BROADCASTING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20361, 19 March 1928, Page 10

BROADCASTING.

AUSTRALIAN STATIONS. CHANGES PENDING. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, March 8. New Zealand wireless listeners, who have the benefit of Australian programmes without having to contribute to their cost, will be interested to know that developments in the Commonwealth are all in the direction of improving the quality of the service. It can scarcely be said that the broadcasting stations are acting voluntarily, although it is true that they have not giyen the Postmastergeneral an opportunity to force their hands. The two Sydney A class stations, 2FC and 2BL, were the first to act on the Postmaster-general’s broad hint that something Had to be done very soon if there was a desire to avoid coercive measures.

The intimation that an arrangement had been reached between the two stations was bald, but it aroused interest and speculation. What the direction of the negotiations may bo is not known excepting that it is towards meeting the wishes of the Ministry that something like coordination should he brought' about. One station, 2FC, has a greater share in the revenue from the license fees than the other. Apart from this, there is little difference discernable by the license holders. Each has maintained a publicity staff which issues literature to the press much in the way of businesses in strong competition. The Postmaster-general endorsed public opinion when he indicated a desire for better programmes. An amalgamation seems to be but the department will require something more than a business merger. At the present tixn e each station broadcasts a great deal of the same information very often at one and the same time. Everybody does not like listening to the description of a horse race, yet very often on a Saturday afternoon both stations will be describing the same race in th e running at Randwick. This, plainly, is wasted duplication. It is understood that consideration is being given to a project by which the broadcasting, hours will be extended, but each station will be individually on the air for shorter periods than at present. The one dispensing music and entertainment mainly and the other news and general information. Under such an arrangement the expenditure on copyright fees, now amounting to a very large sum in the aggregate,, will bo greatly, lessened. Tins will make available larger 1 sums for the general im. proveinent of the services. It seems clear that any proposal to add the. saving to the - dividends of the compan-'es will be opposed by the Postmaster-general.