B-CLASS RADIO STATIONS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 81, 22 April 1937, Page 4

B-CLASS RADIO STATIONS

"An Essential Service," Say Listeners FEEUNG IN HASTINGS Feeling, is strong in Hastings regarding the Government's intentions as to the future of what are termed the "B" radio stations, and at present this suhject forms the principal topic of conversation among the majority of radio listeners who are firmly of the opiuion that it would be a retrograde step if the B stations, particularly those in -Hawke's Bay, were to sell to the Government, whose announc- • ed intention is to elose dowa such transmitters whose owners decide to sell. It was pointed out to a HeraldTribune reporter this moming, in the course of inquiries, . that Hawke's Bay is one of the poorest districts in the Dominion for radio reception, and that, when interfer- . ence is prevalent, the only stations which can be received satisfactorily are the Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay B Stations. These B statiohs alsq provide a valuable supplementary service to - the listener who may not be able to ob"tam just the entertainment he.desires from the national stations. To what exten* is Hawke's Bay dependent upon B stations for its radio entertainment? This was the question put by the Herald-Tribune to several radio-listeners, and their replies revealed that this district is very well served in the number of B stations^ which can be received at good strength and with reasonable clarity by the average listener. The district has five B stations operating, which is a greater number than the majority ot other districts in the Dominion, the stations being as f ollow : 2ZL Hastingjs, 2ZH Napier, 2ZP Wairoa, 2ZJ Gisborne and 2ZM Gisborne. "These stations provide a service on their own which would satisfy radio listeners, even if the national YA stations were not operating," contended one listener, in reviewing the position. "The past two nights pfoved that it was essential for us to have these B stations, as interferenc© was so marlred that it Was impossible to get decent reception from the YA Stations. The Government claims that, with its YA and auxiliary stations, it provides a 100 per cent. service, but that is not so, except possibly in the metropolitan areas. For example, between 7 and 8 p-m. the YA stations have their news session. At the same time auxiliarie® come on with a musical hour, but these auxiliaries are of such low power that reliable reception- cannot be obtained in this district. Consequently, if the listener prefers musie, he has to listen to the . B stations which, the Government is wanting to buy and close down. "Then again ther© are often times in the natioiial programmes when each YA station has a talk at the same time. If a listener does not like talks, his only alternative, if the B stations were not operating, would be to shut off his set until the talk finished. The B stations provide a valuable service, and it will be a shame if they are to be put off the air." "We Want the B stations," said another radio-listener when questioned. "They provide an excellent service} they are enferprising in their programmes, and they are not tied down by red tape and compelled to follow along the same old channels as the Government stations. It would he a. great pity if they had to go off the air." Realising that the listeners must be rallied to the support of the B stations there is a growing feeling that a Listeners' Club, on similar lines to those operating at Wairoa, Auckland and other parts of th© Dominion, should be formed in Hastings to add weight to the claims of the Hastings station, 2ZL- Mr J. Holden, who operates this station, will probably be approaehed in the course of a i'ew days to see whether he would be agreeable to having suck an organisation formed. It is felt that, il such a movement can be organised, the support of at least 600 listeners in the district would be immediately forthcoming, and they would be able to bolster up substantially any claims that might be put forward to the Government to ensure that proper treatment is afforded Hastings.