“We Are Broke," Said Leader

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31198, 24 October 1966, Page 1

“We Are Broke," Said Leader

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, October 23. The leader of the pirate radio group, Mr D. J. Gapes, today charged that attempts were being made to “stall” the Radio Hauraki issue until after the General Election in November.

He said delays such as the detention order placed on the transmission ship Tiri were designed both to avoid a politically embarrassing situation during the election campaign and to run down the finances of Pacific Radio Advertising, Ltd., the company promoting the venture.

Explaining the decision to put to sea, Mr Gapes, who is managing director of the company, said: “The main reason is that we are broke because of these stalling tactics.

“The big money boys seeking private radio licences have obviously got better chances than we have got. They can afford financially to wait and they can also bring more political pressure. “Yet we have been able to get together what I firmly believe is the finest team of broadcasters ever assembled in New Zealand. And we have got the will to work and the ability to make our radio station plans work,” said Mr Gapes. Mr Gapes said that the com-

pany was £4OOO in debt and in another week it would have had to go into receivership. Of the 25 Radio Hauraki members six had invested their life savings in the venture and had lost the lot. “The rest of them are not wealthy' and because they have been working without pay on the scheme, living off their savings, they are broke, too.

“At the moment we have a radio station which is not on the air. But if we’d been allowed to go on the air as originally planned on October 1, our financial position of course would have been much improved.” Advertisers’ Help

Almost all the prospective advertisers on Radio Hauraki had retained their faith in the company and a number had helped on Saturday in getting the Tiri ready for sea.

"We feel that in the last month the' Broadcasting Corporation has made it quite clear that no form of contract or licence will be issued in the near future.

“So going to sea is our only hope of saving ourselves financially and fulfilling our obligations to our advertisers, our creditors and to the people who support us.” Mr Gapes said that the

N.Z.B.C. had made statements that the type of radio envisaged by Radio Hauraki was not wanted.

“That is ridiculous,” he said. “The support we have received shows it, as does a comprehensive £4OO survey we had had made of radio listening habits in Auckland and whatever the N.Z.B.C. says this is the only fully comprehensive survey yet carried out.”

The survey showed, for example, that the corporation's “music station” in Auckland, IYD, on average drew only 3 per cent of listeners in the Auckland area.

“But the significant thing is that this figure rises to up to 18 per cent on Wednesday and Thursday nights when request sessions are on.” The survey had also shown than 98 per cent of homes had one or more radios but at no one time were more than 40 per cent of radios switched on. “We feel that the survey shows conclusively that people are not listening to the kind of radio they’re offered now. And whether we succeed or not, the results of the survey will be made available to all New Zealand advertising agencies,” he said.