"B" CLASS STATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 19, 24 January 1929, Page 18

"B" CLASS STATIONS

For some weeks past there lias been an. active movement for the inaugura-tion-of a system of "B" class broadcasting stations in New Zealand. The categories "A" and "B" originated in Australia: the "A" stations are those which are financed by the license fees paid by listeners, and tho "B" class are maintained by private enterprise, having been established in most cases for tho promotion of tho business or other interests of those responsible. There has been some confusion as to whether the proposed "B" class stations should be subsidised by payments from tho radio-broadcast fund, but this point has now been decisively settled. A deputation of radio dealers recently mado an application to the Post and -Telegraph Department for permission to establish such stations, and declared positively that thero was no intention whatover of asking for any subsidy. Tho spokesman also declared that tho promoters were quite willing to use their stations only during the hours when tho "YA" stations were not operating. Tho question was, of courso, referred to the PostmasterGoneral, whose decision will be awaited with much interest. The statements referred to, regarding the financing and broadcasting of hours of tho "B" class stations abolish two of tho grounds advanced by tho official journal of the New Zealand Eadio Broadcasting Company in opposition to tho proposal. It has been repeatedly stated officially that there was no intention on tho part of the Government to establish any monoply in broadcasting in New Zealand. Obviously there was, and is, a monopoly in favour of tho N.Z.R.B.C. in regard to broadcasting financed by State-collected license fees, and that creates-automatically a species of monopoly.in broadcasting until some other method of financing . is allowed. (The running of a high-grado etation as a private hobby can practically be counted out.)' Tho present proposal is that tho "B" class stations shall bo paid for by peoplo who will use them for . advertising purposes; as, indeed, all tho American stations aro financed; and whother-that is a practical method in a country like this can only bo ascertained by trial. Although there is in theory.no monopoly of broadcasting, tho present, controllers have hitherto opposed every movement that threatens to intiodueo any further activity. Tho,'""'Radio Kecord" opposed the present proposal first on tho ground that tho "B-''.class stations would draw on the broade'asting fund; then, that having boon cleared up, it emphasised the danger that tho simultaneous operation of "A" and "B" stations would crcato mutual interference. This danger is also abolished by the declaration that the broadcasting hours will not overlap. . Th'o, company's advocates are nowreduced to much weaker grounds: that the demand for performers' services for .tho "B" classs stations in competition with the "A" class will increase tho cost of thbso services; and that, tho nowpapers will not be pleased by radio competition, and. will tako some rcvengo , which will injure broadcasting in general. Tho writer cannnot sympathise with either of theso arguments. If thero is one . direction in which broadcasting has failed to satisfy tho public in New Zealand, it is in regard to tho quality of tho entertainments provided by local talent, and tho failure of tho company to extend tho ranks of its performers. This is obviously a matter of spending money. As tho company steadfastly refuses to tell tho public how much money it has available for paying talent, and how much it does spend, as it is well known that it pays only vorsy small fees, and as it is well known to havo a very large revenue, critics will not be satisfied by being tolfl that tho company is spending all it can afford. They aro

less likely to lie satisfied in viow of tlio heavy systematic dilution of tho progvamuies with gramophone music, ■which costs littlo or nothing. Many listeners, if not most, feel that the listener-will definitely benefit by some form of competition that will force the company to produeo talent of a higher order.