B Radio Stations

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 83, 24 April 1937, Page 5

B Radio Stations

HASTINGS FEELING Time-Limit For Purchase Extended MINISTER'S STATEMENTS Public feeling in Hastings is grewing in the mattcr of B stations. Following on the conference: of Bstation interests at Wellington on Thursday and yesterday, responsible Cabinet Ministers were met, but they gave no definite assuranee of what as&istance, if any, would, be forthcoming to those B stations which did not feel disposed to sell. The only concession obtained was that the time-Iimit for B-station owners fo accept the Government5s offer to purchase would be extended. A movement is now under way in Hastings to have a publie meeting. c&lled, when the questdon will, be fully discussed, and suitable action decided upon, but no definite pronouncemeat on this proposal was obtainable to.-day. Xt appeaxs that, should a B station fail to sell to the Government and should a subsxdy not be forthcoming, the station may be compefled to* pay what are termed "performiirg right feee," and, M such is the case, these stations will be forced off the axr. A petition has already been forwarded to Wellington by one body of Hastings listcners on this matter, butwhether this will have any effect re« mains to be seen. Although, aceording to the Government, B stations are under no eompulsion to sell to the Government, owners are diesatisfied with the, offers made to them,, and have asked for six, extension in the time given them to consider the Government 5s offer. This has been granted, but the Government 1 has still made no indicatxon of what assistance it will give to- those" B I stations which xefuse to eeR. All that ; has been made known is that "subsidies will be granted only where justified in the light of the requirements of the broadcasting service as a whole." This, it is contended by interested parties, is not consistent with the pro- : mises made to the B stations when the ; present Government came into power. Discussing the question with the Uerald-Tribune this morning, a Bupporter of the B stations made the following comment on the position: Minister 's Remarks. "When the Broadcasting Bill was intfoduced into the House of Representatives on June "8 of last year, one of the main features of the Bill was the subsddising of B sthtions, "1 would like to quote the remarks of the Foetmasier-General,? the Hon. F. Jones, who introduced the BilL He said: The Bill gave effect to the promise made to B stations. Their number was still restricted and it would nof be increased. The Government would subsidise B stations. The subsidy would come from lieteners5 fees, and, from the revenue made from the commercial stations, the Government might be able to make .the subsidy for the B stations. "Mr Jones also said that he thoughi B-station owners believed that they were going to be wiped ottt of existence by the previous Government, §nd the fact that they had voted for the Labour Party in the main showed that they believed the present Government would give them sympatbetic consideration. They did not want to be wiped out, and it was a question of giving them a subsidy or giving them the right to advertise, and the Government had decided to subsidise them. The last Government had subsidised seven of them, and the present Government Was going to eee that the other fourteen Were subsidised. Some would be bought out to establish commefcial stations if they were wiilling, and the Government would not use any coercion. "Speaking in the House on the second day of the debate, June 9, the Minister then said, referring to B stations, 'The Government had always expressed the opinion that the B stations should be allowed to live, and as they had done pioneering work, they were entatled -to all the consideration the Government could give them,' ' ' These Temarks are hardly consistent with the Minister 5s present announcement,55 coneluded the Herald-Tribune 5s informant. A Napier Opinion. "There is very little I can teil you about the negotiations between the Government and the B-class stations afr this stage, and what Is more the Government does not want ns to give the matter too mueh publicity just yet/5 said the owner of Station 2ZH, Napier, Mr C. B .Hansen, this morning. He was present at the conference held in Wellington last Wednesday between the acting-Mindster of Broadcasting, when consideration was given to the sugsjectiofi that the Governmettt should take over all B-class broadcasting stations. He said that the conference Was held in committee. The. deliberations did not reach any stage of finality, and meanwhile the B-elass stations wero to be »iven an exfenslon, of timo. Inquiries made from the proprie.tors. ■. c Station 2ZP., Wairoa, this after•loon revealed that no decision has yet ;ieen made as to whether the Governnent5s offei* to purchase will be accept;>d. Mr D. Perry stated that it was 'ioped to continue independently, but 'his would be determined as the result if ceftain negotiations at present in >rogress. "In any case we will be ible to' give a definite announcement by Wednesday,55 he stated. "We are iiopeful, however, that it will be possible to continue as we are.55