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Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 4, 12 August 1927, Page 4

Broadcasting matters were prominently before Parliament last week, when debate arose over the action of the Government in loaning £15,000 to the Radio Broadcasting Company with which to finance the erection of Z2YA, The Labour Party seized upon the incident with avidity, and attempted to flog the Government. In attempting this its speakers were anything but accurate or consistent, as is shown in our summary of the discussion elsewhere. Listeners perusing the debate will wonder at the small concern for their interests shown by the speakers. First, Mr, Holland condemned the loan "when money was so hard," and would have been satisfied apparently to have given listeners a much less efficient station. But a few moments later-away, economy, and on a new track! Mr. Holland urged the Government to take over broadcasting altogether- and of course find not only £15,000 as a loan, but outright, and the balance of £50,000 as well, and maintain the service on a basis that would suit the most extravagant! Quite palpably the whole debate was of artificial origin, staged only as an item in the pin-pricking political game. Mr. Holland showed a joint in his armour when he complained that the Prime Minister was put "on the air" and he wasn’t! The Prime Minister had no difficulty in defending the action of the Government in assisting the company to give service to the widest possible circle of listeners. The fundamental reason was national and Imperial; the obvious advantages of having a daylight range over the whole Dominion and a night range over the Southern Pacific. This, of course, transcended the agreement originally entered into, and in those circumstances a new basis had to be arrived at between the Government and the company. If one party to an agreement wishes, as in this case, the provision of an extra service, a new financial asis must be arranged. In this case the company originally planned to find £20,000. Including the Government loan of £15,000, it has now committed itself to £50,000, in order to give listeners an improved service. That ipdicates a more than generous desire on the part of the company to give service | and satisfaction to listeners. We believe the majority of listeners appreciate the facts in the situation and are prepared to give the company a reasonable chance and a fair field. Already improvements in programmes. and service are becoming apparent, and we would seriously advance that the time is ripe for the development at any rate of a period of suspended judgment. At the moment, on the point of State control, the listeners would seem to have quite convinced the Prime Minister — judging by his reply to Mr. Holland — that he would be a much happier man without responsibility for radio broadcasting than with it! The same thought impresses any who really contemplates the magnitude of the task presented by the provision of programmes satisfactory to all. Steady improvement, however, is being made, and an increasingly good range of selection made available. With the provision of afternoon sessions from 2YA in the immediate future, a big step forward will be made, which will certainly have its effect all over New Zealand. The relaying of the Christchurch sporting events this past week proved most popular, and serves but to whet the appetite of listeners for more.