Speeding Up News

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 50, 27 June 1930, Page 39

Speeding Up News

"Newspaper Schemes . AN Australian trade paper reports a case of interestin connection with radio and the use made of it by an upeountry Australian newspaper. It appears that this particular newspaper -depended for its late news on long- * distance telephones, and had installed . elaborate equipment to enable it to get ‘news quickly. In recent times, however, the paper concerned suffered from ~ departmental delays, and was not able " to get telephonic calls at fixed times, : in g&dition to which charges for Press te ones were increased by the Australian authorities by 384 per cent. In these circunistances, being unable: _ to get race results with the prompti+ tude necessary, the newspaper concerned turned to radio. From the loud- ~ Speakers reporters took down the rac@. _ ‘results within two or three minutes of » the completion of the race. Publication was thus made in ample time, whereas if the news had to come over the telephone or. telegraph the edition could not be caught. Under the Australian law, however, this constitutes a technical breach of the postal regula- .. tions, These provide that newspapers shall transmit their news by telegraph ‘or telephone. . This regulation is designed to protect the revenue of the Postal Departmént from encroachment by undue reliance upon radio. Action was theretaken against the publisher cons cerned, with victory to the department.. . The same: general: regulation in all ‘probability applies in New Zealand, but, if so, it is not administered as strictly ‘as in the Australian case, because it is almost a common practice for certain newspapers in the Dominion to rely upon radio for either broadeast descriptions of important football matches or boxing and other sporting results at certain times. This certainly seems a case where elasticity in the administration of departmental regulations is desirable. Press wires, of course, are received as well, so that . departmental revenue is not affected.