BROADCASTING SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 25619, 20 October 1945, Page 8

BROADCASTING SERVICE

STRONG CRITICISM OF FEE EXTENSION OF FACILITIES PROMISED (Special) WELLINGTON, Oct. 20. . btrong criticism by Opposition members of the present fee ot 25s a year for radio receiving licenses was the feature of the discussion on the vote of £463,440 for the Broadcasting account in the House of Representatives yesterday. As an indication of the Opposition view that the fee was too high, Mr Doidge (Tauranga) moved an amendment to reduce the vote by £5. The Opposition forced the issue to a .division, and the amendment was lost by 35 votes to 28. Mr W. H. Gillespie (Hurunui) said the fee was the highest in the world, and he wanted to know how long the Government would continue it. Mr W. J. Poison (Stratford) said license fees had contributed £435,000 for the year, and the Department had £1,570,000 invested. The fee should be «mt by half. Mr A. J. Murdoch (Marsden) said the fee was twice what it should be, and the programmes were inferior. There were people in New Zealand who were unable to have a radio receiving set on account of the high cost of the license fee.

Mr Doidge asked why the Department did not provide a better, service. They had been told that television' was to be installed, and that listeners were to have better programmes. There had been a good deal of criticism concerning the broadcasting of Parliament,, " If we had television of the members of the House it would be a case of God forbid," he declared. A Government Member: Sucak for yourself. Another Government Member: Black out for you. The Minister in charge of Broadcasting, Mr Jones, said the number of licenses issued showed that broadcasting was more popular to-day than ever before. For the year ending March 31 last 378,242 receiving licenses were issued, an increase of 3,789 over the previous year. It had been said in criticism that some people were unable to afford the fee owing to the high cost, but against that it had to be borne in mind that 95 receiving licenses had been issued • for every 100 homes in the Dominion. He thought that the highest percentage in the world. The license fee had been reduced from 30s a year to 255. and personally he did not think that anybody was overcharged, ft was less than one penny a day.

Now that the war was over much had to be done in the way of providing broadcasting throughout the Dominion, continued the Minister. There were areas where the coverage was far from good. National Members: Timaru.

The Minister said that in the postwar plans-that had been made there was provision for the coverage of those places that were not adequately catered for now. What was contemplated envisaged a large building programme, but the work could not be put in hand at once, as there was priority granted for house construction.

Referring to future possible developments, the Minister said it was realised that in some of the smaller towns local stations should be provided operating for a few hours of an evening, which would give an opportunity to local talent to develoo by the establishment of smaller orchestras. There was also provision in the plans for the future tn bavp a certain number of professionals for the purpose of developing the drama in various districts in co-oppvntion with existing drama societies. M°uev was required for such ventures, and also for the replacement of nlant which had not been renewed for the past six years. If the lob were done prooerlv the reserves would he used up, and if the license fee was reduced future activities would be restricted. The Minister added that he did not think the amendment to the vote was ius +; fied Mr Clyde Carr ("Government. Timaru'). who onposed the amendment, said anv reduction in the present revenue w«uld rppari if nn* Piir+ni'mpnt of the nresent hroadpsist'inr sprviee. at least nrevpntion of pnt+ino- intn onerntioii of imnrovements and the utilisation of talent.

After the Rousp had divided nn the intendment the vote was nassed