Listeners' Interests.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 192, 14 August 1931, Page 7

Listeners' Interests.

LATE CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—Some time ago an organisation called the New Zealand Radio Listeners’ League was organised in Dunedin, and met with a large amount of success. Unfortunately, however, this success was not maintained in the same degree in other centres in New Zealand, and whilst in the various parts of the Dominion branches of the League have been established, the membership in these places is only very small. The present broadcasting company is not satisfying the majority of listeners in New Zealand, and it is not right that any private company or firm should control the interests of 60,000 listeners. We do not deny that the Broadcasting Company has in the past built up the service and done as well as they oould under the circumstances, but the system under which their present contract is held is wrong. It does not cost any more to serve 60,000 listeners than it does to serve 30,000 listeners. The Broadcasting Company at present receives 25s out of every 30s license issued, and as the number of licenses increases, so does the profit. This extra profit should not be allowed to go into the pockets of the members of any private firm or company. If there is a surplus profit, it should go to the Government. The present Broadcasting Company which has now had five years’ experience should be able to estimate the annual cost of the service and so should any other firm, providing they know the requirements. If this is so, it should be possible to tender for the contract at a fixed price irrespective of the number of licenses issued and after payment of this sum out of the revenue received the surplus would be a handsome profit for the Government. This is the basis on which we contend the contract should be let: not on a basis of so much per license, but on a fixed contract price. The Postmaster-General has announced that the Government will take over the control of the service. I do not think this will meet with the approval of the majority of listeners. In any case I do not think the Government should attempt the programme side of the business. This should be let by tender to one or more firms, either to one firm for the whole of New Zealand, or to, say, four different firms for the four centres. The Government might successfully take over the technical side of the business, but even so there should be a board of control on which the listeners should be adequately represented. At a recent deputation to the Post-master-General representing the radio trade, the deputation contended that as the trade supplied £IO,OOO in revenue by means of dealers’ licenses the dealers were entitled to one representative on the board. On this basis the listeners, who supply £90,000 worth of revenue are entitled to nine representatives 1 would not go so far as to suggest this, but I would suggest that there should be four listeners’ representatives, one from each of the four centres. When all is said and done the whole matter is a listeners’ matter. If there were no listeners, there would be no need of a broadcasting service, and no radio trade. The listener supplies everything, and he who pays the piper should call the tune. The average man in the street who does not own a wireless set does not care who controls broadcasting or who makes the profit out of the business, but it is a vital .matter to the listener.

I have suggested to the Pos imutiterGeneral that he should call a conference of listeners’ representatives to discuss the matter before placing the Bill before the House, but he informs me that the proposals are already before Cabinet and that the listeners will be

satisfied when the details are published. I cannot conceive how this can be. liecause when the Bill is passed, no further action can be taken. The objection that the Government cannot face the financial aspect of taking over is absurd, because the listeners themselves provide the revenue. The whole matter is a listeners’ matter only, and they should be consulted. Whatever the issue, the future should be controlled by a Board of Control. There is plenty of revenue to pay for the cost of the board. The number of licenses is now in the vicinity of 60,000 and is increasing every day and will soon be nearer 100,000.

There is the matter of the suggested increase in the power of four main stations and the installation of relay stations. This is a matter that should only be done after consultation with experts and after very careful enquiries have been made. Relay stations are not necessary, because it is a useless waste of money to instal a chain of relay stations when there are plenty of B class stations which operate at their own expense. I trust that those of your readers who are radio enthusiasts will be interested in the subjectmatter of my letter and 1 shall be pleased to receive correspondence from any of them who care to get into communication with me.—l am, etc., H. BOOTH Secretary and organiser N.Z. Radio Listeners’ League. Dunedin.