STILL NO BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1931, Page 8

STILL NO BOARD

A DIFFICULT POSITION

LITTLE TIME TO SPARE

Since the passing of tho Broadcasting Bill, there has been very little public discussion of broadcasting policy. This does not mean that interest in the subject has evaporated. It is a common topic of conversation, and the general tone of discussions indicates that interested people tire mostly satisfied with the provision for the establishment of the Broadcasting. Board ■' and are merely waiting patiently for ifs appointment to be announced. Some who have an acquaintance with the magnitude of broadcasting operations are rather puzzled when they think of the imminence of board control and yet see

no board. ~,.. At no time have Cabinet Ministers given any indication that they think the appointment of the board is an urgent matter, and as the PostmasterGeneral is not expected in Wellington till the end of the week, no nnouncemont seems likely this week. It looks, therefore, as if the board will have not more than a'fortnight in which to find its feet and prepare to take full charge of the service. « • This is a very serious state of affairs. When the Broadcasting Bill was brought before the House there was good reason for hoping that, once it was adopted, tho run of delays which had afflicted the proposal would be over and the board could be set up at once. Why the necessary action was not taken has not been explained, but the result of the delay is p>in enough. It was generally anticipated that when the New Year arrived the board would be able to signalise its existence to listeners by some improvement in the service and to indicate its intentions for further improvement. As its members, whoever they may be, are merely human beings, they will not be able to do that. Broadcasting programmes have to be arranged several weeks ahead; and that means that January's broadcasts have already been arranged, and no remarkable change can be looked for in them.

The Broadcasting Act contains a provision enabling the Postmaster-General to provide the' board with such funds as it may need before Ist January, the day of taking over the service; but, no such condition as the existing one having been anticipated, it made no provision for an interim authority. The curious position has developed that the broadcasting station staffs have all been notified by the Broadcasting Company that their employment by the company will terminate on 31st December, and have sent applications for re-employ-ment to; an authority which does not exist. The same non-existent, authority is acting, by proxy in the arrangement of programmes, involving personal contracts.

A group of deeply interested persons are the owners andt operators of B claes (privately owned) 'broadcasting stations. They know that something is going to happen to them, but the only reply they can get to inquiries as to what it will be is that it-is a matter for the board: they have to make the best of that vague answer. In the last few weeks a problem which: is capable of becoming very troublesome has been set up by the gramophone companies' embargo on the use of records for broadcasting purposes. Here again there is no authority with whom the matter can be discussed,'for the old company has no interest in it, while the board does not exist, and has no official representative to act for it. ''■■•■■;-.-■. ■". ■■ .

The [situation calls fo.r the earliest attention that Cabinet can give it. The Postmaster-General should' need no urging to see that it gets prompt action, for it is his department that will x have to deal with any, tangles ; that arise, and they may be very complicated.