RADIO 3ZR RECEPTION

Grey River Argus, 13 September 1944, Page 3

RADIO 3ZR RECEPTION

PROGRESS LEAGUE’S PROPOSAL, A suggestion that part or all of the radio license fee paid by West Coast residents be remitted owing to poor reception from 3ZR, the Greymouth radio station, and other Dominion stations, was made in a report of the Transport and Communications Committee of the Westland District Progress League, at a meeting of the Council of the League last evening, when criticism of frequent interference. was made by members, who also commented on the Minister or Broadcasting’s reply to their efforts to secure wider coverage. The committee reported as follows: “That the League feels concern over the unsatisfactory nature of the reply received from the Minister of Broadcasting through Hon. J. O’Brien, in respect of Station 3ZR (the reply was to the effect that it would be impossible to extend coverage until after the cessation of hostilities) and on behalf of the 6,000 odd local listeners submits the following: That in view of new apparatus being installed in other centres sufficient equipment appears to be available or procurable to effect an immediate improvement of the power coverage of the present 3ZR station. That action be taken to overcome the distortion and interference from Australian stations. At present, owing to the adjacent frequency of some Australian stations, on the Coast many listeners tune in only to Australian stations. That until such time as a good qualatative progremme is available from 3ZR and other New Zealand stations part or the whole of the license fee in respect to Coast listeners be remitted.” The committee pointed out that it had been approached by a number of listeners who had sitalted that Coast listeners had a grievance, and unless some redress was forthcoming they* would be within their rights to ask for a substantial reduction or the cancellation of their license fees. The 6,000 listeners in the province supplied about £7,500 in revenue. On some nights the local or other national stations could not be heard at all without interference, “and when we turned to 2YA Wellington, the only station we can hear well, Parliament is being broadcast.” The Secretary,, Mr. J. Saunders, slated that the advertising stations, as well as the YA stations, had standby plants in case of accidents. One of those would be suitable for the West Coast, he said. It was decided to forward the resolution suggested to the Minister for Broadcasting.