TELEVISION LIKELY IN AUSTRALIA NEXT YEAR

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27638, 20 April 1955, Page 13

TELEVISION LIKELY IN AUSTRALIA NEXT YEAR

(Rec. 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 19. Sydney will have television in about 18 months from both national and commercial stations, according to press reports today. Initially, Sydney’s national station and two commercial stations, would each broadcast about 30 hours a week, the Postmaster-General (Mr H. Anthony) said in Canberra today. An official of a radio manufacturing firm said in Sydney that good television rdbeivers, costing £l7O to £2OO, would be available when television programmes began. . Mr Anthony said national television' stations would begin operating at the same time as the commercials. Most broadcasting would be done at night, although big day-time sporting fixtures would probably also be broadcast, Mr Anthony said.

Whether television will be on the air in time for the Olympic Games in November, 1956, is doubtful. Melbourne’s commercial television companies believe it might be unwise to risk development merely to be able to televise the Games.

The Federal Cabinet today allocated commercial licences to operate television stations to four companies. The licences, the first to be allocated, were given to Amalgamated Television Services Proprietary, Limited, and Television Corporation, Limited, in Sydney, and in Melbourne to the General Television Corporation, Limited, and the Herald and Weekly Times, Limited.

Sydney and Melbourne newspapers have prominent interests in the four companies. Television could confer real benefit on the Australian people, the broadcasting Control Board said in its report to the Federal Cabinet, recommending the four licences. Benefits to the people would depend on:

The standard demanded at the start. Willingness of the companies to accept their responsibilities and develop their services with proper regard to the public interest. The granting of the licences to the four companies would impose on them a great responsibility, particularly as they would have a technical advantage in getting the first four commercial licences in Australia. The board recommended the appointment of two “independent” directors to all boards of the four applicant companies.