RADIO LICENCE FEE

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26671, 4 March 1952, Page 6

RADIO LICENCE FEE

increase expects SOON RISE TO 27/« OR 3«/(from OUT Own RtpOrtef) WELLINGTON, March ! The anfiuel radio licensing fee si 23s a year will soon be increased. Pre* ent indications are that the nex charge will be at least 27s 6d. atli possibly 30s a year. The Minister ir charge of Broadcasting (Mr R. M Algie) is preparing a report tor th) Cabinet on the general finances of thi New Zealand Broadcasting Service This, it is understood, will recommes these increases in the annual liceniihi fee. j In the financial year ended Mara 31. 1951. the New Zealand Service lost £84.898. a slight improve ment Oh the loss of £.45.833 lit th previous year. The problem facing thi Minister and the Cabinet is to recou| this loss and put the broadcasting Mr Vice bn a payable basis, and also ti build up sufficient reserve to cope W the future expansion, including th provision of television. Reports submitted by the broadest ing service to the Minister show a rise Of 6d in the present anffifci licehSine fee of 255, wdtild yield s) extra £58.000. This Would mprsj cover the present deficit, but it is no considered io be Sufficient fbr nitw expansion Of the sekviefe, including w provision of studios in smaller centre Which nave already been promised;. As iti other Government deptti ments, administration costs are contim allv mounting, and tne cost of instil lation. including expensive land linj is still rising. Although experts cdp sidet that television in New ZealaK is still some years away, they agfw that this innovation is sufficiently Mai to Warrant some financial provision being made in advance. Suggestions have bden made to thi Minister that as almost every possesses a radio set the present annua licence fee should be abolished and :«■ placed by a direct charge oh the Con. solidated Fund. There is nothing suggest that this proposal Will be acceptable to the Government.