RADIO SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 7, 8 July 1931, Page 17

RADIO SERVICES

QUESTION OF CONTROL

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ACTION

The question of the contro] of broadcasting services in New Zealand was discussed last evening at the meeting of the Council oftlio Wellington Chamber of Commerce, and it was decided that the position should be investigat-. eel by the Legislation Committee of the Chamber. The view taken was that it was not desirable that control of the existing services should be vested in the State. The secretary (Mr. H. S. Pairchild) said it had been noted that the Cantorbury Chamber had passed a resolution deprecating the Government taking over the control of broadcasting services. ,:..■' GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS. Captain S. Holm said he would like to move a resolution that the Wellington Chamber was of opinion.that radio broadcasting in New Zealand was being efficiently controlled by private enterprise, and was strongly opposed to the Government's proposal to acquire the existing services. He said he thought the chamber was concerned with the general principle of the Government in embarking further into business. The Government ran . railways, motor and shipping services, timber mills, and a hundred' other things all more or less at.ii cost to the taxpayer, and it was not known at the present time but that they might all have to pay for. broadcasting services in the near future. Mr. M. M. Heinemanu seconded Captain Holm 'a proposal. He said he thought private enterprise was giving very satisfactory and efficient services. The advisability of careful consideration of the question before such a resolution was passed was urged by Mr. Strona'ch Paterson. He said he had every sympathy with any resolution that objected to the Government going into business enterprises, and he thought that control of broadcasting should be divorced from politics;: but on the other hand before any definite step was taken in the matter, careful consideration. should be given to the whole position. One of the very strong, objections to the present system in New Zealand was that the company which (had the monopoly of broadcasting' was a private company, the concerns of which very few people knew anything about. He thought the public were entitled to know what the balance-sheet of the company was and everything about it. Mr. Paterson suggested that the question of" control should be referred to a special committee to. submit a report. Mr. J. Pearco Luke seconded this suggestion. B CLASS STATIONS. Mr.- E. E. Bender said it was not entirely -a monopoly the company enjoyed, because there were several B class stations operating on small capital. He said he thought the position should be reviewed from two angles. The first was whether it might not be better to retain the present broadcastinf ■ services under a limited company or under private control, and the second was the question, of some consideration, being . given: to B class stations that they might share in the income from licences. It. was1 not, he felt, a matter that should be dealt with immediately; it was one that should be considered very closely. CHAMBER POLICY. The president (Mr. C. J. B. Norwood) said he thought it would be very difficult and against the policy of the •chamber that they should do anything equivalent to advocating that the Government should make the control of broadcasting a State concern. That there shouldbe control that would look after the public interest there was no question. He took it that there was.a limit to the present contract, for he could not think that the Broadcasting Company would have an indefinite cpntract. The whole matter was an important one that should receive the attention of the chamber,.but he thought that Captain Holm's resolution was a little too far-reaching. The amendment was carried unanimously, and Captain Holm asked -leave to withdraw his resolution. The point he had in mind, said, Captain Holm, was the prevention of the Government from embarking any further in- business enterprises. Mr. J.'Pearce Luke said he thought the proper way to deal with the. matter was to refer it to the Legislation Committee, and, if after investigation the committee found that the question was one of great urgency, a special meeting of the council could be called. ; It was decided to refer the question to the Legislative Committee and to add Captain Holm to the committee.