The Press THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1937. The Government and the B Stations

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22103, 27 May 1937, Page 10

The Press THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1937. The Government and the B Stations

It is apparent that the promises made by the Labour Party during the General Election campaign to supporters of B class broadcasting stations have placed the* Government in an unpleasant dilemma. As to what specifically the B class stations were promised, there is perhaps room for difference of opinion. But the Government’s position is not any easier on that account, because the important point is that the great majority of supporters of B class stations believed, and were not discouraged from believing, that under a Labour Government these stations would not merely be allowed to continue but would receive financial support from the State. It is only very recently that they have been disillusioned. In his speech on the first reading of the Broadcasting Bill last year the Postmaster-General, the Hon. F. Jones, was at some pains to confirm the impression that B stations could expect an assured lease of life. The following is a quotation from the Hansard report of his speech:— I would point out that prior to and during the election, and, in fact, ever since I have been a member of this House, members of the Labour Party have always stressed the importance of assisting B class stations. We contended that they should be allowed to live. . . . Some of the B class stations have attained a popularity even greater than the national A class stations; and when one thinks that the pioneering of broadcasting in this country was done by B class stations, one realises that they are entitled to all the consideration the Government can give. Objection may be raised to the use of a portion of the receipts from licence fees being handed over to these stations by way of subsidy, but I would like to point out that this is in line with the policy of the British Government in respect of the British Broadcasting Corporation. A reasonable inference from this was that the Government desired existing B stations to continue and was prepared to subsidise them. It now appears, however, that the Government is anxious to buy out the B stations, has in fact completed negotiations for the purchase of, six of them, and is not at all anxious to commit itself on the question of subsidies. This, of course, is as it should be. There are now 11 State-owned broadcasting stations in New Zealand, nine of them maintained by revenue from licensing fees; and it is arguable that, in view of the size of the population and the finances available, the number is too large for efficient service. Any proposal to use the revenue from licence fees to support not nine stations but 30 is fantastic. The result of its adoption would be a wasteful dispersion of already meagre resources. The Coalition Government perceived this and shaped its policy accordingly. On that account it was denounced vociferously by members of the Labour Party in Parliament and during the election campaign«for trying to “ strangle ” the B stations. Both for the electors and for the Labour Party, the episode is a useful lesson.