QUESTION: ANSWER

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 23, 14 December 1934, Page 5

QUESTION: ANSWER

HE Postmaster-General (Hon. Adam Hamilton) dropped a pleasant surprise in listeners’ laps at the week-end when he announced that radio license fees would be reduced by 5/- from April 1, 1935. This reduction means that New Zealand radio owners will be provided with a programme-and, with the raising of the power of the national stations, three or four pro-gyrammes-for approximately five-sixths of a penny a day. Which, considering the hours of transmission, isn’t bad value, even in these hard times! It has been asked why the New Zealand license’ fee is by far the highest in the world. The answer is that New Zealand has provided immense difficulties in the way of radio coverage. The geographical nature of the country arid the scattered population has necessitated the building of powerful and costly stations, for the licensed listener at the back 0’ beyond has a right to demand as good a service as the listener in Auckland 'or Christchurch. And the Broadcasting Board has seen that country listeners’ interests have been served-. the decision to greatly increase the power of the national stations has proved that.