RADIO LISTENERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23224, 23 June 1937, Page 7

RADIO LISTENERS

OTAGO LEAGUE ANNUAL MEETING COMPLETED The adjourned annual meetins of the Otago Radio Listeners' League was held in the Y.ri.C.A. rooms last night, the president (Mr W. J. Bardsley) presiding over a sparse attendance of members. PRESIDENT'S REMARKS In his opening remarks Mr Bardsley referred to the public meeting of protest, which was recently held, and said that it was the definite purpose of the executive to take no official participation in the agitation which was being precipitated with regard to the B stations. "We are not constituted. Mr Bardsley said, "to take care of the B stations as stations, however much we may be interested in their successful and satisfactory operation in the interests of our members. I venture to suggest that the owners aiv all alert business men and are fully capable of looking after their own interests. I say with emphasis, however, that as a league we are definitely interested in B listeners. It is their interest . along with those of other licensees, for which the league is constituted, and our most sincere regret is that listeners in general have been so ..pathetic towards the warnings which we have at times thrown out regarding the position. Mr Bardsley went on to say that since last month the membership of the league had risen from 100 to over 600, covering a wide range of general listeners. At the meeting of protest he had spoken unofficially, and from the moral angle that if promises had been made—and Mr Booth ably and conclusively proved this—then they ought to be honoured. In passing, he might say that in his judement. and that of manv other:, the press completely misjudged the value of the vote taken. In his judgment—and he was in a favourable situation to judge—the response to the nuestion fr«m the chair against the motion submitted did not represent more than 10 to 15 ner cent of the 900 people present. The vociferousness of the "noes" was so pronounced that it appeared to represent a larger number than was actually the case. If the vote had been taken by a show of hands he thought his estimate would be justified. The league knew no politics, and its slogan was, subject to reasonable policing, "the air, free for all." 'Anything it sought it sought as a right and not as a favour, and he thought it a pity that so much political atmosphere had been introduced at and since the protest meeting. Referring to a statement attributed to the Acting Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser). who was reported as saying. "They (the B stations) are using listeners and others interested to build up a ramp so that they can get an unduly high price for their stations." Mr Bardsley said he did not take to himself the castigation implied, nor did he in the case of the Acting Minister in Charge of Broadcasting (Mr F. Jones), who was reported to have said that there were some who were endeavouring to harass the Government in order to achieve their own ends, and that they were being actively assisted by individuals and organisations, which, he was inclined to think, were so acting not so much in the interests of listeners as for reasons of their own. If Mr Jones had the Otago Listeners League at the back of his mind—well, his conclusions were not warranted. Mr Bardsley went on to say that there were very definite and serious matters to which a properly-supported league could give its attention and voice. These were:—(l) Why cannot the licence fees be reduced? (2) Why cannot a weekly programme costing less than 4d a week be procured? (J> How has the £BOO,OOO paid in licence fees over the last four years been spent? (4) Why cannot 240.000 licensees have some representation on some committee of control.' (a) What appointments to the staff have beer made by the Rev. Mr Scnmgeour where d'id the appointees come from and what salaries are they being oaid The broadcasting organisation. .Mt Bardsley concluded, belonged to the people, and the people supplied the reciuired finances. They were, therefore

entitled to satisfaction with regard to these matters. COMMERCIAL SERVICE APPOINTEES At the conclusion of his remarks Mr Bardsley moved the following motion: "That, the statement having appeared in the public press that Australians have been appointed to executive positions in the commercial radio service without a proper effort by advertisement to find New Zealanders fitted for the posts, this meeting resolves that the Director of Broadcasting be sent a copy of the statement and requested to advise the league if it is justified, and, if so, to make an explanatory statement on the matter." On the suggestion of Mr G. S. Paxton, who seconded the motion, the chairman altered the motion to provide that the letter be written to the Acting Prime Minister instead of to the Director of Broadcasting. A member asked if there were anv grounds for the motion other than the mere statement in the press. Could ' the chairman not giv* the names of some of the appointees? He should be sure of his ground before asking the meeting to pass such a motion. Mr Bardsley said that, if the motion went forward, it would give the authorities the opportunity of clearing the matter up. Replying to a member, the chairman agreed that the statement referred to had appeared in a weekly paper, and added that the motion was merely intended to ask the authorities if the statement were justified. The motion was carried. ONE BIG LEAGUE

The following motion was introduced by the chairman: — "That this meeting urges the executive to take such steps as it deems necessary to influence the formation of a league in Christchurch and Wellington, so that, in conjunction with those of Auckland and Southland, there may be an effective series of leagues (1) collectively to handle important radio matters affecting listeners, with the subsequent purpose of approaching the Minister or the director of broadcasting; and (2) specially to endeavour to secure representation for listeners on some controlling authority connected with the National Broadcasting Service."

Mr Bardsley explained that if such a union of leagues could be brought about it would be possible for listeners to collaborate in bringing before the Minister and/or the director, any matters concerning which they considered they had a right to be heard. Mr M. A. Fraser seconded the motion.

Mr Booth spoke in support of the motion, and emphasised that at present listeners had no say as to how the funds of the broadcasting service were spent. A member expressed the opinion that the inherent weakness of the league lay in the fact that it was a non-political organisation. A voice: We don't want it to be. The member who had previously spoken said he considered that the league would never get anywhere unless it were prepared to ally itself to whichever political body was willing to support it and assist it in its efforts en behalf of listeners.

Mr J. R. Russell suggested that a large number of listeners considered that they were already paying sufficient through their annual licence fees. They could not see that the league was doing anything for them, and therefore objected to paying a subscription. The motion was carried. THE LEAGUE'S POLICY

The secretary (Mr H. Booth) said that since the recent public meeting he had been accused of working for the B stations and using the league for Iheir benefit. He wished to give this an emphatic denial. Always, from its inception, the league had assisted the B stations to the utmost, but the point was that it was not constituted merely to assist these stations, but in the interests of listeners as a whole. The attitude it had taken up with regard to the B stations, however, had not been political. Commenting on the refusal of the Acting Minister in Charge of Broadcasting (Mr F. Jones) to allow the notice of the meeting to be broad cast, Mr Booth said that this was difficult to understand, as permission had been given last year. "As a matter of fact." Mr Booth said, "I have bowled Mr Jones out on his own Act, which merely prohibited advertising for pecuniary gain." He had never advocated that listeners should have the whole of the say in the control of broadcasting; but he maintained that they should have Dart of the say. and that there be appointed from the ranks of the listeners an advisory council with the power to say and do something. OFFICE-BEARERS

The election of officers resulted as follows:—President. Mr W. J Bardsley; vice-president. Mr VV. J. Lavell; committee—Messrs T. Ruddiman, J B. M'Connell. R. Strong, A. E Greenway. J. D. M'Ewen, H. Bcgg, J B. Bell. M. A. Fraser. J. Ruxton. G. S Paxton, C. Tyrrell, and Mrs J. P. Northey: secretary, Mr H. Boolh. SERVICES APPRECIATED It was decided to place on record appreciation of the services rendered to the league by Mr Bardsley and Mr Boolh. Members made especial reference to the work of Mr Booth, and emphasised that for the past three years he had carried out the duties of secretary without remuneration.