"Pirating"

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 20, 30 November 1928, Page 23

"Pirating"

PIRATES," or unlicensed listeners, are in an unhappy position in Australia, especially in New South Wales, where £1293 has been collected in fines ranging up to £10. Altogether, the Commonwealth Government has colleeted £24384 from this source, Regarding pirating, the editor of "Wireless Weekly" (N.S.W.) says: "It is a queer psychological fact, this common desire to defruud the Government or public institutions by evasion of small taxations and dues. In the country districts particularly, where, until now, there has been small possibility of prosecution, and the local postmaster, a prominent member of a small community, seldom enforces his authority, many hundreds of people must take the opportunity of evading the license fee. But apart from these opportunisis, there is a strong body of people who simply refuse to pay their fee because

they believe that they should be entitled to their entertainment free of all charge and that the company does not need their small contribution in order. to carry on. This is a very wrong idea, and, of course, other listeners have to carry them on their shoulders, "The broadcasting companies are today spending ten times as much on their programmes as they spent four years ago, and the ratio of their. expenses to their incoming revenue has increased a great deal," New Zealand inspectors are actively seeking the pirates who are so abund« ant in our country, and from time to time reports come to hand of some of these having to pay an unusually large license fee. After all, it is not worth trying to evade a moral obligation for a mere 80s, Someone has ta pay if the service is to continue, More licenses mean better service, and it is in the interests of every listener that these "pirates" who, not realising their position, sacrifice their self-respect, should be brought to. account.