How Broadcasting in New Zealand Appears to an American

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 3, 3 August 1928, Page 8

How Broadcasting in New Zealand Appears to an American

by

Edgar H.

Felix

(Broadeasting and Merchandising Consultant, Contributing Editor "Radio Broadcast," Member Institute Radio Engineers), Advisory Consultant to The Radio Broadcasting Company of N.Z,, Limited.

aoe .¥ knowledge of broad--casting in New Zealand is based almost éntirely upon -extensive written communication with the i ‘officers of the Radio Company of New Zealand as its contact with broadcasting ‘in the United States. Your company, -seeking‘to take advantage of progress , and experience in every corner of the " glohe, is maintaining a close watch on developments particularly in the " United States. :; Only those closely familiar with the confusion existing in the United s States, following upon the unrestrain*ed and unregulated beginnings which # , attended the birth of broadcasting here, can appreciate the advantages *, o£ the wise course whieh has been fol7 lowed in New Zealand. Your manage- » ment is free to concentrute its effort a upon. programme improvement and :technical progress. In the United ' States scores of broadcasting stations 4 are threatened with cancellation of their licenses, their economic position is insecure, and others are troubled : With heterodyne interference, destined i * te continue until the number of staon the air is reduced by economic or legal extermination. Sete cp Te Ne Sm Jf af ON? = y pe, Get Lf ee eee a : _ o) "8 he Se Sa ‘FREE competition, how ever, has its E: share of advantages. The listenFe: er, particularly in the ‘more populous "centres, has the choice of numerous &, programme sources. This provides jnMs ~eentive to offer superior programmes. a result of this competition, radio £ "in the United States has attracted the 2, famous and competent personages of 's the opera, concert, and theatrical stage. :. But the inspiration of competition has "been won at a cost of unpleasant conand economic insecurity of the b Y stations themselves. The only estabEN

lished source of revenue is through goodwill broadcasting, sponsored by concerns which profit from the favourable attention of the public. The leading stations maintain high standards of commercial broadcasting. so that the listener is not repulsed by direct advertising. In New Zealand you have no such economic problem. The listener himself supports the station, and he is not, therefore at the mercy of the commercial broadeaster. The only consideration in New Zealand when programme muterial is planned is its

popularity with the listener. No uadvertiser, footing the bill for talent and station expense, need be satisfied by radio commendation of his product. Bett. un is characteristic with any artistic effort, there is no universal

~ formula for pleasing the listener. Huinan tastes are individual and cons¢quently noe programme will please every listeney. It requires no expert to tell 2 station management what kind of a programme would please himself, but it requires a genius to please two persons of a group of three and a superimpressario to win the majority of a group of thousands. The wisest programme management concerns itself with progressive appeal to every. taste. It dees not seek the impossible objective of pleasing all the audience all the time. [LLUSTRATIVE of the principle, is an incident which occurred at a famous New York Club. A cub reporter and budding novelist was introduced to the publisher of what is perhaps the world’s greatest popular weekly magazine, Its circulation runs into the millions. A little abashed, the young man, to make conversation, mentioned that he had read the last issue of the magazine from cover to cover, and had enjored every story and article in it. "Tf what you say is true, I need a new editor," replied the distinguished publisher. "The way to please large nunibers is to publish one and only one story in each issue which pleases each individual reader and to appeal to a different group with each story. The way to reduce your circulation to one ~sander is to publish-a collection of

rr stories appealing to one individual taste." : To serve the greatest number of listeners, your programme management must provide the widest variety of classical music, semi-standard ballads, dance music, and educational matter. It devolves upon the individual listener to select what pleases him and to remember that-others, of different taste, have equal right with him to find.features that they enjoy. Only by serving the greatest possible number with the greatest variety can radio grow to the highest standards of p-sesertation in every field of endeavour, and to deserve universal support from every class of society. IVEN intelligent programme-plan-ning along these lines, successful broadcasting requires expert technical management and the highest grade of equipment. In this respect, I am sure that the must modern practice is being followed in New Zealand, Your management fullows With extreme interest the detajled reports of technical proevess in the United States, and through your excellent weekly publication I have opportunity to observe that there is a minimum of delay in putting feasible improvements into practice, '. I am happy to extend every good wish to continued progress in the. fine art of broadeasting in New Zealand.