£70,000 OUTLAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 263, 7 November 1939, Page 8

£70,000 OUTLAY.

COMMERCIAL STUDIO.

IS EXPENSE WARRANTED ?

SPACE IN ITA BUILDING

The announcement that it is proposed to spend £70,000 on a new commercial broadcastiug station for Auckland, in addition to acquiring a site in Durham Street at an estimated coat of £10;000, haw occasioned considerable comment in the eitv. This huge expenditure follows the outlay of £87,000 on IYA several years ago, when it stated that provision was being made for future expan-

sion. . . The 'implication of these provisional figures, which have not been officially contradicted, 'is that broadcasting plant costing £107,000 will have been erected in Auckland, not including the ro*t of the subsidiary station IZM. I hat the projected expenditure is unwarranted is the opinion of many people interested in broadcasting who allege that there is adequate space in the new IYA studios in Shortland Street to accommodate the needs of IZH. The 1035 report of the Xew Zealand Broadcasting Hoard stated that the opening of the new MA transmitter, the most powerful and the best equipped station in Australia and Xew Zealand, was the important event of the. year. The transmitting equipment was housed in a commodious new building two miles north of Henderson, and provision had been made in the building for futuie extension.

The new studio building, added the report, contained four completed studios for different, purpose*, while provision had been made for additional studio! accommodation, and space provided for other extensions. The total cost of land, buildings, technical equipment and furniture for the new transmitter at Henderson and for the new studio and office building in Auckland approximated C87.1M10. The dimensions of the largest studio were stated ill the report to be <l()ft by 4()ft by 2."ift. It was for use for performances by orchestras, choirs and other large combinations. Xo 2 studio was 40ft lon<>'. 2.") ft wide and loft high, and was intended primarily for children's sessions. No. 4 was a small studio Kift by 10ft and 10ft high, and was used for talks and similar purposes. The studio was thoroughly up to date and was specially designed to ensure efficient transmission from the studio end of the transmitting chain. The earlier activities were discussed in the previous year's report, in which it was noted that the board's engineerin;; staff had spent a good deal of timo in determining the best location for a new transmitter to serve the Auckland area. Work had begun on the new studio and office premises in Shortland Street. Modern practice had been followed iu designing the studio, particular attention having In-en devoted to acoustical requirements and to sound insulation, Imith external mid internal. l\As studio includes a residence for the station manager, and it is asserted by a. correspondent who criticises the pro|H>sal to build a new station that this could be converted at a pinch for studio purposes. Kven without this accommodation, however, it is alleged that there | is a lot of uniKsed and waste space in the building. j Preparatory work in connection with I the new building on the site in Durham Street \\ est. was started by the contractors, X. Cole, Limited, yesterday. A quantity of material has !>een brought on to the site and workmen ure digging test shafts for the foundations. A member of tlie company stated, however, that the actual date of starting the job was indefinite.