Broadcasting Cut Urged

Northern Advocate, 14 March 1947, Page 5

Broadcasting Cut Urged

The Electric-Power Boards and Supply Authorities’ Association, believes that the State Hydro-Electric Department will have difficulty in maintaining more than a skeleton service to North Island cousumers for some months to come.

The association sent a letter to the Minister in charge of the State Hydroelectric Department (Mr Semple) asking him to make the following cuts to effect savings:

(1) Broadcasting stations immediately to cease transmission. (2) Impose a “blackout” on ail domestic consumers in the North Island from 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., and midnight to 7 a.m. (3) Evening entertainments, such as theatres, to be asked to cooperate by commencing sessions in time to enable those attending to reach their homes before the electricity shutdown at midnight. PRESENT WAY WASTEFUL In making the suggestion that the broadcasting stations immediately cease transmission, the association is suggesting that either the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) or Mr Semple should inform North Island consumers frankly and without evasion , what he expects the prospects are of maintaining continuity of supply to essential consumers. The association contends that the present method of making cuts of short duration in breadcasting is doing little good, and that very often receiving sets are allowed to remain on until the resumption of broadcasts. ' The only sure way to enforce the reduction of power is to ensure that sets cannot be operated. “The Government is very concerned with the present difficult power situation and will be prepared to do anything which will provide relief without imposing impossible burdens on any section of the community,” stated Mr Semple, in a letter written yesterday in reply to the one from the Power Board and Supply Authorities' Association. The Minister said in his letter that the question of reducing the hours of broadcasting had been considered on many occasions in the past and while it was agreed that a certain amount of power might be saved by this means, it must also be recognised that broadcasting fulfilled a very essential need for many purposes, and must be retained for at least portion of the day. DIFFICULT IN PRACTICE The second suggestion, that a “blackout” on all domestic consumers might be imposed by power boards between certain hours, had already been given a considerable amount of attention, but in view cf the fact that domestic'consumers in many cases were located on the same distribution lines as essential industries, it would appear that this suggestion would be very difficult to carry out in practice. The association's third suggestion, that evening entertainments should begin in sufficient time to enable those attending them to reach their homes before an electricity shutdown at midnight. was dependent on the second suggestion being brought into operation, and as there might be difficulties in introducing that it did not seem necessary to consider the third suggestion further at present.