RADIO CHARGES

Hokitika Guardian, 15 October 1932, Page 5

RADIO CHARGES

OBJECTION IN N.S.W. PERFORMING RIGHTS INQUIRY. (Australian Press Association.) 'SYDNEY, October 13. At the Performing Rights inquiry, Mr H. P. Will iams, general manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission outlined case for the broadcasting stations, and the public. He said that there was serious objection to the heavy unit charge of 2s 4.Vd demanded by the Australian Performing Rights Association.

This charge would become 9s 6d per item if the items were relayed from the main station. It was also proposed to increase the present charge in the event of additional listeners taking up radio, &o that when the number ol licensed listeners reached, say, seven hundred thou'and, the unit charge would becom e 4s 6|d, aggregating fiftysix thousand pounds per- year, which was preposterous.

He emphasised that there was serious doubt, respecting a lai’ge quantity of the music now regarded as copyright, whether th e original authors and composers had not long since ceased to receive any share of the fees, 7 sere was also grave doubt whether a considerable amount of the music which should pass into the possession of the community was not exploited for copyright fees.

‘“BRANCH MANAGERS INTERVIEWED. SYDNEY, October 14. At the Performing Right's inquiry to-day a suggestion that the copyright charges should vary according to the merit of the composition was made by Mr H. Williams, the manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. He pointed out that in England a points system operated. Questioned about the relative functions and merits of the A and the B class stations, Mr Williams Said that the A stations would be unab’ e to give a sufficient service without the B stations, but if the A class stations were given additional wave lengths in every capital city, an adequat e service could be provided without resort to advertising, as B stations did, owing to their not receiving any portion of the listeners’ fee 3 .

Mr George Childers, giving evidence for the B stations, considered that tlie copyright fees should bo charged against the license fees. The B sta- 1 tions did not dispute the claims of the Performing Rights’ Association to a fair payment for the copyrights, but some method should be devised for checking them, especially as eighty-five oer cent, of the music performed by the B stations was gramophone records, and was' claimed as copyright. The hearing was adjourned.