B CLASS WIRELESS STATIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 22 January 1931, Page 7

B CLASS WIRELESS STATIONS

SEVERAL CLOSING DOWN (By Telegraph—Press Association) DUNEDIN, 20th January. At a meeting of the executive of the Radio Listeners’ League yesterday a letter was received from Mr J. D. McKewen on behalf of the B class stations 4ZO, 4ZL, and 4ZM, advising that those stations would cease transmission from the 19th. This step, the letter stated, had been forced on the stations by the Copyright Association of Australasia, Ltd. (Performing Right Association), which had advised that its favours had ceased from Ist December. Tlie league was asked to communicate with the Postmaster-General seeking his assurance that this would not in any way affect the licences of- stations or privileges which they now enjoyed. A telegram has been sent by the league to the Postmaster-General as requested, and a reply is now being awaitThe league is in communication with all B class stations, and information has been received that station 4ZP, Invercargill, is also closing down. EXPLANATION BY COMPANY DIRECTOR ‘' CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The' position in which B class radio stations have found themselves was explained by Mr C. F. Woodhead, director of the company which controls 3ZC. A message from Wellington stated that the Australian Performing Rights Association demanded a sum of £2OO for the right to broadcast items for ♦ which it holds the performing, rights. The message added that B class stations failed to agree as to the quota which each would pay to make up the sum. In reply, Mr Woodhead said: “When the Performing Rights Association wrote to B class stations asking for £2OO they expressly told us they were only seeking to establish the liability of B class stations and that the claim for £2OO was not to he taken as an estimate of the amount they considered should be paid by B class stations. If we admitted their claim we do not know wliat they would ask in future.” Mr Woodhead added that tlie Radio Broadcasting Company was paying tlie Performing Rights Association £SOOO yearly or roughly £I4OO per station.