THE COMPANY'S PAMPHLET

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 25

THE COMPANY'S PAMPHLET

The Broadcasting Company has recently issued a circular to listeners setting out tho? history Headers who : have not been in touch with the subject'need to bo warned not to tako every statement in: it at' its :: face value. : .' For instance, it is stated'that "the company was undor.iio obligation to erect a station of greater power than 500 watts at 2YA','but a plant of .5000 w&tts was installed.''. This looks like the record of an act of. voluntary generosity on the part of the company. The plain fact is that a 5000 watt' 'transmitter happened to be available in England,, the Coates Government decided' that it would be convenient, or advisable, to have a powerful Station in Wellington so that in emergency situations important announcements could be broadcast over .the whole country, and the plant was purchased; moreover,'in order to ease the resulting burden on tho company (its rovonuo was not then what it is now) tho Government lout the company £15,000 free of interest. No public intimation has been given that this nioney has boon repaid to the Government. ...•'..'■.- Then tho pamphlet states that, in! continuance of its progressive policy, tho company prepared and submitted to the Government early in 1929—tw6 years ago—?'a scheme, for the.installation of a carefully planned system of regional relay stations to be linked up with tho four main transmitting ; stations. These ■....will-;-make available to the majority of listeners in tho country districts a broadcast service unaffected ' by atmospheric and topographical vagaries.". But the pamphlet does not say that about that time the company professed to have insufficient ftrevenue to oxpaijd its.current service; hor why the scheme has not been prosecuted further;>'nqr why it -has not taken."steps ono of ,itfbse.'[ .station,',; ;.,ih addition;;-to th^;ionrliYAr,stations;;rill which thY compaiiy./h'as ahy'interest"' iß I 2YB, New Plyrnouthiftf The transmitter'! for this station was-ftprovided by the company, but the maintenance and programmeajhftve tbjbfl'prbyided by a local j group of enthusiasts, who havo found themselves in pretty, severe financial straits. If the company has endcav-. I ourc,d..to v obtain.;,tran|^it tin in "iis"o wn' namo' for'any"subsidiary'st a-

tions and has been refused it, it should certainly have let the public know.