A VISION OF RELAYS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 100, 2 May 1929, Page 23

A VISION OF RELAYS

2YB, the new station .it IS'cw Plymouth, was officially opened last Saturday. Wellington listeners had au opportunity a few months ago of listening to tins transmitter when it was being tested at 2YA, and were properly impressed by the very fine- quality of its output. The opening concert was a specially arranged entertainment which was thoroughly enjoyed by the New Plymouth listeners. Mr. !f. Ball, the Broadcasting Com-

pany 's editor-announcer, represented the company at the opening, and delivered an address indicating that the company has in view "a national broadcast system, in which there would be in the chief provincial centres throughout the Dominion a chain of efficient relay stations linked with the four main stations. "Jt was to be a veritable model of completeness and efficiency. The general manager had already submitted for the consideration of the Government an outline of the whole scheme. Mr. Ball asked listeners to visualise a scheme of ofiieient stations at Napier. Hastings. Nelson, Greymoutb, Timaru, iiivere;irgill, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wangunui, Palmcrston, aud Gisborne. All these stations would be connected by land lines, so that all would be in touch regardless of atmospheric conditions.

This is a highly interesting announcement in regard to which further infor- ' matiou will be keenly anticipated. Mr. A. R. Harris only recently had oeca- ! sion to impress upon Southland tlic practical impossibility of providing Invercargill with a relay station. It is true that he told his hearers that thecheapest and only possible solution is the. establishment of a relay station fed with programmes by land" line from Dunedin. But whereas ho places tho probable cost of a 500-watt station at £10,000 or £12,000 a year after establishment (costing £7000 or £S000) this allows only £2000 to £;iOOO for programmes. Even assuming that a purely relay station will cost less per annum tha u an independent one. it is evident that a chain of stations'is «omg to cost a great deal of money. The company declares it has no surplus revenue, and according to a statement communicated by the I'ostmastcr-Gen-eral at tho opening of 2YB the total is "under £G7,000." There, is nothing in the present outlook to indicate that the revenue will grow phenomenally enough to permit much of a start being made with so big a programme as eleven relay stations, unless the cost of running them is very much lower than was indicated to the Invercarsrill people. S

lucre is also the important matter of telephone 'lines. Eelay stations cannot bo operated unless tolephouo lines of sood quality are available and are not required for other services—such a.-i the duty for which they are provided. It is hardly the case at present, nor is it likely iv the near future, that New Zealand's telophone network will be capable of serving a broadcast network.

For the reasons indicated it must be assumed that the programme outlined by Mr. Ball is an optimistic forecast of which it would bo unwise to expect early fulfilment.