Every Third Home

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 1, 20 July 1928, Page 2

Every Third Home

VICTORIA’S PROUD POSITION -_-_-_-- LICENSES TOTAL 136,481° A MELBOURNE radio writer says iThe upward trend of the curve of listeners’ licenses in Victoria, Australia, has had a check, The continued increase of licenses which has marked out Victoria so _ strikingly since 8LO Melbourne commenced its service in 1924 was so far in excess of figures in other States that it was not surprising that some sign of stabilisation should eventually come — into evidence. ' "Some critics, apparently but meagrely informed of the history of broadcasting in Australia, seem to see, in a temporary decline of the advancing license totals, a slackening of listeners’ interest in the services. They even go so far as to say that the license figures are tantamount to an expression of dissatisfaction by listeners. "Such criticism," says the Melbourne writer, "is far from being an explanation of the fact that license figures were two hundred less in May than in April. If the total were only a small number then the 200 might be worth regarding seriously, but when we remember that the grand total for Victoria is 186,481 and for the rest of the Commonwealth 263,340, there is not much ground for feeling pessimistic,

"HE number of licenses cannot £0 on increasing indefinitely. There must come a time when all the prospective listeners have their licenses, One cannot expect that every single household will have a wireless set, at all events, for some time to come, but when every second or third house has one we must in reason say that the maximum is being reached. And that is what has occurred in Victoria. The official figures given out some time ago showed that there was a license held by every third household. "One must conclude, therefore, that the phenomenal totals for licenses in Victoria, in comparison with totals in other States of the Commonwealth and in other countries, must sooner or later show a decline. One fact alone should convince readers of this. conclusion, the official figures always . ‘show the net totals after deductions shave been made for the people who have not completed their payments ox have given up listening-in. There are often good reasons for abstaining from listening, such as when a listener leaves the State or suffers some setback financially. It was men‘tioned at the Royal Commission last year by witnesses that a large. number of listeners drop out in this way and the absence of theix licenses from the ‘total does not in any reflect any criticism of or dissatisfaction with me services. It was simply unavoidable. "The figures for May show an unusually large number of such deductions and consequently the net total is about two hundred less than in April. But there were actually 3018. new listeners licensed during May, That is definite proof that the services are still attracting new patrons. ‘ : :