2ZR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 13 June 1936, Page 14

2ZR

REMARKS BY HON. W. W. SNODGRASS

Speaking in the House of Representatives on the Broadcasting Bill the Hon. W. W. Snodgrass said: “I shall be brief. I should like to refer to the B class stations, and the treatment meted out to them in the past, particularly in the Nelson district. The B class station for the most part serves the man with the small set, and as such should be fostered in the interests of this section of the community. In the Nelson I am sorry to say, listeners have not been satisfied by any means with the service and the reception they have received from the New Zealand stations. From time to time, in company with others, I have made representations to the Board and to the Minister in regard to the very bad reception in Nelson. We have been met by various replies, and we have met various difficulties. On one occasion, we had a stroke of luck. The Minister agreed to give a subsidy to the Nelson station, and it was given in due course. But it was surely by a stroke of luck that we got that subsidy. The station there, 2ZR, has been off the air for some time, because no subsidy has been forthcoming from the Board, and the result has been that the people with small sets have been deprived of what they considered would be their right when they bought their sets. I was very glad indeed to see in last night’s Nelson “Evening Mail” the report that station 2ZR was again on the air, because I am quite sure that there are hundreds of people in the Nelson district who have small sets and have been waiting patiently for the re-open-ing of the station. The Hon. Mr Masters: We used to get 2ZR really well in Taranaki. The Hon. Mr Snodgrass: Yes, it is quite a good station and was available to listeners when neither the Wellington station nor the Christchurch station was available. I can state that as a fact, having had the experience over several years of urging the claims of Nelson from my seat in this Council and by representations in company with others. I have not joined in making those representations without knowing perfectly well that they' have been justified* and that the subsidy which should have been given to 2ZR was, unfortunately, withheld by the Board. I cannot see in this Bill any provision for station 2ZR or other such stations being subsidised, but I presume that the regulations to be made will include this provision, and I trust that 2ZR will find that it is placed in a position to meet the needs of the people with small sets as they were met in the past when our luck was in. “There is just one other point. I wish to urge upon the Government in connection with this Bill that some effort be made to deal with the Performing Rights Association. The claims of this Association in themselves have had a considerable bearing on the smaller stations. For instance, those interested could go to station 2ZR and ! say “You are using such and such re- j cords, and therefore have to pay a fee I for the rights which we possess.” I hope the Government will go right I into this matter, and endeavour to as- j certain which of the claims that are made can be substantiated. As the Bill j appears to have the effect of putting j 2ZR on the air, as we have been trying to have done legitimately for several years, I can do nothing but support the measure. |