RADIO BROADCASTING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18586, 21 December 1934, Page 5

RADIO BROADCASTING

CONTROLLING BOARD

WIDENED CONSTITUTION

(Special to the liorald.) WELLINGTON, this day

As the term of two members of the New Zealand Broadcasting Board expires this week, an announcement may be expected from the Government regarding appointments. The retiring members, Messrs. G. R. Hutchinson (Auckland) and L. It. C. Maefarlano (Christchurch) wero appointed for two years, this term having expired, while iho chairman, Mr. H. D. Vickery, of Wellington, holds office for another year. Possibly the retiring members will be veappomted, tut this will be no indication that the Government is so completely satisfied with the present constitution of tho beard that it will continue the original system indefinitely. It is felt in official circles that while the original board has been successful in handling a difficult task in taking over a large capital liability and having to spend heavily on entirely new and expensive plant, the purely business aspect of broadcasting needs some reinforcement from other directions. To make any important change, legislation will be needed, and it is expected that the Postmaster-General, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, who has taken a very keen interest in the development of radio broadcasting, will seek an opportunity of revising New Zealand’s system, particularly the controlling element. So far as can be gathered, it seems likely that tho board of three will be extended in numbers, thus giving the Government opportunity to introduce into broadcasting control fresh points of view. If these changes are carried out, the Broadcasting Board will more completely reflect the British system, for that is controlled by a corporation of five members, nominated by the Government, the corporation appointing the DirectorGeneral of Broadcasting, who is Sir oohn Reith. The 8.8. C. in its present form has been operating for 11 years, and in general it can be said that its work has been approved by the public. Discussing the constitution of the 8.8. C. in its official year book, Lord Allen of Ilurtwood suggested that experience had shown that n ensured an element of responsiveness to popular checks, the most varied expression of opinion, freedom from tho exclusive propaganda of over-zealous pontiffs or parties, and the opportunity of initiative. He suggested that the alternative, a State Department alone, is, in fact, too political, or too cautious, or too much encumbered with administrative machinery to conduct public utilities, while he considers that a private commercial institution has to pay too much regard to financial considerations, and cannot, owing to competition, eliminate waste or ensure planned foresight by operating on a sufficiently large scale.