NEW BROADCAST HOURS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25274, 28 August 1947, Page 3

NEW BROADCAST HOURS

RESTRICTIONS EASED PEAK LOAD CUTS REMAIN (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 27. As from noon to-day the broadcasting restrictions will be eased and stations will close down only from 8.10 a.m. to 8.40 a.m., from 11 a.m. to noon, and from 5 p.m. to 6.30' p.m. on Monday to Friday of each week. This was announced to-day in a joint statement issued by the Minister in charge of the State Hydro-electric Department (Mr R. Semple) and the Minister of Broadcasting (Mr F. Jones). “While the electric supply position in both the North and South Islands has improved considerably, it is still necessary for the demand for power at times of the peak load to be held down to within the capacity of the generating stations,” said the Ministers “According to seasonal conditions the peak load may occur at any one of the three times of the day during Which broadcasting is still to be restricted.

“'Hie value to the. electric supply position of broadcasting restrictions does not lie so much in the power saved by closing down transmission as in the power saved by several hundred thousand receiving sets being switched off. Listeners are therefore particularly requested not to tune in to alternative overseas programmes when local stations go off the air. Otherwise the purpose of local shutdowns, which is to save electric power, Will be very largely defeated. “As soon as the supply position warrants a change the present reduced hours of broadcasting will be further relaxed.”