RADIO BROADCAST POLICY

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1930, Page 6

RADIO BROADCAST POLICY

“BOLD STEP TAKEN.”

GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKING 7 DISCUSSED.

/That the Government stands committed to the task of administering the i radio broadcasting service after the exipiry on December 31, 1931, of the contract with, the Radio Broadcasting Company, of New Zealand, is a. declaration made in an interesting editorial in. the 'current issue of- the “New Zealand Radio. Record.” The article raises the question., whether taxpayers will have to subscribe for the benefit of. individual listeners who tune in to the proposed minor stations,; and whether B class stations will have any claim to a portion of the fees charged for licenses. .' ■ '

The journal describes the step taken by the Minister as a bold' one, which will oall for wise and careful organisation' to put into effect.. • • It states that >history: in other undertakings has shown the difficulty of obtaining under State control that amount of efficiency •whioh has characterised private enterprise... • . ' ’ /" // \ LISTERNERS AND TAXPAYERS “i’he situation created by the con- ! templated change is interesting” .states tlie, editorial. /‘Two major iißere/ks are involved. - , First,.-. those of .listeners, themselves, and. secondly those of taxpayers, ,If the expanded service can be. provided wholly by the fees of listerners covering The charges involved in capital, , administration and. programmes, it will; be. all / to the good. If the subsidy from the pockets of taxpayers is required, then the. individual gain of the radio listener may be se- , cured at too high a- cost. We think the service should be self-supporting, and history in. other undertakings demonstrates the difficulty of securing, •efficiency under Government control eqqal to that under i “The record of the Post and Telegraph Department - ]s good and. if any department can accomplish the task, it can; but we cannot disgilise from selves tlie difficulties Inherent in/ the effort that lies ahead', particularly In the programme field, Costs here are, certain to rise. Artists content to perform at moderate figures for a private company are likely to increase demands when the buyer - is the State, particularly Tf ‘sponsored programmes’ offer an alternative market. The decision, however, has been made, and the ; Government. stands . committed to the task.. Radio will; certainly/expand under the stimulus and to that extent social'benefit will' accrue to new areas, which is all to the good. The full price, in the national-sense,-in all its implications, will be determined only, by experience.” PAYMENT FOR COPYRIGHT.

“Then in respect to programmes the . position is still undefined . ' The Minister hopes to effect improvement. '.Presumably the desire for that, . lin- 1 provement has been a major factor in the decision reached, and yet the Minister has not determined the modus operandi by which the programmes are to be provided. He invites suggestions. This may be a polite move which - will certaiply result, in a flood of suggestions, but it will ' rest" with the Minister < himself and his advisers to, sift the. grains of wheat from the mass of chaff that will descend upon them. 1 “Whether the model of the British Broadcasting Corporation will, be adopted, remains to be seen. In the Copyright field, the position may not be as simple as the suggestion of legislation to protect.the interests of listeners implies;' New Zealand is-a party to - the Internatioal Agreement . effected at Rome recently, and action ybjT'one country v to that Agreement cannot be taken indiscriminately. Protection is certainly to be desired against rapacious demands. The extent: of the Radio Broadcasting Company’s payment in recent years has amounted to , £12,000 .This is a big slice out of ( listeners’ revenue, and if the proportion can be reduced, then it is all,to the good. B GLASS STATIONS. , “While welcoming the forward move as a nieans of advancing radio, we think it fair to say that administration, of the , scheme .will call for wise and .careful organisation. In the case of B class stations, of which there are already eighteen, the Minister proposes to define their position by regulation. It can be inferred from, this and earlier Statements that sponsored programmes are to be permitted, under certain conditions.. It. seems likely that once the Government places itself at the back of the radio broadcasting service, then these B class stations, if they find that the revenue they derive from sponsored (programmes is inadequate for their maintenance—particularly in view of the payments demanded in respect. of copyright—will put forth the argument to the Government that, as they, provide entertainment admitted by the. .Minister himself to be voidable, they .should derive revenue from the. fees of listeners. That to us seems to.be a danger which from the outset must .be guarded against by the Minister. The step embodied in the announcement of the Postmaster-General is a hold one, We have always advocated

that steps should be taken to make the radio service available to the largest ; possible -proportion of the population of the Dominion. That was the desire of the Radio Broadcasting Company. Some two years ago it placed before the authorities a. scheme suggesting that relay station .should be build at certain strategic centres in the provinces for the purpose of carrying the blessings of radio to-the people in those centres. That policy was modelled upon the organisation by the British Broadcasting Corporation-in its coverage of Great Britain. Apparently, after giving full consideration to tlia.t scheme and reviewing the whole situation, the Government has decided itself to undertake the provision of these stations and' nationalise the service.

“From the point of view of radio itself this will certainly be beneficial to the listening public. At just what cost it will be attained to the taxpayer remains to be seen. Radio will bo reticulated over the whole countryside and there certainly will be a big increase in the number of listeners—quite possible attaining, within a measureable distance of time, the figure of 100,000 suggested by the Minister. COMPANY'S WORK PRAISED. “Tine Radio Broadcasting Company, Ltd., doubtless will-accept the Mingrace,” continues the editorial.. “It is simply in accordance with foreseen possibilities, and in line with contract terms-/Ml- W. Goodfellow and Mr A. R. Harris entered upon ; /the: -service originally with the object of making available to the' people of New. Zealand. a modem amenity, means of en r tertainiTient ' and the acquisition “of •knowledge. It -was: his. desire to further the interest: ;of country dwellers, which primarily influenced Mr Goodfellow to enter this field. Mr Harris supplied tlie technical knowledge and organising ability to -‘carry this ideal into actuality;

“The company lias played its part well. Criticism there, has been—criticism, inevitable in the circumstances —but, we believe the large body of responsible opinion will appreciate what the company did and is still doing to serve its public. In a field where tastes differ so. radically as in that of ;enlterta|imnent,/ differenc •of opinion cannot; be avoided. Actuated, however, by* the highest. ideU-lsi of service and the desire to give a. high standard of- efficiency,; the Radio Broadcasting Company played its part well and deserves tlie thanks of listeners for entering the field at the time it did, and carrying the service to the standard it has. That tribute is its due.”