AUSTRALIAN LISTENERS' FEES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 19

AUSTRALIAN LISTENERS' FEES

The Federal Postmaster-General (Mr. B. A. P'arkhill), in referring to th« prospect of.'securing an early reduction In radio listeners' licence fees, stated in Sydney a few days ago that it should be remembered that all the money so far collected had not been spent ori

broadcasting. The excess of receipU over expenditure during the paat two years had totalled £73,000. That money had gone into tho national treasury, and had assisted in meeting national liabilities. Had it not beeu available, an equivalent amount must havo been found from come form of taxation. The unexpended sum had accumulated beoause of the suspension of the broadcasting development construction programme. The necessity for proceeding with the work was fully reooguised, and money would be made available for the building of additional stations in the coming year. The annual financial obligations would obviously increase, added the Minister, and the Indications were that for com« time the whole of the receipt* would be absorbed in meeting liabilities. The Government was anxious that the licence fees should' be reduced to the [lowost limit consistent with rendering a high-qua\ity service.