Mountaintop Music At Queenstown Allowed

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30413, 11 April 1964, Page 12

Mountaintop Music At Queenstown Allowed

“The Press" Special Service QUEENSTOWN, April 11. Musical broadcasts from the top of Cemetery Hill, rather more than 1000 ft above Queenstown, may again become a feature of the town. This will be the result of a decision made by the Queenstown Borough Council at its meeting giving the operator of Skyline Tours, Ltd. (Mr J. Durable) limited permission to reinstate musical broadcasts. In a letter to the council, Mr Durable had sought permission to make musical broadcasts, limited to a maximum of 15 minutes in any two-hour period, with the additional right to advertise the company’s tours twice daily. The letter said the broadcasting facilities envisaged would also be available for civic announcements and the advertising of town functions. "Approve this as it stands, and you are giving permission for a commercial broadcasting

station on the top of the hill—and you haven’t a knob on your radio to turn it off with,” said the Mayor (Mr G. D. Cochrane). Cr. A. R. Ryan said the broadcasts could be an encroachment on the public freedom where no control was possible by townspeople. She said there had been letters of complaint not only from residents, but from visitors to the town, when the previous broadcasts were in operation. Cr. Ryan said she thought the broadcasts would detract from the peace and quiet of Queenstown, which, in her experience, had attracted favourable comment from many overseas tourists, particularly Americans, who were impressed by the lack of loud commercialisation in the town. Trial Period Wanted “I would like us to say ‘No’ to this tonight. I would like to see a trial period at least,” said Cr, R. G. Ramshaw. “I could not support any kind of advertising; but I would like to see the music given a fair trial. It could be good. Carols, say, at Christmas time, would be an attraction for holidaymakers.” It was decided to grant a trial period of three months from the installation of the public address equipment. The broadcasts are to be restricted to a maximum of two 15-minute periods between 10 a.m. and noon, and between 5 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., except on Sundays, when no broadcasts are to be hade. Music—and messages—were first broadcast from the hilltop by the late Mr I. Hamilton, who pioneered the road to the summit where the chalet now stands.