OFFER TO B STATION OWNERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 78, 19 April 1937, Page 6

OFFER TO B STATION OWNERS

Purchase o! Hastings and Napier Plants MINISTER'S INTIMATI0N The licensees of statiohs 2ZH Napier and 2ZL Hastings have received intimation from the acting-Minister of Broadcasting to the effect that it is the desire of the Government to carry on all broadcasting from Government-owhed stations. With this end in view, ofEer* have been made for the .purchase of the stations at Napier and Hastings. It is mentioned that thb oSera to purchase will remain open until April 30, and in the event of their being accepted the licenses for the stations will be automatically cancelled and the stations will be closed dawm When approaehed and asked to boxnment, Mr. O. B. Hansen, licensee of station 2ZH, and Mr. X Holden, licensee of 2ZL, said that as yet they had nothing to say in the matter, andno decision has been reached in conneetion witn either offer. It will be remembered that during the last eloction campaign, it was. stated to be a definite policy of the Labour Party that in fhe event' of their being returned to power they would se> te it that the "Br* class stations were allowed to iive, and that if they were not purehased by the Government they would be subsidised to allow them te carry on, but the intimation which has now been received makea no mention whatever of a snbsidy being granted in the event of the offer to purchase not being accepted, and from this it is assumed that in the event of there being no sale the stations will either b'e foreed to go off tho air, or to carry on at their own expense.