Hauraki looks to summer months

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 20

Hauraki looks to summer months

PA Auckland Hauraki Enterprises Ltd is looking to “a healthy level of sales over the important summer months” after improving its ratings in the latest McNair survey, according to the chairman (Mr P. J. Dew). Trading in the first quarter was running steady at about the same level as the previous year, he said at the annual meeting. The managing director (Mr D. S. R. Lowe) told shareholders that Radio Hauraki had scooped three awards, including the most sought after -station promotion award, at the 1981 Australian Radio Awards. More than 70 Australian stations and about 10 New Zealand stations competed for the nine awards.

Mr Dew said that there was a place for private enterprise in the television broadcasting system, although its shape was yet to be seen.

“The Broadcasting Commission is attempting to fight a steady rearguard action to protect its present monopoly,” he said. “Radio Hauraki retains its

interest in and commitment to Alternative Television,” he said. A director, Mr M. A. Wall, said that he expected a decision in a few days on the Alternative Television tender for six hours of television time.

He said that this did not preclude the argument that one of the two stations should be made over to private enterprise. Mr Dew said H.auraki was positioned so that it could look forward to a share in FM (frequency ' modulated) radio.

Mr Lowe said. a capital expenditure between $500,000 and $700,000 would be needed for Hauraki to transmit FM radio.

The. compapy expected to be more competitive with FM and there would be some growth in advertising. In answer to -a shareholder's question on the recent heavy trading in Hauraki, Mr Dew said there was no new “outside terribly influential' body involved that he knew of. He said he believed a number of the shares involved in the heavy trading had changed hands more than once.