RELAY STATIONS

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 7, 2 September 1927, Unnumbered Page

RELAY STATIONS

WHAT ABOUT ROTORUA?

CENTRALLY SITUATED FOR RELAY PURPOSES. | A suggestion has been made by a New Lilymouth society that a relay station should be established in New Ply mouth, for the benefit of ‘Taranaki listeners, and that as a preliminary the power of IYA, Auckland, shoulé be quadrupled. ‘There is a kernel of merit in this suggestion, but it is ohyious that there are a’ number of factors to be considered, such as, first, finance, and, secondly, situation. From the broadcasting point of view, New Zealand is a particularly difficult country to handle. It is a long, narrow country, so that the stations, wherever situated, are certain to lose a great deal of power by unprofitable diffusion over non-paying areas such as the sea. It 13s safe to say that, from a money-earning point of view, Auckland is only 20 per cent. efficient, because, situated on @ narrow isthmus, 80 per cent, of her power must be diffused over water areas on which listeners do not thrive and are not thickly located A relay station at New Plymouth would be open to substantially the same objection. Our suggestion for increased effi ciency to listeners of, the North Island would be, neither the quad» rupling of the Ackland nor the provision of a relay station at New Plymouth, but a relay station at Rotorua. This would have the advantage, in onr opinion, of avoiding any disadyantages there may be of the association of broadcasting stations in cities, and would place a station in the centre of a large land area, reaching easily into the Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, the thickly populated area of South Anckland, and New Plymonth and Taranaki, as well as the northern area of Wellington Province. It would also have the advantage of makgsne regularly available such attrac» tive items as the Maori concerts. Every visitor to Rotorua kuows the appreciation extended to the fine native concerts that are there available. The ope portunity of putting upon the air this feature we think, constitute a very definite advantage. A satisfactory land line could also be arranged bee tween Hamilton and Rotorua, to secure the cream of the talent available there, and the same extension could ultimatel be made to Auckland, from whic higher-powered station Rotorua’s boome ing hakas conid be scattered over the Pacific As opportunity offers, we have no doubt that the Broadcasting Company will give consideration to the provision of such enterprises, but it is obvions that an essential preliminary must be an increasing revenue from a larger number of listeners, in order to meet the demands for such extra service. Listeners generally, we think, will be serving their own interests, as one core respondent nhrases it. by ‘'snreading the rosnel" more renerally There is nothe ine so infections as enthusiasm, and a Mfferent mental attitnde in some auarters wonld, we ate satisfied, have a very beneficial reaction in radio circles eenerally, inerease listeners, and the nossi« bilities of +rade and the steady better {ment of proeramincs, °