Wairoa Radio Coverage

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 184, 21 August 1937, Page 6

Wairoa Radio Coverage

E. A.

PERRY,

Sir, — My attention has been drawn to the report of an address given by Mr. A. G. Hultqui'st, M.P., in the Makaraka-Matawhero Hall, which report appeared in the Poverty Bay Herald dated 17 th inst., and in which Mr. Hultqffuist is alleged to have made the following statement in connectioa, with this broadcasting station: — "When the owners of the Wairoa broadcasting station — 2ZP — were conCronted with the Government proposal to purchase the station, they protested .strongly. ' What about our poor listeuiug public in Wairoa?' they had aaked. Thoy had not worried about the poot listeiiing public when, a year ago, they had asked me to use my influence to secure the transfer of the station li-s ' cence to Rotorua on the grounds tliat the Wairoa people were not supporting them." •While it is quite true that Mr. Hultquist was approached, through me, by several local bodies and » municipM authorities in the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua districts to support the applL' cation to the Government for the af orei mentioued transfer, I would like to take this opportunity of pointiiig out that one of my major conditions to the Government in the event of the transfer of this station was that, in the event of the re-establishment in Roto^ rua, the powe'f of the station was to have been raised to a point where cov« erage back to the districts at present served would have been maintained. I would also like to amplify Mr. Hult* quist's statement in regard to the ap^ plication for transfer being made on the grounds that the Wairoa people were not supporting ns. Our full statement ,in connection with this was that we could not expeet to be solely sup^ ported by the Wa'iroa people^ as the district was not sufficiently populoug for the purpose. I unhesitatingly'state that the support of fhe Wairoa people in proportion • to their numbers has never at any time been superseded by any section of our entirely lislemng community. We are indeed proud r,f our Wairoa listeners dnasmuch as- we are proud of all our listeners who, thoui sand upon thousand, from all parts of the country, have given ua their loyal support throughout the many" years of our .broadcasting service. — Yours, etc«

Direeting Manager, Broadcasting Station^ 2ZP* * Wairoa, Aug. 18, 1937,