BROADCASTING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 133, 9 June 1927, Page 12

BROADCASTING

GROWING DISSATISFACTION

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

.AUCKLAND, This Day lt is quite evident that Now. Zealand holders of wireless listening licenses arc growing more and more dissatisfied with the conditions under which broadcasting is conducted, and they have become more vocal lately in their discontent. Speaking generally the complaints are about the inconvenient allocation of broadcast wave lengths, the broad tuning of the New Zealand stations, the quality of the programmes supplied by the Broadcasting Company, and the lack of information about its finances. The first two questions are of a technical nature, and the average license holder though he may be aware of the difficulties they create, is hardly qualified to express an opinion. Everyone is interested in the remaining two, which are interdependent. The company has said that when there are 40,000 licenses it will be in a position to supply firstclass programmes. This statement contains the implied admission that the present programmes are not first class and_ infers also that the solution lies in increased finances. It aims high With 40,000 full-time licenses, it wili have a gross income of £50,000 a year paid in advance. On the most recent figures there are now 16,492 fulltime listening licenses. This means a return to the company of over £, 24,800, besides what it may receive from parttime listening and other license fees. [The last figure is incorrect. It should be £20,600, the poinpany's revenue per license being £1 ss.] While the published .returns show approximately what is received in support of broadcasting, there has never been any statement giving the details of the expenditure. This is an undesirable position. There have been demands for a balance-sheet, but they have never been satisfied. The Government cannot divest itself of responsibility. It collects the license fees, and incidentally prosecutes those who make default in paying .them. It owes to the public an account of the manner in which the money is spent. Until this is given there js no real answer to the complaints of those who arc dissatisfied, and the complaints will increase. It is time the Government took heed of the public discontent with New Zealand broadcasting.