RADIO LISTENERS' LEAGUE.

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 42, 1 May 1931, Page 4

RADIO LISTENERS' LEAGUE.

WHEN radio first became popular in this country, and the Radio Broadcasting Company was struggling with a small revenue to vive a service satisfactory to the public, leagues of listeners were formed in different parts" of the country to act more or less as whippers-in of the Company, and energise effort for the improvement of programmes. These were supported by groups of enthusiasts, who advanced their ideas as to the course the Company should take. The Radio Broadcasting. Company, anxious to please its listening, clientele but handicapped with the wherewithal to provide all that was asked, did the best that it could to meet the demands for expansion. As time went on, it was able by increased revenue to enlarge its service, until the general all-round efficiency of the service reduced the need for continued energetic advice and the "leagues" of those days died a natural death. "WITH the inception of a number of B Class stations throughout «2 ~dast year, an effort has been made to revive interest in listeners’ leagues, and institute a Dominion-wide organisation. This movement "Was ‘started in Dunedin, in which centre there are a large number of B Class stations. The league was launched at the time the B Class Stations were in difficulties with Performing Right Association, and through their then failure to come to terms seemed likely to be Coimpelled to close down. On a wave of enthusiasm thus organised, the movement was launched and efforts made to "carry the gospel" into other parts of the Dominion. QIN Wednesday night last the initial meeting to establish a Welling-, _ ton branch was held in trade premises. Although there are. in Wellington city and district 14,000 to 15,000. licensed listeners, thus representing households of probably 70,000 to 75,000 people, the attendance at the meeting was approximately 50, of whom a definite ‘number were intimately concerned in the organisation. This small attendance may be taken as a distinct compliment to the general satisfaction felt by listeners with the services now given by 2YA and ' other . stations. Possibly listeners feel that the various committees

such as the Church Committee, the Musical and Dramatic Committe and the Children’s Committee, which have been formed by the Corpany among those specially fitted in those fields to offer advice on their special subjects, meet the position of moulding services to listeners’ needs. Those. committees certainly do good work. In establishing them, the Company felt doubtless that by collecting experts’in each field together in one committee, it would secure the best advice upon which to build its programmes. With that in view listeners, as indicated, probably felt there was little need for further organisation, THE "Radio Record" desires nothing more than to see the progressive expansion and development of radio, and the attainment of saturation point in the Dominion from the radio listening point of view. Anything, therefore, that will advance radio deserves fair treatment and support. We have our doubts, however, as to whether those primarily responsible for the organisation of the Listeners’ League are entirely disinterested. The organiser is the secretary of the B Class Stations’ Association, and that Association is naturally concerned to advance its interests by all possible means. The duality of dice might therefore be compromising. It might easily be that the: #Qde interests represented by these B Class stations might later desire’ a ’ policy inimical to the best interests of radio listeners in general and the secretaty of one body and the organiser of the other might then find it difficult to decide just where he was. ° For, instance, if the B Class stations demahd a part of the listeners’ fees, or desired the Government to appropriate money from listeners’ revenue to relieve the B Class stations of copyright fees payable to the Copyright Association, it would, we think, be a course of action calculated to weaken the existing radio services. We do not feel- satisfied that sooner or later some such demand as this will not be made, and therefore listeners are, in our opinion, well advised to view this League and its sponsors with some suspicion. Mr. Owen, elected president of the League, is well known in radio circles, having filled that position in a league now apparently. defunct. Mr. Leslie Jones, also active in the organisation of the League, brings his reputation of interest in radio forward from the past. He certainly showed vitality ane energy beforehand, and if listeners desire a repetition of the polici€s then urged, doubtless the necessary support will be forthcoming.