agreement entered into between the Government and the company was extended for two years. The number of radio licenses issued annually has grown from about 4000 at the time the company took control to nearly 57,000 at the present time. Seven Per Cent Dividend. In its agreement with the Government ILe broadcasting company was limited to a seven per cent, tax free, dividend, but it was permitted to accumulate reserves from its license revenue, "which were to become the property of the company at the end of its term as controlling body. It was agreed also that at the end 'of the period, if there was no renewal-of the license, the Government should take over the company's plant at valuation. On the present license figures the company's revenue is at the rate of over £70.000 per annum. Listeners generally should be highly delighted at the decision of the Government, as there are good prospects of increased power, relay stations, and, what is more important, better programmes. The decision also meets with the hearty approval of the radio trade. Empire Broadcasting Scheme. In its decision the New Zealand Government is merely following along- the lines adopted in Great Britain and Australia, where the Government exercises an efficient control over broadcasting. Government control, it is felt locally, will be additionally necessary in the future, when the Empire-wide scheme of broadcasting, as proposed by the British Government, comes into force.