RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 409, 18 July 1928, Page 14

RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Conducted for THE SUN by R. F. HAYCOCK

Licences Fall Off

WHAT IS THE CAUSE?

Plea for Quarterly Payments

THE falling off in the number of licences taken out by listeners this year is no doubt causing the broadcasting company some little concern. It has improved its service and its programmes so that they naturally wonder what is the cause of the falling-off.

It seems to the writer that there may be another reason, and one for which the broadcasting company can in no way be blamed, and that is the Post and Telegraph Department’s refusal to allow licences to be paid in quartely instalments as formerly. No doubt, 30s per annum is not a heavy fee to pay for the variety of entertainment offered, and most people pay it in one sum without any great inconvenience, but on the other hand there are a number of young enthusiasts to whom the payment of 30s in a lump sum is a big consideration, and to whom quiarterly payments would be of great assistance. The Post and Telegraph Department

will probably say the difficulty of collection is too great, and that once a licence is issued on the payment of one quarter’s fee, it would be hard to tell whether at the end of the quarter a fresh fee was paid or the set dismantled. It must be admitted there are difficulties, but they should not be insurmountable. If the department can track a licensee who fails to renew his yearly license there should not be much difficulty in tracking one who does not renew his quartely one. At any rate it seems to me that the question is one that should be seriously considered, as should the fees fall off any further listeners generally must suffer by having lower grade programmes and less efficient service.