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1948 NEW ZEALAND

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NEW ZEALAND BROADCASTING SERVICE FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31st MARCH, 1948

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly 'pursuant to the Provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 1936

I have the honour to submit the annual report on the operations of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service for the year ended 31st March, 1948, in accordance with the provisions of section 18 (1) of the Broadcasting Act, 1936. The New Zealand Broadcasting Service during the period under review maintained its important place in the community. Activities of the Service were expanded, and every endeavour was made to ensure that broadcasting should continue to be a significant and progressive force in our community life. There were many programme innovations, and the technical development plans were steadily advanced. It is hoped that next year several new stations will be in operation. The National Orchestra established itself as an important factor in the cultural life of the community, and its performances won high commendation from concert patrons, listeners, and the press. The Mobile Recording Unit was used extensively in various parts of the country. In particular, it performed very valuable service during the Otago Centennial Celebrations in recording items of interest for immediate programme needs or for historical purposes. The staffing position of the Service as a whole became more stable, and this was reflected in higher programme standards, improved presentation, and greater all-round efficiency. The popularity of broadcasting was again evidenced by a further increase in licence figures. There were 422,691 licences issued as at 31st March, 1948, an increase of 6,147 over the previous year's total.