A RADIO APPEAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21980, 15 June 1933, Page 9

A RADIO APPEAL

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Aboufc two or three weeks ago one of our B class stations, 4ZM, put over an appeal for contributions of 2s Gd or more for the purpose, so it said, of purchasing records of a foreign make to enable it to continue its programmes. Listeners may remember that the gramophone companies in Australia placed a ban on the broadcasting of their records, but later withdrew this to the extent of those records not bearing the new labels. Up till now 1 have; always been under the impression that 4ZM was a member of the South Island B Class Stations’ Association, and I have lately been wondering why this appeal has been made solely on its own behalf, and not on behalf of the members of the association as a body. On making inquiries, however, I was informed that 4ZM had never actually joined up, although at a recent meeting of listeners held in the Burns Hall, which I attended, the station owner, Mr Walla, took an active part in the discussions, ostensibly on behalf of all B stations. On Sunday night last I was greeted with the announcement that the response to the half-crown donations had been very disappointing, and I am ihdeed glad to see that the listeners have seen fit to stand by the B Stations Association and ignore this appeal, which, to my mind ; is hardly made in the interests of the listeners as a whole. I am aware that it costs a fair amount of money to run a broadcasting station, for which there is generally no return. But no other - stations have made such an appeal for assistance for the simple reason that they are only too pleased to give their services gratis, and with very limited supplies of records. Surely Mr" Walls is not serious when he suggests importing foreign records for broadcasting when he depends for his bread and butter on the British records he has in stock. The announcement of Sunday went on to say that unless more half-crowns were forthcoming the station could not continue with the kind of . programmes to which we have become accustomed. I for one would be pleased to see a chdnge. especially in the announcer. I do not see the need of a humdrum announcing hour after hour of the brand of record with the number tacked on. Again, I cannot see why it is necessary for 4ZM to be on, the air practically all day. and at every other odd moment when there is not some other B station broadcasting. Most people tune into 4YA at 10 a.m. and leave it there all day, as its gramophone -recordings leave one no cause for complaint. I think that operating costs as well as wear and tear of records might well be kept down by 4ZM restricting its hours somewhat, more especially to its night sessions and any other time when 4YA is not available for music. . , , , If Mr Walls wants the wholehearted support of the listeners, and I see no reason why he should not have it, then he should co-operate with the other B stations which are members of the association, take notice of my remarks about the announcing, and, with the stock of records at his disposal, 4ZM should rank as one of the beet B stations in the South Island.—-I am, etc,. June 13. Constant Listener. [The above letter was brought under the notice of the manager of 4ZM station, and he replies as follows: —“Controversy ow B class broadcasting station affairs is, in our opinion, a thing to be carefully avoided, yet from time to time, misguided, although perhaps well meaning, individuals persist in raising arguments concerning matters which might well be left alone. However, since ‘ Constant Listener’ has seen fit to throw down the gage, Station 4ZM feels it incumbent upon itself to set the true position before its listeners. First and foremost, ‘Constant Listener’ states that 4ZM, appealed for financial assistance to purchase foreign records. This is not so. When the ban was first placed on the broadcasting of records by the gramophone companies, the station director, Sir R. Walls, stated at a public meeting in Burns Hall that it might be necessary to obtain records from another source to enable broadcast programmes to be continued. No mention was made of ‘ foreign ’ records, nor, at that time, had 4ZM instituted its appeal for the formation of a 4ZM listeners’ club, Th’era are many other British record manufacturers with whom negotiations could have been entered into, had the ban been enforced. The situation was eased by a partial lifting of the ban, and no further mention of obtaining other records has been made by the station. Although Mr Walls is not a member of the South Island B Stations’ Association, he is a financial member of the New Zealand B Class Stations’ Alliance, this being the larger and more recently formed body, which may be safely said to have superseded the former association. ‘Constant Listener’ wonders why 4ZM makes an appeal solely on its own behalf. If he had cared to make fuller investigation before committing himself he would have discovered that several other New Zealand B stations, although members of the New Zealand B Class Stations’ Alliance, have their own listeners’ clubs, e.g., IZR. Auckland, with a membership of 4000, and 2ZW, Wellington, also with a membership pf some thousands. ‘ Constant Listener ’ goes on to say that all other B stations are only too pleased to' give their services gratis. It would be no exaggeration to say that there are no B stations in New ZealaM at the present time 1 pleased to give their services gratis.’ Broadcasting is an expensive undertaking, involving considerable outlay and upkeep expenditure, and all B station owners today wish to see some financial return for the services they render. Their methods of accomplishing this vary, e.g., sponsored programmes, the indirect advertising of their business, or listeners’ clubs; but their aim is the same in all cases. When ‘Constant Listener’ says that ‘ Most people tune to 4YA at 10 a.m,’ it would keem that he has powers of discernment far beyond those of the ordinary mortal. Otherwise it is difficult, to See in what way he could obtain information as to the actions of ‘most people,’ at any definite hour of the day.. It has been our experience, and we have opportunity for visiting hundreds of listeners’ homes in the ordinary course of business, that listeners almost invariably, time to the B class station transmission, irrespective of whether 4YA is broadcasting or not. and we make this statement, not on hearsay or unreliable evidence, blit on direct personal observation. We trust that this' explanation of the position as far as Station 4ZM is concerned will reassure those of our listeners who may have been inclined to give credence to some of ‘Constant Listener’s’ remarks.” -Ed. O.D.T.]

care of their representatives will be able to answer the question for themselves by a comparison of the prices obtained.— I am, etc., A Boxer. Dunedin, June 14, 1933.