ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVICES (FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31st MARCH 1941).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1941 Session I, F-03

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1941. NE W ZEA L A N I).

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVICES (FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31st MARCH 1941).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly ■pursuant to the Provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 1936.

REPORT. This report is furnished in two sections, the first dealing with the National Broadcasting Service and the second with the National Commercial Broadcasting Service. SECTION I.—NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVICE. I have the honour to submit the following report on the operations of the National Broadcasting Service for the period Ist April, 1940, to 31st March, 1941. Receiving Licenses. The increase in the number of radio licenses issued is smaller this year, being 9,770, as against an increase of 27,097 recorded the previous year. Such a reduction in the annual rate of increase was to be expected now that so large a proportion of the houses in the Dominion are equipped with wireless-receiving sets. To-day approximately 86 per cent, of the houses in the Dominion are equipped with wireless-receiving sets. The increases in licenses during the past ten years are shown hereunder : —

The ratio of licenses to population is higher in New Zealand than in any other country of the Empire.

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Number of j Increase for Licenses. | Year. 31st December, 1930 .. .. .. .. 60,162 31st December, 1931 .. .. .. .. 71,453 11,291 31st December, 1932 .. .. .. .. 88,993 17,540 31st December, 1933 .. .. .. .. 113,053 24,060 31st December, 1934 .. .. .. .. 148,284 35,231 31st December, 1935 .. .. .. .. 183,830 35,546 31st December, 1936 .. .. .. .. 231,364 47,534 31st March, 1937 .. .. .. 242,306 58,476* 31st March, 1938 .. .. .. 286,057 43,751 31st March, 1939 .. .. .. 318,613 32,556 31st March, 1940 .. 345,710 27,097 31st March, 1941 .. .. .. .. 355,480 9,770 * Increase for fifteen months.

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Hours op Transmission. The total transmission time of stations operated by the National Broadcasting Service was 52,818 hours. Of this time, 36 hours were lost owing to technical faults and power-failures. The great increase of transmission hours is shown by the fact that in the calendar year 1932 the transmission time of national stations was just over 13,000 hours. Programmes. The National Broadcasting Service, at the 31st March, 1941, was supplying programmes from the sixteen stations indicated hereunder :—

In addition to the above stations there were two stations privately owned which are subsidized by the Government. Broadcasting and the War. During the year the war continued to provide the National Broadcasting Service with new problems not hitherto encountered in the conduct of broadcasting in New Zealand, and many fresh opportunities to serve the nation in its war effort. The dominant aim has been to keep the people informed reliably and promptly as to the progress of the war by frequent broadcasts of news bulletins and expert commentaries ; to further the national war effort by means of talks by representative citizens, by appeals and announcements, and by broadcasts of special programmes and events. At the same time, there has still been available normal broadcast fare of a cultural, entertaining, or informative nature. It has been recognized that, although broadcasting is a powerful medium for the furtherance of the war effort, there should be maintained in the programmes a due proportion of entertainment and diversion, otherwise the listening habit might diminish with a consequent loss in the effectiveness of broadcasting as a stimulating and unifying medium in the national interest. News and Commentaries. Through the continued courtesy of the British Broadcasting Corporation and Messrs. Reuters Limited, the news bulletins broadcast from London have been available to the Service, and the national stations have rebroadcast these bulletins seven times a day. These rebroadcasts, together with commentaries on the news and talks on all aspects of the war, have occupied from two and a half to three hours daily of the time of the main national stations. To meet the special needs of country listeners and of those in remote districts, a news summary under the title " The N.B.S. Newsreel " is broadcast each evening at 9 o'clock, containing all the important news available up to the time of broadcasting, and compiled from sources such as the broadcasts of news from London, New Zealand Press Association messages, and the news service of the Director of Publicity and the Prime Minister's Department. The main stations still broadcast each evening at seven o'clock local news made available by courtesy of the daily newspapers, as well as sports results and market reports. Talks. Owing to heavy demands on available broadcasting time there were fewer general talks of New Zealand origin than in a normal year, but overseas rebroadcasts have provided an unprecedented number of talks by distinguished speakers of international importance, mostly connected with the war. There were three broadcasts by His Majesty the King, the first being an Empire Day broadcast given while the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France and Belgium was in progress. The second broadcast by His Majesty was in September, when the institution of the George Cross and George Medal was announced, and the third broadcast was a Christmas message. Her Majesty the Queen was heard on two occasions—the first a broadcast on the eighty-fifth anniversary of the founding of

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Station. Aerial Energy. ! Frequency. Wave-length. Kilocycles. Metres. 1YA, Auckland .. .. .. 10-00 kW. 650 462 1YX, Auckland .. .. .. 0-15 kW. 880 341 1ZM, Auckland .. .. .. 0-75 kW. 1,250 240 2YA, Wellington .. .. .. 60-00 kW. 570 526 *2YB, New Plymouth .. .. .. 0-03 kW. 810 370 2YC, Wellington .. .. .. 5-00 kW. 840 357 2YD, Wellington .. .. .. 0-20 kW. 990 303 2YH, Napier .. .. .. .. 5-00 kW. 750 400 2YN, Nelson .. .. .. .. 0-03 kW. 920 327 *2ZJ, G-isborne .. .. .. .. 0-10 kW. 980 306 3YA, Christchurch .. .. .. 10-00 kW. 720 416 3YL, Christchurch .. .. .. 0-30 kW. 1,200 250 3 ZR Grey mouth .. .. .. 0-10kW. 940 319 4YA, Dunedin .. .. .. .. 10-00 kW. 790 380 4YO, Dunedin .. .. .. .. 0-15 kW. 1,140 263 4YZ, Invercargill .. .. .. 5-00 kW. 680 4-41 * Stations owned by the National Broadcasting Service, but operated under contract.

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the Y.W.C.A., and the second a broadcast expressing the sympathy and admiration of thp women of Britain for the women of France. In October a broadcast specially directed to children, but no less interesting to adults, was given by Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth. There were frequent talks by Cabinet Ministers of Britain. The speech by Mr. Neville Chamberlain 011 his resignation from the Premiership in May was broadcast, and later in the year a personal message recorded at his home. The nation was inspired by several rebroadcasts of speeches by the Right Honourable Winston Churchill. Among other British Ministers to be rebroadcast were Mr. A. V. Alexander, Mr. C. R. Attlee, Lord Beaverbrook, Mr. Ernest Bevin, Mr. Duff Cooper, Lord Cranborne, Dr. Hugh Dalton, Mr. Anthony Eden, Mr. Malcolm Mac Donald, Mr. Herbert Morrison, Sir Archibald Sinclair, Lord Woolton, and Mr. David Grenfell. Among other outstanding rebroadcasts were talks by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Hinsley, Mr. Vernon Bartlett, Sir Neville Henderson, Mr. A. G. Macdonell, Mr. J. B. Priestley, Mr. Wickham Steed, Sir Robert Vansittart, Sir Hugh Wa.lpole, and many others. Speeches by the Prime Ministers of Canada and Australia, and by the President of the United States, were rebroadcast. Among New-Zealanders speaking from England were the High Commissioner (Mr. W. J. Jordan) and Mr. Hector Bolitho, Dr. R. M. Campbell, Mr. d'Arcy Creswell, Mr. David Low, Mr. Nesbitt Sellars, and Lieutenant-Colonel P. Waite. Among the many New-Zealanders in the lighting services rebroadcast were Major-General B. C. Freyberg, Brigadier J. Hargest, and Flying Officer E. J. " Cobber " Kain. In New Zealand the Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers broadcast as occasion required concerning various aspects of Government policy and plans, and together with the Leader of the Opposition and other members of Parliament spoke on the war effort. At special times set aside for the purpose, talks were given designed, to further the national war effort, among the subjects being Recruiting, " The Maori War Effort," " The Home Guard," " Women's War Service Auxiliary," " Farm Production in relation to the War," " National Savings," " Petrolsaving," and " Waste Salvaging." Talks were given by Mr. Noel Coward, the distinguished playwright and actor, while he was a guest in New Zealand, and by three New Zealand naval ratings who were prisoners on the " Altmark." Their Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Galway broadcast a number of times, the last occasion being a farewell message at the end of His Excellency's term of office. In general New Zealand talks, the Centennial figured largely. For example, the adult educational talks at 2YA surveyed the social and economic history of New Zealand by dialogues in which the past was reconstructed. At 3YA were discussions on the impact of European civilization upon New Zealand. The series " New Zealand Brains abroad " dealt with New-Zealanders who have distinguished themselves in the larger world. An innovation was the broadcasting before publication of her own novel " A Surfeit of Lampreys," by Ngaio Marsh, the New Zealand author. Tributes were broadcast on the death of eminent persons, among these being Lord Lothian, the British Ambassador in the United States ; Lord Baden-Powell ; Sir Oliver Lodge and Sir J. J. Thomson, two famous scientists ; Sir Wilfred Grenfell, the Labrador missionary; Henri Bergson, the French philosopher ; and the poets W. H. Davies and A. B. Banjo " Paterson. Overseas Rebroadcasts. In addition to speakers, many events of special interest to New Zealand listeners were rebroadcast from overseas. Of special note was a programme by members of the Maori Battalion in England broadcast by the 8.8.C., and personal messages and Christmas greetings to their relatives and friends in New Zealand. Other rebroadcasts were the arrival of various sections of New Zealand Forces in England, visits to camps where members of New Zealand Forces and other units were engaged or in training, and a programme by members of a New Zealand Anti-tank Battery in England, in addition to the many rebroadcasts from Britain of events connected with the war. From Australia was rebroadcast a description of the arrival of the flying-boat " Aotearoa " at Rose Bay, Sydney, on the first commercial flight from New Zealand to Australia, and a description of the Melbourne Cup race. Broadcasting and the Forces. Special plans were made by the Service for keeping New-Zealanders serving with the Forces overseas in touch with their homeland. As mentioned in my report last year, the Government decided to send a broadcasting unit with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. This unit, consisting of an engineer, an observer-commentator, and a technician, and the necessary equipment, has been in Egypt with the Forces for some months. Recordings of suitable programmes, talks, or commentaries are sent to the unit regularly by the Service, and this material is either broadcast to our Forces from a Cairo station or played over a public-address system to such of the New Zealand Forces as are in the vicinity of the unit. The unit in its turn sends by each air-mail to New Zealand talks and programmes depicting the activities of our Forces in the Middle East, and personal messages from members of the Forces to relatives and friends in New Zealand. This material has been broadcast every Sunday morning from the national stations with the title " With the Boys Overseas " and sometimes has included messages and talks by members of our Forces in England received via the 8.8.C. Arrangements have been made for a bulletin of New Zealand news to be cabled each week to the Australian Broadcasting Commission for inclusion in a special session broadcast to Canada for Australian and New Zealand airmen in training there. Before the Second Echelon of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force left England a twenty-minute programme of matters of New Zealand interest was sent at three-weekly intervals for broadcasting by the B. B.C. to members of our Forces in England.

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Bv the kind co-operation of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, message's have been recorded in Canada by New-Zealanders who are there under the Empire Air Training Scheme, and are included in the Sunday morning broadcasts of " With the Boys Overseas." Special signalling instruction was broadcast on six nights a week for Air Force trainees who, owing to the inaccessibility of class instruction, were taking a correspondence course under the Educational Training Scheme of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Many hundreds of trainees followed these courses, and the Air Department has expressed satisfaction with the result. Music. Despite the setback to many cultural activities caused by the war, the year was one of outstanding interest and achievement in music-making in New Zealand, due to the fact that it was possible to carry out almost in their entirety the. Centennial Music Celebrations, for which arrangements had been made prior to the war. As there was no national organization representing the musical affairs of the Dominion, the National Centennial Music Committee arranged for the National Broadcasting Service to collaborate with the Department of Internal Affairs in carrying its plans into effect. Andersen Tyrer, the distinguished English conductor and pianist, was engaged as Musical Director and Conductor for the Celebrations, and four principal singers of high reputation were brought from England— Isobel Baillie, soprano ; Gladys Ripley, contralto ; Heddle Nash, tenor ; and Oscar Natzke, bass. The choice of Oscar Natzke was particularly apt, since Mr. Natzke is himself a New-Zealander. 11l addition to the singers from England, Raymond Beatty, Australian bass-baritone, and Frank Bermingham, an English baritone living in New Zealand, were engaged. With the full-time String Orchestra of the National Broadcasting Service as a nucleus, a National Centennial Orchestra of thirty-four of New Zealand's best players was assembled. The specially engaged singers and the National Centennial Orchestra were augmented by the singers and musicians in the musical societies at the four main centres, and with the enthusiastic support of the committees of these societies and the Provincial Centennial Music Committees this combination of the best of overseas and New Zealand talents, under the skilful direction of Andersen Tyrer, made the Music Celebrations for many people the most enduring memory of the Centennial. The variety and extent of the musical work accomplished is evident from the following summary of the programmes presented at the four main centres: "Faust" (fourteen theatre presentations); "Elijah" (two); "Creation" (one) celebrity concerts (two) ; symphony concerts (three) : orchestral concerts (three) ; choral concerts (three), embracing such works as " King Olaf " (Elgar), " Carmen " (Bizet), " Dr. Faustus " (Anderson Tyrer), " The Dream of Gerontius " (Elgar), " The Desert " (Felicien David), " The Burial of King Cormac " (H. C. Luscombe), " Enigma " (Elgar), " Pathetic " Symphony (Tschaikowsky), " Die Meistersingers Overture " (Wagner), " Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor " (Bach), and many others. At the conclusion of the celebrations in the four main centres the Government arranged a series of celebrity concerts in fourteen provincial towns. As many as possible of these concerts were broadcast. The artists taking part in this tour were Isobel Baillie, Gladys Ripley, Heddle Nash, Oscar Natzke ; a string quartet of New Zealand players comprising Vincent Aspey (first violin), Harry Ellwood (second violin), William McLean (viola), and Francis Bate (violoncello) ; and Clifford Huntsman (solo pianist) and Noel Newson (accompanist). An unexpected and pleasing incident in the music celebrations was the conducting by Sir Thomas Beecham, the greatest English operatic conductor, of the second act of " Faust " in Auckland. Sir Thomas was in Auckland for a very short time, and his generous action was highly appreciated. The cost of the Centennial Music Celebrations was borne by the Department of Internal Affairs and the National Broadcasting Service, the share of the Broadcasting Service in the cost being £13,243. Later in the year Andersen Tyrer was engaged to direct a series of special orchestral and choral broadcasts. The first of these, " Music Makers of New Zealand," included the performance of the prize-winning works in the Centennial competitions for orchestral and choral compositions, and performances by the choirs and string quartets whose performances had won prizes in the Centennial Music Competitions. Other outstanding programmes in this series were a Christmas concert and a performance of Brahms' " Requiem." . Ignaz Friedman, the eminent Polish pianist, gave very successful broadcast recitals and public concerts in the main centres. Engagements were given as usual to the best available local artists and musical societies, choirs, &c. There were 56 broadcasts by musical societies and approximately 1,500 performances by local artists. Miss Mary Pratt, the Dunedin contralto, was engaged to tour New Zealand in the programmes associated with the performances of Noel Coward. From our extensive library of recordings, programmes of the world's best works and artists were broadcast every day from the national stations. Of special interest were commemorative programmes for the centenaries of Tschaikowsky and Paganini. Presentations of recorded operas and ballet music were continued, including the newly recorded " Lucia di Lammermoor " and " The Beggar's Opera." The N.B.S. String Orchestra of twelve full-time players continued to do excellent work under the capable conductorship of Maurice Clare. The value of such an organization as this was evidenced when the Service was required to assemble the National Centennial Orchestra and to provide at short notice the assisting programme to Noel Coward in the public concerts which he gave at the four main centres. The orchestra has had a distinct influence in the raising of performance standards in the Dominion. Plays and Feature Programmes. Plays, serials, and dramatic features continue to be very popular, and a large number have been broadcast. Adaptations have been presented of stage plays by such dramatists as Shakespeare, Johnson, Moliere, Galsworthy, Shaw, A. A. Milne, P. G. Wodehouse, James Hilton, and St. John Ervine, and other plays broadcasts were by well-known radio writers such as Max Afford, Edmund Barclay, W. Graeme-Holder, Hector Bolitho, Dorothy Sayers, Patrick Hamilton, and Val Gielgud.

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Serials continue to be popular, and during the year dramatizations were presented of famous novels such as " David Copperfield," " The Moonstone," " The Women in White," " Dombey and Son," " The Gentleman Rider," " The Channings," " The Mystery of Darrington Hall." The writing and production of dramatic and other special features are being increasingly carried out by the Productions Branch of the Service. In all these productions local actors and actresses are employed. Special encouragement has been given to New Zealand writers, and a number of their plays have been purchased during the year. The winning entries of the radio play-writing competition held in connection with the Centennial celebrations will be broadcast. A special feature of the work of the Productions Branch has been the National Service programmes. Specially written and produced by the Service, these programmes commemorate special events, or provide information relative to war news or otherwise further the war effort. Prominent among such programmes have been " London," " The Channel —Moat of England," " Gibralter," " Malta," " The Glory That is Greece," and " The Romance of Paper." Our historic collection of recordings of speeches and events made possible the programme " One Year of War," which was broadcast on the first anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities. This programme, which was widely appreciated, was compiled by the Service from this collection. Light Music and Variety. A liberal amount of light entertainment, both musical and spoken, was broadcast from each station. This was built up from the best available local talent and the wide selection of gramophone recordings in the libraries of the Service. There were studio broadcasts by New Zealand military, brass, pipe, and novelty bands. Dance bands provided weekly studio broadcasts or relays from cabarets of modern and old-time dance music. There were concerts by Maori parties and relays of community singing, while variety entertainment by combinations of local artists was broadcast from the studio under such titles as " Hometown Variety," " Memories of Musical Comedy," " Rainbow Rhythm," " Among My Souvenirs," " We Present," " Every Friday Night at Eight." There were regular broadcasts of recorded presentations of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas and other music of a light operatic or musical comedy nature. There were also broadcast a considerable number of continuity and variety shows recorded in New Zealand and abroad. More than twenty programmes produced and recorded by the 8.8.C. were broadcast, of a type and standard that would not ordinarily be available to the Service, covering a wide range of light entertainment such as the musical comedy " Who's Hooper," the variety programme " Hail Variety," and the concert party " The Fol de Rols." One of these programmes, " Flying High," was by artists who were members of the Royal Flying Corps in the Great War. A notable feature of the year's light entertainment was the relays from the public concerts given in aid of patriotic funds by Noel Coward, To appear with Mr. Coward the Service made available the N.B.S. String Orchestra, augumented by the Studio Orchestras, with Andersen Tyrer (Conductor), Heddle Nash (English tenor), and Mary Pratt (New Zealand contralto). Outside Broadcasts. Many relays of New Zealand events of national interest were carried out by the various national stations. Among these were a number of civic farewells to Viscount and Lady Galway, the swearing-in at Parliament Buildings, Wellington, of His Excellency Sir Cyril Newall as Governor-General of New Zealand, the closing ceremony of the Centennial Exhibition at Wellington, an open-air civic reception at Auckland to the Commanding Officer, officers, and men of the visiting squadron of the American Fleet, the march through Wellington and the civic reception of members of the ship's company of H.M.S. " Achilles," the installation at Christchurch Anglican Cathedral of Bishop West Watson as Archbishop of New Zealand, the arrival of the American Clipper on the inaugural mail and passenger flight to New Zealand from America, and the first meeting of the Lower Hutt City Council when the deed proclaiming Lower Hutt as a city was read by the Minister of Internal Affairs. Parliamentary Broadcasts. Broadcasts of the proceedings of the House of Representatives were continued during the year. In order to avoid placing undue restrictions 011 speakers in broadcast debates and yet to guard against the possibility of information which should not be broadcast being put over the air during a debate, a procedure was agreed upon whereby a debate may be put off the air if a speaker should desire to discuss matter which is not available for broadcasting. Religious Broadcasts. Morning and evening services were broadcast each Sunday from various churches by the national stations, and short devotional services were broadcast from the studios each morning .during the week. In response to a growing desire on the part of the people for greater opportunity for national prayer, a short evening prayer service was broadcast each Wednesday of the week from the studios in one or other of the four main centres. The broadcasts each Sunday morning of the programme " With the Boys Overseas " concluded with an appropriate prayer by the leaders of the various churches.

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The broadcasts of Sunday church services were undertaken by the churches of the various denominations in accordance with a carefully arranged rota of services drawn up by the Central Religious Advisory Committee and the Director of Broadcasting in consultation with local religious broadcasting advisory committees. The thanks of the Service are due to the Central Religious Advisory Committee and to the local Church Committees for their excellent work. Broadcasts to Schools. Broadcasts of weekly educational sessions to schools were continued. The usual pamphlet was issued free to schools as a guide and supplement to these broadcasts. To conserve paper, only one copy of the pamphlet for each two pupils was issued, and on this basis 44,175 pamphlets were sent to 1,192 schools. For pupils in post-primary schools a weekly quarter-hour session in French was started. A booklet with which to follow these lessons was made available free of charge to schools, and on a basis of one booklet for each two pupils 3,741 booklets were issued to 130 schools. The staff of the Education Department's Correspondence School broadcast a weekly session to pupils of the school throughout the country. Women's Sessions. Special attention was given during the year to the morning sessions for women, and many new features were introduced under the title " For My Lady." There were programmes featuring the world's leading artists and musicians, with appropriate comment, while serial plays such as " Dombey and Son," " Oliver Twist," " Great Expectations," &c., were introduced for the first time in these morning sessions, and have proved very popular. There were literary talks, and Miss Nelle Scanlan, the New Zealand novelist, gave a series of' talks entitled " Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax," and there were also talks on many other subjects of interest to women—e.g., cooking, fashions, dress, health, &c. Sporting Broadcasts. With so many men absent from the country with the Forces the sporting relays of the National Broadcasting Service have been necessarily restricted.. However, the club and representative Rugby matches in the main centres were broadcast as usual, there being 136 of these broadcasts during the year, as against 144 the previous year. Commentaries from 57 wrestling matches and 15 boxing matches were broadcast, while there were also broadcasts of cricket, swimming, tennis, and other sporting fixtures. The racing and trotting meetings at the four main centres were also covered. Special Services. While special services such as gardening talks, book reviews, &c., still form an important part of broadcast activities, some restriction of these activities has been necessary in view mainly of the heavy demands made on available time for war purposes. As a war measure, the broadcasting of weather reports and forecasts was prohibited. Announcements and appeals on a very extensive range of subjects were made from the national stations, including appeals for earphones for the Air Force and binoculars for all the Forces, books for camps, anti-rumour, recruiting and national savings announcements, patriotic appeals, appeals for charitable purposes, and waste salvage announcements. During the year requests for information regarding missing cars were made on 531 occasions, and 316 appeals for information as to the whereabouts of missing persons. Patriotic funds benefited to the extent of £3,700 from concerts for which the Service organized the programmes and made artists and orchestras available. Resulting from telephone appeals broadcast from various stations, the sum of £15,549 was raised for patriotic purposes. Programme Analysis. A percentage analysis shows that music still occupies the greatest amount of broadcasting-time, although since the outbreak of war the time devoted to the broadcasting of news and commentaries has increased considerably. An analysis of the combined programmes of the seven main national stations for a sample week towards the end of the year shows the following to be the percentages of time devoted to the various types of material :—

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Percentage of yP 0 ' ! Programme-time. Music — Serious .. .. .. .. . • • • • • • • • • 13-7 Light .. .. .. .. .• ■• • ■ • • • • 42-4 Modern dance .. .. .. .. . • ■ ■ • ■ ■ ■ 7-8 Old-time dance . . . . .. . . . • • • • • • • 0 • 1 Plays and sketches . . . . .. . . . . . . • • • • 5-0 Sporting commentaries .. . . . . . . .. • • • • 0-4 Talks: General; educative (including school broadcasts) .. .. .. 3-9 News, parliamentary broadcasts, reports, and announcements .. .. .. 19'8 Church and devotional services .. .. .. . • • • • ■ 3-2 Children's session .. .. .. .. .. - - • • • • 3 • 7 100-0

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There would not be any great variation in the above percentages week by week throughout the year, except in the case of the percentage time devoted to sporting commentaries. In the winter sports season the time used in broadcasting sporting commentaries would be much greater than that shown in the above analysis. National Broadcasting Stations Recordings. The recording facilities of the Service continue to prove an increasingly valuable adjunct. The studios are engaged daily in recording plays and programmes written by overseas and New Zealand authors. Talks and news bulletins broadcast from the 8.8.C. are recorded regularly, either for their historic value or for broadcasting at times more convenient to New Zealand listeners than the original transmission. Recordings are also made of interesting events in New Zealand and of talks by local speakers on New Zealand subjects. The possession of these recording facilities also enables the Service to record talks by important persons who are not long enough in the Dominion to appear before the microphone at the necessary time for broadcasting. Recordings have been made of a number of ceremonies, particularly in connexion with the departure of forces for overseas which have not been available for broadcasting but have been deposited in the records library for future purposes. The Service's library of recordings made in New Zealand or by the broadcasting unit with the Forces now contains many thousands of records, and it is impossible to overestimate the future value of these recordings for programmes, anniversary celebrations, historical, and educational purposes. " The New Zealand Listener." The Listener has continued throughout the year to print advance programmes of all stations, national and commercial, and to provide publicity for broadcasting services generally. The war has necessarily affected its general reading pages, and one of the chief developments since the last annual report has been its closer association month by month with the war work of the 8.8.C. In this connection it has made available to thousands, who would otherwise not have seen them in print, some of the more important war talks broadcast from London and elsewhere. Another interesting service has been the publication in advance of the broadcast signalling instruction for Air Force trainees. Similar service in the field of education is the printing of the French lessons broadcast for post-primary-school pupils. As a necessary wartime measure, the Journal was reduced in size during the year from fifty-six to forty-eight pages. Relations with Overseas Organizations. The relations of the National Broadcasting Service with the 8.8.C. have been close and cordial. The Service is greatly indebted to the Corporation for permission to rebroadcast its transmissions from the Empire stations, and for the Corporation's broadcasts from England of matter prepared in New Zealand for the New Zealand Forces overseas. The National Broadcasting Service was able to reciprocate these courtesies in a small degree by undertaking to prepare from cabled information and distribute in New Zealand bulletins of advance information on weekly programmes to be broadcast from the Empire Stations of the 8.8.C. At the request of the 8.8.C., commentaries on New Zealand affairs were cabled periodically to London for broadcasting by the Corporation, while at the Corporation's request a programme entitled " The New Zealand Front," giving in dramatic form details of New Zealand's war effort, was written and recorded by our Service and sent to England for broadcasting by the 8.8.C. The Service is grateful to the Australian Broadcasting Commission for assistance in relaying by radio-telephone to England—programmes for our New Zealand Forces, and for information and other services they have placed at the disposal of the Service. During the year Mr. Robert McCall, an officer of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, spent a few days in New Zealand en route to the 8.8.C. to act as programme organizer for the Pacific transmission. The officers of the Service discussed fully with Mr. McCall ideas and suggestions regarding the Pacific and other transmissions from the 8.8.C. The British Ministry of Information made available for broadcasting in New Zealand a number of excellent recorded features in connection with the war, such as " The Shadow of the Swastika," " The Eagle under the Sea," " War in the Ether," " The Patrol of the Salmon," " The Seige of Warsaw," " The Land We Defend," " Marching to Victory," " London after Dark," " London Carries On," and " London Under Fire." Technical. it has not been possible to proceed with development work on studios or transmitting-stations, but plans are made so. that as soon as circumstances permit the work can go ahead. The wonderful advancement in long-distance short-wave transmission in recent years has been illustrated by the reception of the London news during the year. On every day in the year the bulletins have been received, and on almost every day the reception has been intelligible five times each day. The Department's receiving-station near Wellington keeps a listening watch on the Empire stations, and facilities are provided for recording at any time, day or night, speeches by notable persons, topical talks, or other programme matter of interest to Dominion listeners. The broadcasting unit, with three officers, was despatched to the Middle East to operate with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and arrived, there at the end of last winter. The unit got to work at once, and a regular supply of recordings has been received, to which reference has been made above. The work of the Radio Research Committee has been restricted to such work as has a direct bearing 011 the prosecution of the war. Other classes of research have had to be suspended because no suitable staff could be spared.

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In addition to members of the staff on leave with the Forces, three technical officers of the Department have been released for specialist war purposes —two for research work overseas and one for work in the Dominion. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up the supply of various kinds of consumable equipment. A certain amount of improvization has been necessary, but it is expected that the stations will be maintained without any serious loss of efficiency or quality of transmission. Staff. The importance of broadcasting in wartime and the emergency conditions which the Service may have to meet have made it necessary to retain certain members of the staff in the public interest who are desirous of serving with the Forces. However, as many as possible have been released, and a gratifying response to the nation's call has been shown. Apart from members who have been released for Territorial training, twenty-nine officers of the Service are now on active service. I wish to express my appreciation of the zeal with which the members of the staff have met and overcome the difficulties imposed upon the Service by war conditions. Financial Report. The Revenue Account for the year ended 31st March, 1941, and the balance-sheet, certified by the Controller and Auditor-General, appear at the end of this report. License fees, less commission paid to the Post and Telegraph Department for collections, amounted to £425,751, an increase of £45,552 on the previous year. Expenditure totalled £279,583, as compared with £267,151 for 1939-40, an increase being shown in programme expenditure and in the operation and maintenance of plant. The increase in programmeexpenditure was due chiefly to the inclusion of the Department's proportion of the cost of the Centennial Music Celebrations, while operating-costs were higher on account of the additional hours stations were in operation and the provision of extra technical equipment. Expenditure on the broadcasting unit with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force overseas amounted to £4,457, which included the cost of the truck, trailer, power-supply, and the necessary recording-equipment, as well as the salaries of the officers in the unit, cost of records, blank disks, &c. Capital expenditure amounted to £16,236, included in which was £9,100 spent on the Broadcasting House foundations and architects' fees, and £3,090 on the erection of residences for the staff at Gebbie's Pass and Dacre transmitting-stations. A further £250,000 was invested during the year to provide for future development, making a total of £540,000 now invested for this purpose. Owing to war conditions, the plans for the erection of new stations and the building of Broadcasting House have of necessity been held up, but the money which would have been expended on these projects has been set aside and invested so that as soon as circumstances permit they can be immediately proceeded with. James Shelley, Director of Broadcasting.

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NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVICE. Revenue Account for the Year ended 31st March, 1941. Expenditure. Income. £ Expenditure on programmes, including salaries of £ License fees .. .. .. .. .. 425,751 programme staff .. .. .. .. 121,955 Receipts from New Zealand Listener .. .. 23,168 Maintenance of plant, including salaries of engineering Interest .. .. .. .. .. .. 12,059 and operating staffs .. .. .. .. 48,058 Bents .. .. .. .. .. .. 950 General administrative and running expenses, including salaries of administrative and clerical staffs .. 32,051 Expenditure on New Zealand Listener .. .. 28,537 Subsidies to " B " stations .. .. .. . . 210 Payments to stations operated under contract .. 1,016 Broadcasting unit with New Zealand Expeditionary Force overseas .. .. .. .. .. 4,457 Contribution to Public Service Superannuation Fund. 662 Contribution to Radio Besearch Committee . . .. 1,607 Depreciation of assets .. .. .. .. 41,030 Balance, transferred to Accumulated Fund .. .. 182,345 £461,928 £461,928 * Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1941. Liabilities. Assets. £ I. Accumulated Fund— £ £ I. Land and buildings .. .. .. .. 174,519 Balance as at Ist April, 1940 .. 698,363 11. Machinery and plant .. .. .. 47,804 Transfer from Revenue Account .. 182,345 111. Office and studio equipment .. .. .. 20,343 880,708 IV. Newsprint stocks .. .. .. .. 3,706 11. License fees in hands of Post and Tele- V. " B'' station purchases .. .. .. 2,000 graph Department .. .. .. .. 126,606 VI. Worlts in progress .. .. .. .. 4,632 111. Sundry creditors — VII. Sundry debtors and prepayments— Departmental .. .. .. 11,782 £ Others .. .. .. .. 11,100 Departmental (license fees, &c.) .. 137,890 22,882 Other .. .. .. .. 3,105 140,995 VIII. Temporary investment .. .. 540,000 Accrued interest thereon .. .. 3,351 543,351 IX. National Commercial Broadcasting Service (advances, interest, and copyright fees) .. .. .. .. .. 40,108 X. Cash in Bank — Broadcasting Account .. .. 52,513 Broadcasting Imprest Account .. 225 52,738 £1,030,196 £1,030,196 James Shelley, Director of Broadcasting. I hereby certify that the Revenue Account and Balance-sheet have been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby.—Cyril G. Collins, Controller and Auditor-General.

2—F. 3.

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SECTION 11. NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE. General. During the year the National Commercial Broadcasting Service operated the following stations :— IZB Auckland .. .. .. .. 1 kW. 1,070 kc. 2ZB Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 1 kW. 1,130 kc. 3ZB Christchurch .. .. .. 1 kW. 1,430 kc. 4ZB Dunedin . . .. . . . . 1 kW. 1,280 kc. 2ZA Palmerston North .. .. .. .. 250 watts 1,400 kc. Commercial Broadcasting under War Conditions. \ Although the Service is in its fifth year, the particular period under review is of special significance in that it represents the first complete year of operation under the stress of war conditions. The hazards which it was anticipated might be associated with advertising over the air in wartime did not materialize, and it was confirmed that in the handling of advertising over the air the Commercial Broadcasting Service could be relied upon to exercise that measure of control and responsibility which should characterize broadcasting at a time of great national emergency. The Service not only fulfilled all the requirements of the Organization for National Security and the Director of Publicity, but it actively co-operated in its own field with many of the War Departments and with national and patriotic agencies requiring its services in connection with war effort. Foremost among the activities in this respect were the campaigns undertaken in connection with war savings, waste material, patriotic funds, and Air Force recruiting. National and Patriotic Service. The authorities used the facilities of the Service for the broadcasting of national service talks and announcements, and in addition, nearly ten thousand free (courtesy) announcements were given to patriotic and charitable objects and annoucements regarding the nation's war effort. The Service initiated the novel form of charity appeal, known as " the Radio Telephone Appeal," which, reaching the homes of the people and encouraging direct giving, resulted in £48,760 being raised for worthy causes with comparatively little cost to the organizations concerned. This amount was in addition to other large sums raised in connection with other efforts stimulated by the various stations of the Service. The Advertising Schedule. On the commercial side results of the year disclose that, notwithstanding shortage of stocks and difficulties of marketing consequent upon the war, the radio has been resorted to more than ever by advertisers, and the business of the Service, reached proportions not hitherto achieved. The operations of the year resulted in a net trading profit of £52,084, out of which the sum of £37,250 has been set aside to meet taxation on the year's earnings. The Service was able to maintain a generally satisfied clientele, and there were many notable instances of sales successes accruing from the use of the radio as an advertising medium. An interesting feature arising out of the year's operations was the fact that as a result of increased listening to the commercial stations in the daytime and in consequence of an adjustment in which short commercial announcements were rationalized and rotated in the peak entertainment periods in the evening advertisers bought time in the day periods which hitherto remained unsold. The Service experienced difficulty in finding placement in its schedules for all the business offering, and a considerable volume of very desirable business had to be deferred or rejected in order to avoid overcrowding the programmes with advertisements and to maintain a balance between advertising and the purely entertainment aspects. Generally speaking, the actual advertising material included in any one broadcasting week (i.e., seven days, 6 a.m. to 12 midnight) did not exceed 15 per cent, of the total combined output of the stations in the commercial network. The balance represented what the Service had to offer the listening public by way of entertainment without charge to the listeners. Advertising was confined to week-days, while on Sundays and religious holidays the commercial schedules were substituted by attractive sustaining programmes designed to retain listeners for the week-day commercial programmes. Diversified Entertainment. One of the main functions of the Service during the year was to attract and hold the largest volume of listening by the provision of bright, diversified, and popular entertainment. The mainstay of the programmes has been the increasing number of recorded serial features sponsored by advertisers. Progress was made in the development of production studios in which features were recorded for broadcast. In providing public entertainment over such long hours of transmission while giving effect to the sales messages of advertisers, the Service made large use of recorded plays, studio presentations, audience-participation features, and programmes of standard gramophone recordings, all of which were designed to appeal to the diversified tastes of listeners. The Service has produced its own scripts in presenting programmes of topical interest, including important anniversaries and national occasions. Use of Local Talent. Wherever possible the use of local talent has been encouraged at all the main stations. There have been combinations of artists, both vocal and orchestral, who have found in the Service effective means for the use of their talents. This aspect also has had a place in connection with the production unit in that artists in local centres have been recorded and broadcast in national programmes throughout the network. Encouragement was given to local bands by the broadcast of sessions featuring band

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music and information. There were various children's efforts, including choirs, play-acting groups, " musical armies," and other talented combinations. The prominence of competitions, quizzes, and spelling-bees in our programmes served to maintain public interest and introduce an element of audience-participation which, while held strictly under control from a censorship point of view, has nevertheless proved a valued adjunct to commercial radio. Utility Sessions. All stations report on the increased usefulness of the Service in projecting sessions of informative value to the public. These have included sporting broadcasts ; home-services sessions ; children's sessions ; film excerpts ; gardening ; child psychology ; health lectures ; returned soldiers' sessions ; book reviews ; cultural, travel, and topical talks ; historical commemorations and anniversaries ; London news relays. The sessions for women as broadcast from the various stations—including Aunt Daisy, Young Marrieds' Circle, Home Service, Bachelor Girl, Shopping Reporter —have commanded good listening and increased business for the advertisers. Technical Operations. Plans for the extension of the network were initiated during the year, but deferred owing to war conditions. Substantial progress was made in the installation of the new station in premises which are being provided in Auckland. The stations were maintained with technical efficiency ; out of a total transmission period of approximately 6,600 hours at each main station, only one station reported an aggregate loss of time, due to technical failures, of more than one hour over the whole period. Staff. At the end of the period under review thirty-seven members of the staff were absent on active service. The Progress of the Service. The progress made by the Service in its commercial aspect is indicated in the. following table which gives the comparison between the advertising revenue of the two previous years and that gained during the year under review. In making any comparison between the stations it should be noted that rates charged for advertising are progressively lower reading from IZB to 4ZB, as the rates are based on the difference in population

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Year Ended Year Ended Year Ended 3] at March, 31st March, 31st March, 1939. 1940. 1941. £ £ £ Station 1ZB .. .. .. .. 51,816 52,767 65,953 Station 2ZB .. .. .. .. 45,291 44,141 51,691 Station 3ZB .. .. ., .. 36,287 36,809 44,650 Station 4ZB .. .. .. .. 25,287 27,739 34,742 Station 2ZA .. .. .. .. 2,624 7,229 8,917 161,305 168,685 205,953 C. G. Scbimgeour, Controller.

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NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE. Income and Expenditure Account fob the Year ended 31st March, 1941. Expenditure. Income. Expenditure on programmes, including payment £ £ £ to artists, hire of special recordings, relay Sales of station time .. .. .. .. 205,953 lines, and sundry miscellaneous items .. 15,975 Accreditation fees .. .. .. .. 34 Less sundry programme charges borne by Service fees .. .. .. .. .. 1,774 advertisers .. . . .. .. 6,923 Miscellaneous receipts .. .. .. .. 3 9,052 Broadcasting rights and copyright .. .. .. 7,037 General administrative and running expenses, including rents; rates and insurance; lighting, heating, and power ; legal and audit; printing and stationery ; salaries and wages; telephone services ; repairs and maintenance of buildings; plant, and office and studio equipment; advertising ; commission ; participation in New Zealand Centennial Exhibition; and sundry miscellaneous items .. .. .. .. 124 ,653 Interest .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,319 Bad debts .. .. .. .. .. 20 Depreciation provision and writing-down of assets .. 12,599 Balance carried down : Net profit for year .. .. 52,084 207,764 207,764 £ £ Short Provision Taxation Reserve, 1940 .. .. 742 Balance brought forward from previous year .. .. 417 Reserve for taxation, 1941 .. .. .. .. 37,250 Balance brought down .. .. .. .. 52,084 Balance .. .. .. .. .. .. 14,509 52,501 52,501 1 — Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1941. Liabilities. ' Assets. £ £ Advances from Broadcasting Account .. .. 40,108 Land and buildings .. .. .. 4,707 Creditors — £ Transmitting and technical equipment .. .. 20,685 Sundry .. .. .. .. 1, 155 Office and studio equipment, including furniture, typeDepartmental .. .. .. .. 610 writers, office mechanical appliances, and library .. 20,877 Commission .. .. .. .. 2,105 Purchase of Station IZB, Auckland .. .. .. 18 3,870 Records, music, and script .. .. .. .. 4,502 Revenue received in advance .. .. .. 137 Highcliff relay installation .. .. .. .. 200 Income-tax deposits of staff .. .. .. .. 1 Work in progress .. .. .. .. .. 1,659 Deposits on account of prize-money for competitions . . 262 Payments in advance .. .. .. .. 69 Deposit Account .. .. .. .. .. 75 Unplayed episodes of features .. .. .. 3,819 Reserve for taxatiQn .. .. .. .. 37,250 Stocks of spares, transmitting, and technical equipment 11,224 Writings-off, reserve .. .. .. .. 961 Debtors— £ £ Income and Expenditure Account .. .. .. 14,509 Sundry .. .. 21,343 Departmental .. .. .. 1,914 23,257 Less reserve for bad debts .. 2,093 21,164 Cash in bank .. .. .. .. .. 7,213 Cash on deposit .. .. .. .. .. 75 Writings-off, suspense .. .. .. .. 961 £97,173 £97,173 C. G. Scrimgeour, Controller. I hereby certify that the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance-sheet have been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby.—Cyril G. Collins, Controller and Auditor-General.

Approximate Cost, of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (725 copies), £18 10a.

Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington. —1941.

Price 6d.]

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