AUSTRALIA'S ROYAL COMMISSION.

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 12, 7 October 1927, Page 4

AUSTRALIA'S ROYAL COMMISSION.

We publish in this issue the recommendations in full of the Australian Royal Commission appointed to report upon wireless broadcasting. In addition to those detailed recommendations, we give their summarised observations upon several of the aspects of broadcasting that are of particular appeal to us. It is plain that the Commission entered upon its task most thoroughly. Full personal investigation was made of all main stations, their balance sheets, and their programmes, and hundreds, of witnesses and documents were interviewed and perused. ‘The result is a document that will be of the-utmost value not only to Australia, but also to New Zealand, where our problems are somewhat parallel. We are satisfied that the report will be perused with very great interest by listeners, and will serve as a very definite medium of enlightenment upon many of the problems with which radio management has been confronted. One of the most interesting features of the report is that all stations in Australia are being operated at a loss, save 31.0 Melbourne, where special circumstances in a highly compact community, and good management, have enabled a profit-making service to be main--tained> The cost of service will be interesting to listeners. Where the Australian centres are required to maintain but one station on their revenue, New Zealand has been faced with the problem of maintaining four. This is fundamentally the special difficulty of this country. Perusal of the report and its revelation of the general Australian position, prompts the reflection that, with all our delays and difficulties in New Zealand, we have managed to profit by others’ experiences, and nave in reality established broadcasting in this country upon a foundation which is solid, and is permitting satisfactory development. Our slow start is proving somewhat of an advantage, and with the opportunity of profiting by the experience of others, we should continue to progress satisfactorily. One feature of the report deserves our special attention, aud if possible, the immediate attention of our legislature. This is the matier of copyright. The report sets out the position herein, and bluntly states that the demands of the holders of copyright are too high.’ It recommends a reduction to 5 per cent. on the gross revenue of the broadcasting station without limitation upon the number of items to be broadcast. The payment imposed upon the New Zealand listener is a 10 per cent. royalty up to a certain amount. The lead given by the Australian Commission should immediately be followed, and the backing of Parliament sought for equal relief upon the funds of listeners available for broadasting service, . We commend the report and its accompanying observations to the thoughtful consideration of listeners. It is a very valuable document, and sets a platform very suitable for our future guidance. In view of the local listeners’ conference, which has just concluded its session in Wellington it is interesting to note that the report suggests an annual conference between the Wireless Committee — which is a departmental organisation comparahle say to our Postmaster-General, the | secretary of the P. and T. Department and the chief telegraph engineer -the station administrators, the Wireless Institute radio dealers and manufacturers, and licensed listeners. Such a conference would serve a very useful purpose for ventilating the problems confronting the ‘attainment of the best service, and would prove a medium of educating public opinion of definite value. & — SO OE OS OE ee osama ence eee