B CLASS RADIO STATIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 313, 2 December 1933, Page 7

B CLASS RADIO STATIONS.

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY QUESTIONED. (Bv Telegraph—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 1. Handicapped by the rule that policy questions cannot be discussed on the Estimates, members of the House of Representatives made a valiant attempt to debate the fate of B class radio stations and draw the Post-master-General on the subject when the P. and T. Department estimates were under review. They were only permitted to ask questions, though they managed to get in a few opinions. Mr D. G. .Sullivan declared that a large number of listeners appreciated the programmes of the B class stations and wished to see them continuing, but it was only practicable if they were permitted by the Minister to get revenue. He was not criticising the A stations, but it would be a serious loss if the B stations went off the air, he said.

“How would we get the time?” asked Mrs E. R. McCombs.

A plea for Wellington was submitted by Mr R. McKeen, who reminded the Minister of the strong resolutions of protest against the department’s policy of closing B stations which had been passed at a public meeting. Mr P. Fraser wanted to know what was behind the policy,. Hon. A. Hamilton, the PostmasterGeneral. replied that the Government considered it bad a moral obligation to take over certain B stations and made them an offer which they accepted. The Government had done nothing in regard to other B stations, but he°was intending to make a statement on the whole subject after consultation with the broadcasting authority. . Mr McKeen: Will the service be as good as from the B stations? The Postmaster-General: We hope so.