HOW TO DEVELOP OUR RADIO SYSTEM.

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 40, 19 April 1929, Page 6

HOW TO DEVELOP OUR RADIO SYSTEM.

WHEN Sir Joseph Ward was recently in Gisborne a deputation from local radio enthusiasts waited upon him to urge, amongst other. things, the. payment of a subsidy to the local station. The arguments advanced in favour of this course were that crystal users in Gisborne and its immediate locality were unable to receive the transmissions of any of the YA stations. They secured their sole entertainment from the locally-controlled station. The revenue from their license fees went, however, to the Radio Broadcasting Company, from whose stations these particular listeners were unable to secure any beriefit.’ It was accordingly asked that arrangements should be made that the revenue from local listeners should be diverted to the support of the local station. . ROM the local point of view, that argument is unassailable. From the national point of view, it is fallacious-how fallacious, indeed, may be shown by examination of the suggestion of an extension of that policy., .There is nothing to prevent an enthusiast at, say, Waipapakauri-a distant point in the. North Auckland Peninsula--establishing a-transmitting station. There is nothing to prevent the establiskment ‘of a station at Golden Bay. A station might even be established at Reefton, Nelson, Wanganui, Masterton, Whangarei, or any one of a dozen points throughout the country, each serving a reasonable population. On their establishment, local enthusiasts, attracted by the novelty of radio, would doubtless be found to .invest in crystal sets’ for-the sake of the reception thus made available. Application of the logic of our Gisborne friends would mean. that all local listeners, whether valve or crystal, would provide funds for the support of the local station. How far would those funds used piecemeal go in maintaining a chain of local stations? WHILE sympathising keenly with the lot of listeners in places such as Gisborne, where even valve listeners, quite apart from crystal users, are unable to be guaranteed absolute efficiency in reception from the YA stations because of their distance, we must contend quite definitely that diversion of the moneys made available by listeners throughout the country from the maintenance of one central organisation, would be suicidal and lead to disruption and dislocation of the New Zealand service. New Zealand has_ the opportunity, by reason of its isolation and distance from other parts of the world, to learn from the experience of other countries. That experience, as made clear in the case of Britain and, from another angle, in the case of the United States, definitely is that the most effective results will accrue only from the maintenance and development of a single unified system of broadcasting. The problem of local reception represented by the plight of Gisborne was experienced in Britain. The B.B.C. met it by the establishment of relay stations at suitable strategic points throughout the country, so that now it is possible for practically the whole of the inhabitants of Britain to recsive ‘satisfactory reception from either the main or relay stations throughout the United Kingdom.

[N the present stage of development in New. Zealand the four YA ' stations are able admittedly to serve efficiently only a portion of our population, The larger provincial towns certainly represent a market which it is desirable to exploit. A satisfactory service will be made available to them, however, only by a faithful prosecution of the policy laid down in this country, viz., the maintenance of a central unified system, using to the best advantage the funds made available by listeners for radio service. The only sound and natural system of development is for that central authority to extend, as circumstances warrant, relay stations into those different parts of the country calculated to render the greatest service to populations not now adequately covered. That is the logical system of development, and a way for its prosecution will, we believe, ultimately be found. ‘ THAT a local relay station linked with the main YA stations by _ land line is the only logical way of satisfactorily serving the needs of the populous provincial centres, is interestingly shown bj the outcome of the conference at Invercargill between Mr. sy IX. Harris, General Manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company, and the local committee interested in the establishment of such a service. Meeting the committee by invitation, Mr. Harris traversed the methods. available to them of achieving this object. The result was a decision on their part to remodel their ideas and to work for the establishment of a relay station connected with 4YA, Dunedin. This will involve approach to the Post and Telegraph Department as to. the land-line facilities available, and opens up the whole question in an interesting way. In all probability it will be found that to permit of the system of local relay stations being launched, some adjustments of the position between the Company and the Government will be necessary. Having regard to the growing interest of the whole community in the best possible service by radio and the wisdom of achieving it by widening the circle of listeners and revenue by tapping the large provincial centres, the Government, anxious to serve the people, will. doubtless be found prepared to give full consideration. to the question. In that event we are satisfied it will be in the. capacity of a business administration to find a means of achieving. the end desired and permitting the necessary expansion of service as opportunity offers.