RADIO LICENCE FEES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22318, 4 February 1938, Page 10

RADIO LICENCE FEES

+ HANDLING OF REVENUE CRITICISED LISTENERS DISSATISFIED j Dissatisfaction with the handling of the large amount of money which was paid in each year as radio licence fees the 1937 revenue was estimated to be about £3oo,ooo—was expressed by the president of the Otago Radio Listeners' League, Mr W. J. Bardsley at a recent meeting in Dunedm Mr Bardsley claimed that the total number of licences, according to a recent announcement made by the Prime Minister's office, was 272,064. Before the last election, he said, Mr Savage assured the league of representation in a controlling authority while it existed, but immediately on attaining legislative power the existing- board was dispensed with. A study of Hansard dealing with the recent Broadcasting Bill had disclosed much interesting information, he said principally about the appointment of Mr C G Scrimgeour, as Controller of Commercial Broadcasting. When the Prime Minister had been in Dunedin he had asked him whether any profits from the commercial service wouldbe used to reduce the licence fees. The Prime Minister replied: "Whatever is in it belongs to the whole of the people of New Zealand." Thus a lucrative system was built up on the annual payments of the listeners of £250,000 to £300,000, but the profits went to everybody. These facts carried their own imputations. Another feature of the reports was the proposed Conservatorium of Music. Mr Savage had said that Professor Shelley envisaged a Conservatorium of Music, and "50 yards from this building we are going to erect a broadcasting centre that will be a credit to New Zealand, and we are going to provide facilities in their building which will enable children to be educated in music and in the spoken ar t s " This was commendable, he said but the inequity of the position was that listeners supplied the initial money for commercial stations -Why should not everybody in New Zealand and not the listeners only, provide'the money to launch this quite laudable scheme? The result and outcome of the pupils' framing would not be poured out, for all time, on listeners only, but to New Zealand stated that while the Prime Minister and three other Ministers took part in the debate they save no assuring word about tne future representation of listeners on some controlling board, although reminded of the definite assertions from various platforms made in reply to the questionnaire issued before the last election by the executive of station IZB.