NEW 1YA STATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 230, 29 September 1933, Page 3

NEW IYA STATION.

TRANSMITTING SITE.

PROPERTY AT HENDERSON.

BOUGHT FOR £1000. At a cost of £1000, the New Zealand Broadcasting Board has bought an area of 15J acres near Henderson for lYA's new radio transmitting site.

Hundreds of tests were carried out by the board's engineering experts in many parts of the Auckland district in their search for the most suitable site for the new station, and it is understood that the engineers have been in complete agreement for some time past that the site chosen is admirable for transmitting purposes. The area is at the junction of the Henderson and Taikata Creeks, near the Lincoln Road Bridge, about 2J miles past Henderson on the way to Helensville. Bounded by creeks and mangrove swamps, which will provide excellent "earthing," the area will not have the interference of high hills.

The owner of the property was Mrs. L. E. G. Williams, of Henderson. She said this morning that in the first place the Broadcasting Board had offered her £900 for the property, but she had refused to sell under " £1000. Officials of the Broadcasting Board thought it over, and on Monday they told Mrs. Williams that they would accept her price. The necessary papers were signed yesterday, and the cheque paid over.

"I have another property near Tui Glen that they were after," said Mrs. Williams. "They made me no direct offer, but I understand they tried to buy it through an agent. It was supposed to be the ideal site."

A member of the Broadcasting Board, Mr. G. R. Hutchinson, said to-day that it was proposed to build a single-storey reinforced concrete building on the property, and already plans and specifications were being prepared. Tenders would be ''ailed as soon as possible for that job, and also for the construction of the new IYA studio at the top of Shortland Street. Plans for the studio were almost completed, and the works would be put in hand as quickly as possible. A four-roomed bungalow on the new Henderson property would be left intact, and would probably be used in the future as the home of a caretaker.

With the erection of the new transmitting station, Auckland's broadcasting facilities will be greatly in.proved. The present IYA station and transmitter in Newton have for a long time been inadequate.

A start was made some time ago with the erection of the new 3YA transmitting station at Gcbbie's Pass, Banks Peninsula, about 15 miles from Christchurch, and it is expected that the new station will be in operation before the end of tlie year. It is the policy of the Broadcasting Board to equip the whole national system with the most modern plant, and Auckland and Canterbury are the two first stations to be vastly improved.