NZBS SECRETARY RETIRES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 921, 5 April 1957, Page 19

NZBS SECRETARY RETIRES

FTER nearly 20 years in broadcasting in New Zealand, L. J. Greenbérg, Secretary of the NZBS, has retired. Australian born, Mr Greenberg gave the first half of his working life to youth work. He had been general secretary of the Perth Y.M.C.A. for some years when he came to New Zealand about 30 years ago to take up a similar position with the Y.M.C.A. in Wellington. "After 10 years with the Wellington Y.M.C.A, I felt I had done enough youth work and should settle into an ordinary position," Mr Greenberg told The Listener. He applied for one of the vacancies then occurring in the establishment of the Commercial Broadcasting Service, and was appointed Station Director at 4ZB. Two years later he became, Secretary of the Commercial Service. Mr Greenberg had two major wartime jobs. Early in the war the Australian Government asked him to report on conditions in military camps in various parts of Australia. Then, back in New Zealand, he was appainted Controller of Detention, and for five years was in charge of detention camps for military defaulters. For this work he was awarded the O.B.E. During the war Mr Greenberg had been appointed Secretary of the newly-amalgamated Broadcasting Service, and he was now able to take up this position. More recently he was released from his broadcasting work for four months to act as secretary of the Committee on Juvenile Delinquency, As Secretary of the NZBS, Mr Greenberg has been concerned with personnel, accommodation, many aspects of finance, commercial policy and important aspects

of general administration. Highlights he recalls from his 20 years with the Service include work ‘on the committee which recommended amalgamation of the National and Commercial Services and his visits to Western Samoa and Fiji which had such an important effect on broadcasting policy in these islands. Mr Greenberg said that in 20 years he had seen a tremendous growth in the Service. "This year the Commercial Division revenue reached £1,000,000, and the number of radio licences has reached an all-time high of more than 500,000," he said. "Our chain of stations has increased by the establishment of the X station network and Commercial stations at Hamilton and Invercargill. And I feel that the marrying of the National and Commercial Services has been a very good thing-each has retained its own identity, and at the same time we’ve promoted a mild sense of competition which is good for both." As secretaries of the Commercial and National branches of the Service respectively, both Mr Greenberg and the present Director, Mr Yates, were members of the committee which recommended amalgamation. % "T value above everything else in the Service the human contacts,’ said Mr Greenberg, "and I have come to appreciate the seriousness with which human problems have been handled by the Director and the senior staff and in negotiations with the Public Service Commission." Paying a tribute to the NZBS staff, he added: "I find them enthusiastic in\ their work and generally doing a good job in a ‘very rs field. 4