BROADCASTING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 10 June 1927, Page 5

BROADCASTING

CROWIKO DISSATISFACTION

(By Telegraph—Special to ‘‘The Mail”)

AUCKLAND, 9th June.

It is quite evident that New Zealand holders of wireless listening licenses are growing more and more dissatisfied with the conditions under which broadcasting is conducted, and they have become more vocal lately in their discontent. Speaking generally, the complaints are about the inconvenient allocation of broadcast wave lengths, the broad tuning of the New Zealand stations, the quality of the programmes supplied by the Broadcasting Company, and the lack of information about its finances. The first two questions are of a technical nature, and the average license holder, though he may be aware of the difficulties they create, is hardly qualified to express an opinion.. Everyone is interested in the remaining two, which are interdependent. The company lias said that when there are 40,000 licenses it will be in a position to supply firstclass programmes. This statement contains' the implied admission that the present programmes are not first class, and infers also that the solution lies in increased finances. It aims high. With. 40,000 full-time licenses, it will have a gross income of £50,000 a year paid in. advance. On the most recent figures there are now 16,492 fulltime listening licenses. This means a return to the company of over £20,600, besides what it may receive from parttime listening and other license fees. While the published returns show approximately what is received in support of broadcasting, there has never been any statement giving the details of the expenditure. - This is an undesirable position. There have been demands for a balance-sheet, but they have never Keen’ satisfied. The Government cannot divest itself of responsibility. It collects the license fees, and incidentally prosecutes those who make default in paying them. It owes to the public an account of the manner in which the money is spent. Until this is given there is no real answer to the complaints of those who are dissatisfied, and the complaints will increase. It is time the Government took heed of the public discontent with New Zealand broadcasting.

AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association)

SYDNEY, 9th June. Giving evidence before the Wireless Commission, Mr Shakespeare, of the New South Wales Country .Press Association, referring to the proposal for the. Country Press Association to broadcast news in morse, said that the Association was menaced by the question of royalties. They did not know where they stood, and had it not been for this question, a scheme of broadcasting to the country press would have been already in operation. Mr H. Brown, secretary to the Post-master-General, said the time might not be far distant when it will be necessary to link up the whole of the telephone system of the Commonwealth with some wireless service. He added that telegraphy, telephony, and wireless were so related that it was essential that the Postmasters’ Department should have its own research branch.

BEAM WIRELESS (Received 10th June, 12.50 p.m.) , SYDNEY, This pay. Giving evidence before tho Wireless Commission, Mr. Brown, secretary of the Postmaster-General’s Department, said that beam wireless was not secret. It could be picked up in other parts of the world, and an enemy who wanted to do so could receive it. He did not think it would be safe for Australia to rely solely on beam, or that the control of wireless should be placed in the hands of one concern.