B RADIO STATIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19312, 30 April 1937, Page 4

B RADIO STATIONS

WAIROA PROTEST PUBLIC MEETING DESIRED FARMED DISCUSSION (Special to tbe Herald.) WAIROA, this day. At the monthly meeting of the Wairoa branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday an emphatic protest was voiced by the members against the treatment being meted out to the B str .ions by the Government in its endeavour to put them off the air, and its failure to keep the promises, that it made at election time.

Mr. G. D. Tod proposed a motion that the Government should be asked to fulfil its election pledges. This was seconded by Mr. D. Mackenzie, but was dropped in favour of a motion proposed by the president, Mr. P. J. O'Kane, and seconded by Mr. T. le C. Powdrell, "that the Mayor be requested to call a public meeting and that the authorities in Wairoa co-operato with those in Gisbome, Napier and Hastings in an endeavour to retain the service being given by the B stations.

The president opened the discussion, and said that the question of the closing of the B stations by j-he Government was very important and they should endeavour to keep the local station on the air, as the service that they were paying for from the Government was not all that it should be. He referred to the wonderful asset that the district had in station 2ZP, which was giving efficient service to the district and to all parts of New Zealand.

The secretary explained that the offer of the Government for the purchase of the station covered the plant, but there was a certain amount of goodwill that it did not cover, and it was the general opinion that if the station was taken over by the Government, it would be closed down.

Mf. J. H. Curlett suggested that the branch should co-operate with the Mayor of Hastings in his endeavour to retain the B stations.

At this stage Mr. G. Tod proposed his motion.

Mr. Powdrell continued the discussion, and paid a tribute to the excellent service given by 2ZP. He said that on a trip in the North Auckland district, in every place that he stayed, the local station was listened to. "There was no doubt that 2ZP wjjs recognised as one of the leading B stations in New Zen land. He Suggested that a listeners' association should be formed, if it would be a help in keeping the, station on the air. They were not getting the service from the' \*A stations that they paid for.