TELEVISION TOO COSTLY FOR N.Z., VISITOR THINKS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 97, 18 September 1950, Page 6

TELEVISION TOO COSTLY FOR N.Z., VISITOR THINKS

Is there a good chance of the development of television in New Zealnd in the next few years? Mr T. Marshall, now touring the Dominion making 16 millimetre films for release on television programmes in the United States does not ihihk §o. Television is practicable only where there are large populations in relatively small areas, he says. This is because television has a strictly limited range. “Television will not come to New Zealand for many, many years,” said Mr Marshall in an interview. “First, there is the enormous cost of installing transmitters, then it must be remembered that television has a range of only a few miles. In hilly country the range can be reduced almost to nil and there is plenty of hilly country in New Zealand.

“In other words,” continued Mr Marshall, “in some instances the range of a transmitter is almost visual. You have to have your receiver almost within sight of the transmitter. True, in Los Angeles we can receive fair images from San Diego, 120 miles distant, but this is exceptional and by no means the rule.”

Mr Marshall added that television has almost revolutionised;'’life in most of the larger cities of the U.S.A. In Los Angeles at least ,40 per cent of the people had televisreceivers and the percentage was incrasing at a terrific rate. There were five transmitters, all commercial, in Los Angeles and programmes were broadcast up to 20 hours a day. “You need no longer stand in the rain to see a football match, or put up with crowds at a big fight,” he said. “Everything is televised. That is, everything of general interest and you see it right there on the screen in your sitting room. “True, it has really adversely affected the theaters. Complete films are televised, sometimes three shows being put on in an evening Television is really keeping the people at home and the gathering of the family round the set is a regular feature in thousands of American homes.

“Production of television receivers is booming,” he continued. “Prices of high-grade sets are falling fast. Two years ago a set cost £2OO. Now they can be bought for between £3O and £4O.

“Reflecting the impact of television, the movie business has slumped about 35 per cent in New York theatres,” continued Mr Marshall. “On Hollywood Boulevard itself, many large stores have closed and there is an air of despondency on movie lots.

“I would say that the fact of television programmes having to be sponsored is the biggest bar to their adoption in New Zealand,” said Mr Marshall. “Sponsors won’t pay thousands of pounds to provide programmes for a limited audience and for many, many years television would have only a strictly limited audience in New Zealand.”