TELEVISION IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26967, 17 February 1953, Page 3

TELEVISION IN NEW ZEALAND

COMMERCIAL BASIS FAVOURED BRITISH i BUSINESSMAN’S VIEW (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. February 16. New Zealanders would be unable to support a television service unless it was developed commercially, said the chairman of directors of Electric and Musical Industries. Ltd.. Britain (Sir Alexander Aikman) on his arrival at Wellington by Solent from Sydney. Sir Alexander Aikman said that the population was too small to be able to afford a television service on national lines. Although there were about 210,000 people in the Wellington area, they represented perhaps 52,000 families, and of that number probably only a fraction would be prepared to buy a television set, which would cost more than £lOO. The Australian Government had decided to introduce television, and in the meantime an independent Royal Commission had been set up to investigate what type of service should be installed. “In the United States radio stations sell time on the air,” said Sir Alexander Aikman. “The new company with which I am associated proposes to sell programmes. Under this system we believe that the standard of the pictures shown will be maintained. We will thus avoid the deterioration which, it is alleged, has occurred in the United States as a result of letting advertisers screen programmes of their own choice.” Sir Alexander Aikman. who is accompanied by Lady Aikman, is making a world tour, and has come to New Zealand to survey business conditions on behalf of the companies in which he is interested.