B STATION PURCHASES

Evening Star, Issue 22630, 23 April 1937, Page 9

B STATION PURCHASES

OWNERS APPRGACH MINISTER FURTHER STATEMENT 8F GOVERNMENT . ATTITUDE [Special to the 1 Stae.’] WELLINGTON, April 23. A conference of B station owners wag held her© this week, and the sequel wa* a deputation to Mr Jones, Acting Minister in Charge of Broadcasting, with whom was associated the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, The deputation was private, and Mr Jones to-day informed yqur correspondent that it discussed the offers recently made by the Government for the acquisition of the private ’broadcasting stations. Messrs Green, M'Kay, and Walla stated the case for the B stations, and after pointing out the services they had rendered to the community, contended that the amounts recently offered by the Government for their stations were inadequate. In reply, both the Acting Prime Minister and Mr Jones pointed out thai the Government was desirous of being fair to the B stations, and was there-* fore prepared, if owners were dissatisfied with the amounts offered, to giv# an opportunity of discussing the matter on the basis of those offers, and the Ministers readily agreed to an extension of time if this were desired foy consideration of the offers. In reply to a question whether th« Government would subsidise such of the B stations as were not acquired, the Ministers replied that subsidies would be granted only where justified in the light of the requirements of the broadcasting service as a whole. While it was made clear that the Government desired that broadcasting should be a national undertaking, it was indicated that no compulsion to sell would be exercised upon the owners of private stations. The Minister further stated that certain B stations had already accepted the Government’s offers to purchase, and that it was expected that as a result of negotiations now proceeding, other stations would take the opportunity of disposing of their undertakings- . ’ NS