SERVICE AND POLICY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20106, 27 March 1928, Page 10

SERVICE AND POLICY

“PUBLIC RELATIONS SCHEME” During the past few weeks the general discontent with the broadcastingin New Zealand has been somewhat intensified by the recent dismissals from the staff of station IYA (Auckland). The Broadcasting Company contends that it is its own business what it does with its staff, and its attitude in this respect is sound. An exception does to a certain extent arise when a popular announcer, who is on footing of some intimacy with listeners, is concerned. Otherwise the public A”e only concerned in regard to the efficiency of the service. The personal aspect of staffing difficulties must bo left to the persons concerned. The public concern should not be aroused so much by the personal question as by its reaction on the service, itself; and it may be very difficult to say whether a change in

staffing is responsible for a change in the quality of service. Regarding the general management of the broadcasting service, however, the public are directly interested, and have a right to express themselves and to receive some attention. According to a statement by Mr Wm. Goodfellow who shares with Air A. R. Harris (general manager) the whole responsibility for the conduct of the broadcasting system, the impression that the company has “money to burn” is wrong. The income during the past year, he said in Auckland the other day, was under £40,000, and for several months the expenditure had considerably exceeded the revenue. Copyright fees alone cost thousands of pounds a year. He denied that there was undue control of the Auckland station by the head office. Interference from the head office merely implied that the work was not satisfactorily performed at th? station. Air Goodfellow concluded by saying that neither he nor Mr Harris would attend public meetings, but the management would be pleased at all times to receive constructive and helpful suggestions.

Auckland listeners, as reported, held a large meeting and passed stronglyworded resolutions amounting to a vote of no-confidence in the Broadcasting Company. In a published reply, Air. Harris remarked that the condemnation was not supported by any specific instances of faults. The cataloguing of all the faults which accumulate to make up the general cause of discontent would be a big work. A great many specific complaints have, however, been made from time to time, hence the numerous objections by the company to what it calls “destructive criticism.”

A few days ago 2Y’A, in the course of a reminder that the license year is about to end, gave out the following: “Although this high-power station was officially opened only in July last . . . the number of licenses is more than double the figure at which it stood when 2YA was first heard on the air. This remarkable increase is undoubted proof that the broadcasting company’s service has met and is meeting with general approval, and that great strides have been made in respect of the quality of the programmes. . The phrase “undoubted proof” hardjy fits: the author of the statement may have no doubts, but others have.

At last, apparently, the company has decided to try and meet one complaint which has been almost perpetual since the “advisory committee” dropped its imaginary functions. “A considered scheme of public relations,” said Air Harris in Auckland, “involving the cooperation of all sections of the community, has been drawn up and will be published immediately.” This event will be eagerly awaited, and should go a long way towards clearing up the situation.