RADIO SERVICE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 277, 23 November 1945, Page 5

RADIO SERVICE

HIGHER STANDARD URGED NO LICENCE FEE REDUCTION ENVISAGED (P.A.). Parliament Bldgs., Nov. 22 In the House of Representatives this afternoon, speaking io the Broadcasting report, Mr. A. J. Murdoch (Opp., Marsden) made a plea for the establishment of a broadcasting station to serve North Auckland. He urged a reduction in the cost of the radio licence fee. Mr. Jones: Ninety-five per cent, of the people in New Zealand listen to to-day. Mr. Murdoch: Then why not go further? Reduce the fee and get 100 per cent. Mr. A. S. Richards (Govt., Ro-kill) said listeners in Auckland had reported interference with Parliamentary broadcasts which sounded like "someone blowing a very powerful whistle” and asked that an investigation be made. He would support a reduction in the licence fee only when the equipment of the broadcasting service was modernked.

Mr. S. W. Smith (Opp., Bay of Islands), supported the plea for a North Auckland station and the reduction of the present fee. He hoped the Minister would hasten the day when broadcasting could be used for the discussion of controversial subjects along the lines of Australian broadcasts, and in this manner afford further education of the people. He thought the programmes of the National Y.A. stations could be staggered and thus avoid hearing the same sort of programmes at the same times from different stations.

Mr. Clyde Carr (Govt., Timaru) said it was staggering to him that programmes were not staggered, and he urged the necessary alterations. He advocated greater use of alternative programmes. One comphint he made was that the wave-length of the ZB stations were too close to those of Australian mations. He supported freedom of speech over the air in the broadcasting of controversial matters, and asked if the switching of Parliamentary broadcasts to another station could not be obviated. Mr. G. R. Herron (Awarua) pleaded for better radio services for the people in the backblocks who paid the same It.s as city listeners. Mr. T. H. McCombs (Govt., Lyttelton) urged the inclusion of New Zealand news in programmes for internal consumption and the use of the radio to propagandise New Zealand overseas as a tourist resort. For this purpore we needed a powerful shortwave station. We should aspire to the 8.8. C. standard in short-wave programmes. For a comparatively small cost we could build a short-wave station to broadcast programmes aimed at America, Australia and other countlies.

Mr H. T. Morton (Opp., Waitemata' urged that higher fees should be paid local and visiting artists to enable the best talent to be obtained for the radio. He would like to see the fees at least doubled. Mr. J. B. Cotterill (Govt., Wanganui) said on the face of £1.570,000 in reserves it did appear that the licence fee could be reduced. He asked the Minister for an estimate of the amount required for replacement of existing equipment and modern! ation of the service. Mr. Jones said the cost to listeners was jess than a penny daily, and when the broadcasting service was compared with what lhe Press of New Zealand supplied, the people were well off. So far as controversial subjects were concerned, the people had the advantage of listening to Parliament, and the fact that its proceedings were broadcast was one of the greatest things done to educate the people on the political I'fe of the country. Dealing with the allegation of interference with Parliamentary broadcasts, Mr. Jones said it was quite possible that this was due to power leakages. Mr. W. J. Polson (Opp., Stratford): Or tuning. Mr. C. F. Skinner (Govt., Motueka): One of the worst sources of interference is trams. Mr. Jones said was quite prepared to look into the complaint. Mr. R. M. Alg>e (Oj>p., Remuera): Would anyone be jamming the radio again? Mr. Jones: Some members of the Opposition know something about jamming the radio, but I do not think the member for Remuera has been jammed yet. Mr. Jones referred io several matters which were brought, up when the Estimates were discussed and repeated that every encouragement would be given to local talent and again gave an outline of broadens ing plans for the future. It wa estimated that the <£»st of new buildings required word be about £7*3,000, the replacement of plant £155,00, the provision of relay linos would cost £30,000. -and the establishment of two short-wave stations £40,000. He had already given instructions to see if

Parliamentary proceedings could be broadcast wfthout break. “If we tire to give decent programmes then people will have to pav for them.” he said. He did not think the people were complaining aboifi the cost of the licence, and believed the cosis of broadcasting to New Zealand’s population were just as great as the amount required to give a service to 10.000,009.