CONTROL OF WIRELESS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1927, Page 15

CONTROL OF WIRELESS

OBJECTION TO MONOPOLY DISSATISFACTION IN AUCKLAND. AGITATION FOR STATE CONTROL. The Auckland Listeners’ League, in a circular signed by the president, enumerates complaints against the present broadcasting system in New Zealand. The New Zealand Broadcasting Co., it is stated, has had almost two years of the monopoly of broadcasting, and as a result there is universal dissatisfaction with its service. The Advisory Board as formed by the last Postmaster-General has seemingly ceased to function, and the listeners have absolutely no effectual voice in a service to ' hirh they are the contributors of revenue. The Auckland Listeners League submits that an entirely inadequate sum is being and has been spent on programmes which at present are hopeless. The Auckland Listeners League feels that undue expense is being incurred on rents and administration, and that the present control of I,T1 ,T V from Christchurch, is killing local initiative. Although State services are used to collect revenue, for the company and to enforce its mexopoly no official balance sheet has been published. The one expert on broadcasting whom the company employs has resigned, and this has accentuated the seething discontent with the company’s control. As far as the League ;in dose touch with the general opinion of listener£-in) can find, there is a universal desire for direct Government control. This the League feels sure would certainly' satisfy the 20,000 licensees and the much larger number of listeners.

“The League therefore respectfully solicits your support in securing immediate Government control of the broadcasting in New Zealand. This control is effective and satisfactory in Great Brit'.in and Queensland, where it has been found the only solution of a difficult problem. The Auckland Listeners League feels that the present company could never regain public confidence by reorganisation or. other methods. Under Government control licenses will increase rapidly, and broadcasting will be no financial burden on the State.” LISTENET.S’ SUGGESTIONS. CONFERENCE WITH DIRECTORS. An informal conference was held between Mr. W. Goodfellow, chairman of directors of the ladio Broadcasting Company of New Zeal—id, and Mr. A. R. Harris, managing director of the company, and the executive of the Amateur Radio Society of Wellington. It was urged on behalf of the listeners that the new high-power Wellington station 2YA should'operate on a wavelength not longer than 300 metres, to minimise the amount of blanketing that would be inevitable I v the use of such a powerful transmitter. Mr. Harris stated that the onus of fixing the wavelengths rested upon the officials of the P. and T, Department. He admitted that the new 2YA transmitter was constructed so as to operate efficiently on 300 metres. The question of wavelengths would be carefully considered by the Department after 2YA had commenced operations. The necessity for a trained musician to control the monitoring systems at each of the broadcast stations was urged by the society’s representatives, with a view to improving the quality of the transmisson. Mr. Harris admitted the desirability of such appointments, but said that up till now the company had .been handicapped by insufficiency of funds to meet these requirements. He assured those present that the big Wellington station would be adequately staffed in each department. The need for appointment of a trained musician in each centre to select talent and to manage the programmes was pointed cut by the society’s spokesmen. This proposal was favourably received, and it was stated that as funds pern.itt*' ’ the company’s house would be put in order.

The subject of fading and distortion ,bv both 3Y A Christchurch, and IYA, Aucklaand, was introduced. Mr. Harris stated in re’’ that at both the Auckla ' and Christchu ch stations the company’s engineers had failed to detect sufficient fluctuation. in the power actually put into the transmitter to account for any fading. Owing to the system of power-sunply fluctuations in current could have scarcely the slightest effecton the transmis on. Mr. Goodfellow outlined briefly the financial difficulties with which the broadcasting company had had to contend. He explained, however, that the past year 1 t placed the finances on a better footing, and with the opening of such a powerful high-class station as the new 2YA and with the excellent programmes the company proposed to broadcast, the future held out much better prospects.