AUSTRALIA'S PROBLEMS

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 40, 12 April 1935, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S PROBLEMS

"[O-DAY'S "Radio Record’’ embodies a special Australian supplement dealing with various phases of the broadcasting system in the Commonwealth.: Australia’s problems are different from New Zealand's; while the Dominion, with a small population and a correspondingly small listening public, has a national system with stations as powerful as any in the world, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (corresponding to the New Zealand Broadcasting Board) is faced with the problems of maintaining a costly system of regional stations -necessary because of the huge area to be coveredand of strenuous opposition from wealthy B class stations. Skilled copy-writers are employed to write commercial announcements fo. these B stations and a programme director sees that the commercial portion of the session fits in smoothly and harmoniously with the type of entertainment featured. As an example of skilfully planned radio advertising a _ wellknown chewing-gum concern which sponsored quarter-hour programmes for a year had 3,355,198 chewing-gum wrappers sent in as a result of a premium offer made over the air!