NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1931. BROADCASTING

Northern Advocate, 18 August 1931, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1931. BROADCASTING

Registered for Transmission, Through the Post as a Newspaper. 1

Radio broadcasting is one of the marvels of the age. Man’s discovery of the means by which to capture a force that has existed since Time began has transformed the lives of many millions of people. In New Zealand great progress in respect of radio broadcasting has been made during the past six or seven years. Before that time, the possessor of a wireless set capable of receiving the dots and dashes of the Morse code was an object of wonder. Today, there is a different story to tell. Wireless telegraphy is still a commercial treasure mine, but radio telephony, made possible by the marvellous microphone, has brought the whole world to the listener’s ears. New Zealand has kept step with the older countries in the exploitation of radio. This, it must be admitted, is due almost entirely to the commercial ability and foresight of one man and the technical knowledge and enthusiasm of another. Mr William Goodfellow, realising the boon which wireless would mean to the 8000 or 9000 dairy farmers in the Waikato district who were suppliers of the big butter and cheese organisation of which he is the head, endeavoured to obtain permission to establish a broadcasting station at Hamilton, in order to serve those suppliers, As the very interesting story which we published yesterday shows clearly, this initiatory movement developed into the New Zealand Radio Broadcasting Company. Mr Goodfellow, after negotiations with the Government, joined hands with Mr A. R. Harris, a gifted New Zealand electrician who had the good fortune to spend some years in personal contact with the great Edison, the wizard of electricity. But for Messrs Goodfellow and Harris, nothing would have been done to bring wireless to New Zealanders —at any rate not for some years—because the project did not appeal to investors or to those possessed of technical knowledge of radio. Today there are 60,000 listeners, scattered over New Zealand and. the adjacent islands of the sea. The number is steadily growing, and it must be admitted that, when the population of New Zealand and the comparatively small field from which to draw talent are considered, the radio service provided is of a distinctly high order. There is no doubt on that score. The license granted to the New Zealand Radio Broadcasting Company expires at the end of the present year, and the Government has intimated its intention to take over control of broadcasting in the Dominion. A statement to this effect was made by the Postmaster-General some time ago, but despite inquiries for information as to the details of the Government’s scheme, none has been forthcoming. The present session of Parliament is far spent, and there has been a fear that a poorly-digested scheme may be brought down. The Broadcasting Company has now come forward with a proposal which cannot but arrest the attention of the Government and the community as a whole. The company has submitted to the Government a scheme based on the principle of customer-owner-ship. It is proposed to form an entirely new public company with a capital of £150,000, divided into 50,000 “A” ordinary shares, 50,000 “B” ordinary shares, and 50,000 “C” preference shares. The “A” shares are to be subscribed by the management of the Radio Broadcasting Company, and the ‘‘B” shares by holders of radio licenses. Listeners, it is proposed, would have equal representation on a board of management to be formed, and the “B” shares would be on the same footing as

the “A” shares. So fai* as shares are concerned, these would be issued only if, and when, required. The Radio Broadcasting Company has eer-j tainly produced an attractive, scheme, adoption of which would ( remove the objection that listen-ers-in have not had representation in the control of broadcasting. The Government’s proposal to establish a State broadcasting service is ostensibly based upon consideration for Jhe welfare of listeners; it therefore devolves upon the Cabinet to produce evidence that the State could provide a service as good or as cheap as that which a company half of whose shares are held by listeners could provide. This is a matter which requires careful and impartial consideration. The increase in expenditure and personnel which invariably attends State enterprise may well make the taxpayer apprehensive of Governmental control of a broadcasting service which, but for the enterprise of its pioneers, would not have been so far advanced, and which, due to the experience gained by the management during the past six years, has been brought to a commendable degree of efficiency.