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Percentages of Licenses to Population. There are now 9-6 licenses per hundred of population in the Dominion. For comparative purposes a list is appended showing the position in a number of other countries : —

Date to which Percentage of Country. Percentage Licenses to refers. Population. Denmark .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 15-06 Great Britain .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 14-23 Sweden .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 11-48 Netherlands .. .. . . 30th June, 1934 10-56 New Zealand .. .. .. 31st December, 1934 9-60 Australia .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 9-00 Germany .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 8-20 Switzerland .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 7-92 Austria .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 7-51 Canada .. .. .. .. 31st January, 1934 6-57 Belgium .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 6-55 Norway .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 5-11 Czecho-Slovakia .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 4-21 France .. .. .. .. 30th June, 1934 3-83 Union of South Africa .. .. 31st December, 1933 3-67 Japan .. .. .. .. 31st May, 1934 1-88 New Zealand towns (as at 30tli November, 1934) : — Percentage of Percentage Increase Town. Licenses to since Population. 30th November, 1933. Blenheim .. .. .. .. .. 16-70 Nil Masterton .. .. .. .. ..15-74 2-84 Wellington .. .. ' .. .. .. 14-53 0-90 Hamilton .. .. .. .. ..13-21 4-21 Ashburton .. .. .. .. ..12-86 0-20 ■Oamaru .. .. .. .. .. 12-79 0-79 Whangarei .. .. .. .. ..12-74 4-54 Christchurch .. .. .. .. ..12-12 2-50 New Plymouth .. .. .. ..11-97 1-57 Palmerston North .. .. .. .. 11-29 0-59 Wanganui .. .. .. .. 11 -17 2-77 Hastings 11-03 2-53 Napier .. .. .. .. .. 10-68 1-98 Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 10-51 2-51 Bluff .. .. .. .. .. 10-35 2-35 Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 10-31 2-41 Greymouth .. .. .. .. ..10-14 1-54 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 10-08 1-08 Kotorua .. .. .. .. .. 10-00 3-00 Gisborne .. .. .. .. .. 9-51 2-31 Timaru .. .. .. .. .. 9-48 3-08 Invercargill . . .. .. .. .. 9-18 2-58

TECHNICAL. Steady progress has been made during the year in furtherance of the Board's policy to provide a high-grade service to listeners throughout the Dominion. Microphones of known excellence have replaced the older types, and numerous improvements have been efiected to amplifying units and to studio equipment. The recent opening of the new IYA transmitter, the most powerful and best-equipped station in Australasia, was the important event of the year. The transmitting equipment is housed in a commodious new building on the main North Road about two miles north of Henderson, and provision has been made in the building for future extensions. The contractors for the equipment were Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd. The whole equipment is in every way of modern design, excellently fabricated, and will afford a service of high quality over a wide area. The aerial system is of novel design for this part of the world and takes the form of three ribs of an umbrella supported by a single mast 500 ft. high. The three aerial wires or ribs are spaced 120° around the mast, and the special feature of the system is that maximum radiation along the ground is obtained with a comparatively small expenditure on towers. Transmissions from the new plant for several weeks after opening were of an experimental nature, the testing and final adjustment of such equipment being a fairly lengthy process. In order to bring into use the studio apparatus associated with the new transmitter, a part of the new studio building in Shortland Street, Auckland, was made available on the day the new transmitting equipment commenced operations. This new building contains four completed studios provided for different purposes. The dimensions of the largest one are 60 ft. by 40 ft. by 25 ft. It is used for performances by orchestras, bands, choirs, and other large combinations. Number 2 studio is 40 ft. long, 25 ft. wide, and 15 ft. high, and is used for smaller groups of instrumentalists or vocalists. Number 3 is 28 ft. long, 22 ft. wide, and 15 ft. high, and is intended, primarily, for children's sessions.

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