LISTENERS-IN HAVE NO FAITH IN BROADCASTING COMPANY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 308, 20 March 1928, Page 1

LISTENERS-IN HAVE NO FAITH IN BROADCASTING COMPANY

THEY PAY THE PIPER BUT HAVE NO SAY IN CALLING THI TUNE—WANT MORE PROGAMME VARIETY'.

MANY waves sent out by Broadcasting- Station IYA last evening- missed their usual destination. The listeners-in were crowded into the Unity Hall discussing the fact that though they pay the piper, in the form of licences to IYA. they do not by any means call the tune.

THE Listeners’ League had called a public meeting to discuss 3YA, and the upshot was that the “small section,” as Mr. Goodfellow called the malcontents, filled th© hall to overflowing, and unanimously condemned all having any connection with the management, including the Government.

The attack was opened by Mr. A. C ; Jacobs, who outlined the activities of the Listeners’ League, and said that it had had a very difficult man to deal with in Mr. A. R. Harris, the company manager. “He is trying to do all that an advisory board in England has to do. “He is either one of the world’s greatest egoists or he does not realise the responsibilities of his position. He doesn’t want cooperation; he wants isolation.” Mr. Tiarks moved: “That this meeting is of opinion that, while the cdntrol of broadcasting is in the hands of the present inefficient administration, no .real improvement in broadcasting can be expected, and after eight months it reaffirms its lack of confidence an either the capabilities or the good intentions of the Radio Broadcasting Company.” Mr. Tiarks opened with a comment on the company articles of association which, he said, were the most colossal piece of impertinence ever handed # in to the registrar of joint stock companies. "W© are not pin-pricking; we are doing our best for you,” remarked Mr. Tiarks. “NOT GAME TO APPEAR” “We don’t want to dictate to the controllers of broadcasting, but we want them to deliver thje goods. Why didn’t Mr. Harris come to our meeting? Either he is not game, or he is indifferent to our wishes. They won’t listen to us. That is very evident. “But we will continue to peg away, and perhaps some day the Government will realise the mistake it made when it gave control into such hands. The company has no argument, so falls back on abuse.” The speaker drew attention to the publication by the “Radio Record” of a private letter to Mr. Bellingham, who was connected with the company. The letter had been sent by Mr. A. FairbLirn, who had been used to writing to Mr. Bellingham privately telling him how things were going. Mr. Fairburn said the letter was confidential; there must have been some oversight. As published, the letter contained words he did not include. As for the Auckland Press, the papers had issued justifiable criticism. “If you feel like paying your 30s next month do so,” said another supporter. “They are not going to get my money for this huge octopus.” “MANAGEMENT DOING BEST” The first note in defence of the company came from th© Rev. George Goats, who admitted the ownership of a crystal set. He thought the programmes were good considering the talent available. He deprecated the small amount of cultured music in Auckland, and remarked that Aucklanders played bridge and jazzed, and lacked the taste of the people in the South. He was sure the management was doing its best or it would not be there. (Loud laughter.) Mr. Haycock said his impression was that the management was the wrong way round. Mr. Goodfellow should be managing and Mr. Harris looking after finance. “Usually people who pay the piper call the tune,” .remarked another speaker, “but there has been no at-

tempt at that here yet. While this i cultured music may satisfy a few, it 1 is very unsatisfactory to a large number of us.*' “I am sure it would be a treat and a relief to these cultured people to hear the trio they commend so heartily playing ‘Paddy Maginty’s Goat’,” he remarked. (Laughter.) The motion was passed unanimously, the chairman calling twice for a vote against. ADVISORY BOARD WANTED On the motion of Mr. A. E. Knowles, the meeting also expressed its regret that the Government had not seen fit to carry out the undertaking given in 1927 to set up an advisory board, and again called attention to the fact that there had been no financial statement during two years. Forty thousand listeners-in licences in New Zealand were to provide the means of excellent programmes, he remarked, but that total had been reached without betterment and this year they expected £60,000. A Voice; They will be very lucky. During the discussion Mr. A. T. Heighway, editor and chief shareholder in the “Radio Record,” said the letter from Mr. Fairburn contained t o-r* which -M-*\ '<>£> a

member of the staff, deemed it necessary to convey to the employers in the interests of the company. The letter was published as a duty to inform lis-teners-in of th* apparent compaign against the company. The justification was the biased statements appearing in the Auekbind papers and being tel egraphed elsewhere. No alteration whatever was made to the letter. COMPANY REPLIES FACES MANY DIFFICULTIES PERFORMERS AND COPYRIGHTS Mr. Harris, general manager, issued a statement in reply to-day. He pointed out that though he was prepared to meet the executives of bodies of listeners he would not attend public meetings anywhere on the peremptory demands of sections of listeners. He had been invited to attend this mee ting, and had asked for specific details in respect to the wholesale condemnation without receiving any. No nowground had been covered, and the complaints made had previously been replied to by the company or the Government. The company desired full contact with listeners to ascertain their wishes and had the benefit of a steady stream of letters and much personal contact besides, but even with these advantages it did not claim to know perfectly the whole mind of listeners as was claimed by the Auckland Listeners’ League. It was notable that at the meeting of the league speakers emphasised the point that they ma«e> no complaint at all regarding the quality of the artists engaged, but admitted they w r ere uho best available. Complaint centred around the lack of variety, but the provision of variety necessarily depended on talent of suitable calibre being available. On the point performers were being encouraged 9 to widen their repertoire and arrangements made for the regular supply of suitable new music. Organisation in tihs respect was in hand. COPYRIGHT DIFFICULTIES Listeners probably did not know the exacting conditions in regard to copyright that prevailed in relation to programmes. Notwithstanding that the company was paying about £6O a •week for copyright works, it was very restricted in w-hat it could broadcast. All details in this connection could not be given, but it could be sa.id that the company had not been able to obtain a catalogue of the works available for performance, but it was continually receiving lists of works prohibited for broadcast. The question of accounts lias been fully discussed in the past time and again, said Air. Harris, and there is really nothing fresh to add on this point. Under the companys* agreement with the Government, all expenditures are subject to Government audit. An untenable position would be created if listeners "were to usurp the functions of the Government. “The company fully appreciates the desires of listeners, and is doing its best to meet those desires, but I cannot agree,” said Mr. Harris, “that the methods adopted by some listeners are always the most helpful. If listeners really want improvement it would be far better to pull together than to undertake destructive propaganda which is without foundation in fact.’* The British Broadcasting Corporation had some 21 stations serving 44,000,000 pedple in the territory covered. In New Zealand, the company had four stations covering a population of 1,373,000. For England to compare with New Zealand on a population basis, she should have 128 stations instead of 21. In other words, New Zealand on a population basis had six times as many stations as England. In England the service had been in operation for a much longer period, but at the time when it had been operating for the same period as New Zealand, there was only one listener to every 43 persons. In England, the population per station was greater, the fees were lower, and the facilities for broadcast much better than in New Zealand. Yet the public response here had been, as indicated, very much greater, which was, after all, the best Dractical testimony to the efficiency of the company’s service and the public appreciation of it. Mr. Harris said the company had not lost sight of the great value of close co-operation between all parties for their mutual benefit, and had been engaged for some time in preparing a scheme by which it was hoped to secure the desired co-operation between itself and the public concerned. Details of this would be published almost immediately. * *