DOUBLED IN FOUR YEARS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19900, 30 March 1939, Page 6

DOUBLED IN FOUR YEARS

RADIO SET LICENSES REMARKABLE EXPANSION The expansion of radio receiving licenses has been so remarkable in New Zealand year after year that it is surprising that the past 12 months should show a further increase of 11.6 per cent. The total of receiving licenses on February 28, 311,502, was 32,393 more than that of the corresponding period of 1938. They all become renewable at the end of March. The latest figure included 960 licenses issued to schools, hospitals and other institutions and to the blind. The distribution of licenses bears a fairly close relation to density of population as the following details show:—--Postal District Licenses : Auckland 68,192 Hamilton 21,996 Thames 9,358 Christchurch 42,458 z* Greymouth 5,136 Timaru 8,092 Westport 1,913 Dunedin 25,800 L Invercargill 13,021 Oamaru 3,625 Wellington 44,734 Blenheim 3,180 Gisborne 5,969 Napier 12,974 Nelson 5,738 New Plymouth 12,995 Palmerston North .. 14,661 Wanganui 11,660 Total 311,502 When radio broadcasting became a State service in 1932 the licenses numbered only 71,686, and the latest total is double that of May, 1935.