The Evening Star FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1930. A WIRELESS ALARM.

Evening Star, Issue 20587, 12 September 1930, Page 8

The Evening Star FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1930. A WIRELESS ALARM.

“ How happy could I be with either, Were t’other dear charmer away,” is not the attitude of listeners-in towards tho two classes of A and B wireless broadcasting stations in Dunedin. Some prefer the A’s and others the B’s, while a fair proportion, it would appear, can never have enough of both combined. The fault-finders with A might appear to be more numerous, but that may only mean that they are more, vocal feeling a reluctance to be critical or what they get for nothing. Listeners-in pay for their 4YA entertainment, and a conclusion might be that they expect a lot for their money. They pay at the rate of a penny a day, for which they receive five programmes; but some of them do not want some of the programmes at all, and the programme that would please everybody is inconceivable. The B class—private—stations fill in certain gaps of timo—smee it is impossible for 4YA to be always on the air—and avoid some enemies by avoiding “education,” which is apt to bo resented when it is unsought. \Vo think there is a tendency towards far too much criticism of 4YA. Its programmes are fully appreciated in other centres. They will grow and improve. If is impossible to have everything for a penny a day. The B class stations and their supporters have been disturbed by a threat which menaces, or may menace, the continuance of these contributors to entertainment. They are faced with the possibility of having to pay certain copyright charges for tho reproduction of music which is still too young to be all the world’s free 1 possession. Music that is nearly a century old might, just conceivably, come under the charge, but its hardship is feared most, we presume, in respect of that which is most new, the music born yesterday, which is most to the popular taste. There is a logic in this craving for the latest music, if there is seldom much reason in it. “Oh, pluck it ere it withers might be the excuse. Its life is limited to a day. The masses vail not willingly do without it or accept anything established in its stead. How the B stations are to pay for it makes the problem. They do not, like the A stations, receive fees. They derive their own benefits, generally, from, the services they give, or those would not be continued, but the benefits do not loom large enough, apparently, for this charge to bo covered by them. The blow has not yet fallen; it may never fall. But the danger of a blow which would put the B class stations out of existence cannot fail to be distm bing to their supporters.

At the meeting of listeners-in who rallied last night to deviso means of protection for the threatened stations, it was wisely made clear that no sprt of antagonism was felt towards the A class purveyors. There is room for both. The meeting does not seem to us to have got very far., A Now Zealand Radio Listeners’ League was formed to promote defence, and a subscription of half a crown was agreed to, but that subscription will only pay the costs of organisation; it will not meet the charge for copyright. There are two ways by which this might be done —by the B stations being subsidised by the Government or by permission being given to them to include advertising in their programmes. No readjustment of financial control can be expected to be made till the contract of the Government with the New Zealand Broadcasting Company expires at the end o. next year. That will be too late for tho present danger. Tho meeting decided to “support the B stations in their efforts to obtain tho right to broadcast advertising matter,” and in so doing, we are convinced, recommended a course fraught with infinitely greater peril to broadcasting than the threat they would disarm. It is not without reason that tho Government has refused or ignored this request before.

Advertising is the curse of broadcasting in America. Hr J. D. IVPEwen pleaded that ‘ it could be done very moderately, and so it might—for a keginning. ■ What he referred to is the "sponsored” programme, only tolerable in America, wo must suppose, because of Worse abuses to which it is the alternative. “ The offerings,” says a New York writer, who docs not write to praise, “ range from the broadcast of a prize fight or football game to that of New York Philharmonic concerts or of-the London Naval Conference. Jazz bands, opera stars, authors, politicians, comedians, and famous characters are brought fo the micro-

phone at great expense for tho sake of tho announcement that they are audible through the courtesy of such and such a firm.” That has been done in Australia. Harmless enough, it may bo thought. But it would be a strange advertiser who would continue long to he satisfied with it. In America they aro not. “Comparatively few firms,” wc are told, “are content merely with the statement of sponsorship. A majority demand praise for their products incorporated in the announcement. Indeed, in tho ruthless Middle West sonatas and symphonies are torn asunder to sandwich blatant hunks of [business] promotion. The music stops; a talk is made; and the musicians resume where they left tiff. Such interruptions occur two and three times during the rendition of one pieqe.” Cheap artists secure engagements they would not otherwise get because they are paid by the advertisers. If the “sponsored programme” ever gets a foothold in New Zealand, listeners-in will soon have real cause to complain of their fare.