LYING IDLE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 80, 1 October 1924, Page 6

LYING IDLE

HUNDREDS OF WIRELESS SETS

A DISPUTE OVER PATENTS,

Those possessing wireless receiving sets ■who happened to be listening-in last evening received somewhat of a surprise when the entertainment was punctuated by the following message sent out by the Wellington Broadcasting Station, stating that it will be closed down unil further notice, "as Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia, has notified us that we must desist from broadcasting as they claim that we are infringing patents."

This message was sent out as expressing the position and views of the Wellington Wireless Traders' Association, and came as a surpirse to many hundreds, in fact, thousands, of hstenersin. There are some 600 of them registered in the Wellingotn district, but there are believed to be over a thousand who have receiving sets. The lis-tening-in to the programmes of the Wellington stations is not, however, confined to the district, but covers listen-ers-in throughout New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and even New South Wales, the association having received letters from all these piaces recording the reception of the Wellington programmes. As the result of the allegation of infrigement many thousands of sets are lying practically idle, for there are few receivers who are interested in more than the programmes, and the present broadcasters, in order to show their bona fides in wishing not to interfere with anyone else's rights, have closed down their stations, pending the matter being cleared up.

The Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia, Ltd., assert that by broadcasting, the broadcasters are1 infringing patents held by the. Amalgamated Wireless, and they have therefore requested that such infringement should be desisted from. The _ broadcasters do not recognise or admit that there has been any infringement, and hold that they have been operating on the same system for some time with the knowledge of the Amalgamated Wireless. • :

The present organisation for broadcasting claims to have done the "spade work" in New Zealand, in the matter of broadcasting, and to have some rights in the matter. Originally the broadcasting, which has been carried out for some two years, was done by traders and certain enthusiastic amateurs. Then followed the efforts of the Wellington Broadcasters, Limited, and the Dominion Radio-Company. Even with the resources of these two the load was too heavy—broadcasting is an expensive business—and the Wellington Wireless Traders' Association was instituted with the idea of making more adequate provision for financing programmes. Since then the stations have been broadcasting regular programmes, and the number of listeners-in has increased to large proportions.

No indication can be given, at the moment, as to the period over which there will be no broadcasting locally.

- _ DUNEDIN, This Day. The Dunedm broadcasting station, which, in common with others has been notified by the Wellington solocitors of Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia, is closed down, pending the settlement of the alleged infringement of Amalgamated wireless patents.