RADIO BROADCASTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19144, 9 October 1925, Page 12

RADIO BROADCASTING.

EXHIBIT! ON ARRANGEMENTS. license: for the service. CRITICISM AND REPLY. The broadcasting position in New Zealand, and especially tlie arrangements made for broadcasting at. the Dunedin Exhibition, were discussed ut a meeting of Auckland listeners-in on Wednesday. The information before the meeting was that Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia had been granted a license for broadcasting at the exhibition, but that the Government had now refused a license to the company. It was stated ,that no reasons had been given for the refusal. Speakers stated that while they held no brief for Amalgamated YY irelcss, listen-ers-in wanted the best possible service, and there was no doubt who could supply it. It was thought that the finer equipment and service that would be given by Amalgamated Wireless would set such a high standard that dissatisfaction would arise when the future service of the Dominion Broadcasting Company was started. The secrecy of negotiations leading to the agreement of the Government with the Dominion Company was condemned. The meeting protested against the present broadcasting position. Listeners-in were taxed for a service which had not materialised. Although the Prime Minister had declared that there would be no monopoly of broadcasting, Amalgamates Wireless had been unable to obtain permission to maintain a broadcasting service at the Dunedin Exhibition. When the matter was referred to Sir James Parr, Postmaster-General, yesterday, he said several mis-statements had been made at the meeting. One was that the Government had given a license to Amalgamated Wireless. Such was not the case. It was true the Government had proposed to give a license to the exhibition authorities, who had been offered a free service by Amalgamated Wireless- The Government, however, had no dealings with Amalgamated Wireless in the matter. The position in Dunedin was that the Government, as soon as it discovered that the new Dominion Broadcasting Company had made arrangements with the local radio company to give a first-class service, intimated this fact to the exhibition authorities, and advised the president that that course would be followed. It was now apparent that Amalgamated Wireless was starting an agitation against the Government's decision. As the Government experts, including the chief entrineer, had given the assurance that the new arrangement made with the Dominion Broadcasting Company would give a very excellent service, the Government would stand by the company which had the contract. Moreover, said the Minister, the discussion seemed premature and useless in view of the fact that the Broadcasting Board was meeting next week in Auckland. The discussion was an endeavour to enlist the sympathy of outsiders in a dispute as to what company was to have the broadcasting service during the exhibition. He deprecated the agifcftiion as being premature and unfair to the Government. Auckland listeners-in would be well advised to be in possession of all the facts as soon as the board met next week. Mr. Salt was a member of the board and he would have every opportunity of bringing forward any suggestion that he cared to make.