COLOUR YEARS OFF

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31420, 13 July 1967, Page 1

COLOUR YEARS OFF

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 12. Colour television is unlikely to be transmitted in New Zealand for at least five years, according to the N.Z.B.C. and manufacturers of television sets. The N.Z.B.C.’s director of engineering, Mr J. Norman, said today the introduction of colour TV in New Zealand was more an economic problem than a technical one. “All our major transmitters already have colour

capabilities with minor modification," he said. Any major equipment the corporation bought from now on would also have colour capability. The cost of converting present equipment without the new transmitting centre at Avalon would not be an economic proposition. Avalon would have to come first In addition, black and white television cameras would have to be replaced by high quality colour cameras. A high quality colour camera would cost at least $40,000 compared with the $16,000 to $20,000 for a high quality black and white camera. Given Government approval

to spend overseas funds on the necessary equipment, which would include considerable additional studio lighting, studios could be transmitting programmes in colour two years later, Mr Norman said. The immediate past president of the New Zealand Radio and Television Manufacturers’ Association, Mr B. D. Garden, said colour TV sets would be three times more complicated, and three or four times more costly. Manufacturers could put colour sets into production 18 months after the decision on colour TV was made, he said, but sets would probably not be on sale until two years after the decision.