STATION 1YA

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 35, 16 March 1928, Page 4

STATION 1YA

POSITION OF MR. STRINGER COMPANY’S ATTITUDE. Mr. A. R. Harris, general manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company, has made the following statement in final reply to much that has appeared in the Auckland Press. "When Mr. Stringer voluntarily announced to the public that he had been dismissed and added that he did not know why his engagement had been terminated, we felt constrained to say that Mr. Stringer did know seven weeks beforehand the reasons for our action. "Following this, Mr. Stringer has endeavoured to suggest to the public that our action was determined by (1) his action in consulting our solicitor, and (2) his own action in paying £5 to secure the broadcast of the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting. "This was what that £5 was in fact for, although Mr. Stringer was not frank enough to say so or to acknowledge that in doing so he broke our most specific and exact instructions not to pay for public relays, and so establish an impossible precedent; moreover, his action contradicted his own former correspondence to us on this point. ‘Neither of these reasons, however, had any weight in the change we made. We do not recognise that it is necessary or incumbent upon us to say more than that.

The public will appreciate that no responsible organisation likes to make rapid staff changes, The public will also appreciate that on account of past history in Auckland, a change there would only be made in the absolute interests of the company and listeners themselves, Tt is not our habit to discuss our domestic business in the public Press, and we do not purpose following Mr. Stringer further in the matter, We are aiming at a high standard of efficiency and service, and are responsible for the steps we take to give the public the service. it desires.