AUSTRALIAN ROYALTIES

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 26, 13 January 1928, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN ROYALTIES

GOVERNMENT AND AMALGAMATED WIRELESS

PARLIAMENT RATIFIES AGREEMENT. News is to hand from Australia that the Bijl to ratify the wireless agreement between the Commonwealth Government and Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., has passed beth Houses of Parliament, and.is now an historical legal fact. It will be interesting to examine it in its relation to the general public. The general public are interested in any activity or policy of Amalgamated Wireless, because the people through the Commonwealth Goyernment have invested £500,000 in the company. Consequently the company is in many respects filling the place of a Government Department carrying on a public utility service. Most public utility services of course are conducted as a Government monopoly, ‘The activities of the Wireless Company, however, are in competi- | tion with other companies.

What Brought About the Agreement. People will ask, What is the origin of the agreements In order to answer thet question we must turn our thoughts back to the Australian Royal Commission on Wireless which after months of investigation made certain recommendations to the Australian Government. Included in its report and reconimendations were many references to Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd. The majority of those references were not complimentary-indeed, some were very condemnatory. ‘the methods and policy of the company in certain respects were considered unsatisfactory and certain changes were suggested. It was suggested that the payments made to the company or claimed by the company in respect to broadcasting were too high and should be reduced. Royalties Charged. The royalties payable indirectly by listeners to tlie company amount to 5s. per annum, ‘The payment is made through the medium of the licence of 27s. Gd., of which amount 5s, is paid xy the broadcasting company to Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd. ‘The Commission recommended a reduction of this amount to 2s. ‘The company also demanded royalty payments from wireless traders who sold valve sets. ‘These payments were to be 12s. 6d. or 17s. 6d. per valve socket, according to the country of mannufacture12s. 6d. for British or 17s. 6d. for other countries. Many traders objected to the payments and the Commission re-. commended a payment of 5s. per valve. socket. . Company’s Toll Reduced. The Government apparently went further into the matter than the Commission, and concluded an agreement with the company whereby the traders were relieved of all payments, and the listeners pay an amount of 38s, per year as portion of their licence fee. "The Government thereby severely cut down the company’s toll taken from broadcasting. But the total amount will be pretty considerable, nevertheless-over £37,500 for the present year, One effect of this agreement should be a reduction in the price of valve sets. -to an amount approximating to the amount of royalty previously claimed by the wireless company. ‘That is about £3 per four or five valve set. It will be interesting to see if the listener gets. the benefit. oo. er. .en. @e. an. es ee ee as es ex... .........._....

NN NNN INR NIN ANA ISIN IAN AKAXKXX XM It has been found that a "C* (or grid-bias) battery will give your "B" battery a longer life by 75 per cent. As there is no drainage whatever on a "C" battery, this will last as long as if you put it on one side. ‘C batteries only cost about 8s. 6d. ‘The plus lead should be taken to A-minus, and C-minus should be connected to F-minus of each transformer, | QNM, owned by Mr. Marcuse, of London, is testing on 28 and 82 metres on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satuydays from 6.0 to 7.0 am., and from 9.30 to 10.30 p.m., also on Sundays from 6,0 to 7.0 a.m, and 6.0 to 7.0 p.m. G.M.T. Short-wave receivers should be able to pick up these transinissions with ease,