National Broadcasting System
Looking Over Australia’s A Class Stations
The first part of the following article was supplied to the "Radio Record" by ALajor W. 2'. Conder, generalaanager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The portion dedliny with the Melbourne national stations was supplied by the Victorian division of the A.B.C. ROADCASTING started in Australia towards the end of 1928. when private companies began to operate under licenses from the Government, their revenue coming from specific licenses to
listen to their stations, all sets beiug sealed to one or another of, the existing wavelengths. This practice was followed for only us short time, after which a_ general listening license was issued, and the: resultant revenue / apportioned befaveen the various J stations operating. This method. was not by any. means unsuccessful, and by June 80, 1928, there were 270,507 | licensed listeners in Australia. About that time, however, the Commonwealth Goyerument decided that broadeasting had become a matter of too great nationa) importance to be left any longer en tirely in the hands
of commercial cuinpanies, and took over on a valuation the complete equipment of the A stations; it did not. as yet. seek to control directly the provision of programmes, and these were arranged for it for the next three years under contract. On July 1, 19382, however. the Aus tralian Broadeasting Commission, whicn had been called into existence shortly before by an Act of Parliament, began its official] function of providing programmes from the 12 national stations. while the Postmaster-General’s Department, to which the. technical operation of these stations had already been entrusted, remained responsible for that side of the work, -The Commission consisted of a ehairman, a Vice-chairman and three ordinary members, all being people of public standing appointed by the Government’ in Council to form a board of supervision. The actual personnel ‘of the. staff remained much as if had been under private control. When the Commission was appoiited’ there were $69,945 licenses in force, re-
presenting 5.62 per cent. of the population of the Commonwealth. This total had been reached in slightly more than eight years. The fact that the total number of licenses is now close to 700.000 and the percentage, accordingly, slightly ic excess of ten, is a strong indication that the work of the Commission has not been altogether unsuccessful, for its third year of office has not yet concluded. Of course, it must not be forgotten that there are in this country some 50 B stations, all providing regular programmes ; no doubt they contribute substantially
to the license increases, but, at-the same time, when one realises that in the three years immediately preceding the constitution of the Commission the inerease in licenses was only .79 per .cent. of population, and that in the two and a half years of the Commission's operation the increase was 4.52 per cent., one can scarcely deny that by far: the greatest influence is wielded by the national ser vice, One interesting featire of the work ol the national service is the development of musical combinations, which include symphony and concert orchestras, a military band dance bands. choruses and choirs. and already excellent vesults have been obta‘ned in this manner, The work will be continued and expanded in the future, and wili, no doubt, do great service to musi¢ in this part of the world Melkeurne’s National Stetions OR an average of about S82 hours wv week 8LO and. 8AR, national sta-
tions of Melbourne, are broadcasting to 228,000 listeners in Victoria programmes of entertainment and educational value. On about three evenings a week 3L0O, the senior Victorian station, has the respousibility. of initiating the national programme, which is relayed over the laniine network of 4800 miles of special telephone channel to all national stations in other States of the Commonwealth. So that simultaneonelv§ the
item is heard far north of — Rockhampton (Queensland) to far west of Geraldton (Western Australia), by a potential audience of 681,634 listeners: / On October 13 last 83LO commemorated its tenth anniversary. It had opened in 1924 with at historic broadcast — the farewell to Grand Opera of the late Dame Nellie Melba in the role of Mimi in "a Boheme." Since then this station has consistently set a standard for all other stations in the originality and popular. appeal of its programmes. It has been fortunate in having had practically throughout its existence, first
us a privately-owned A station and then is a Government concern. the continuity of supervision by Mr. T. W. Bearup. manager for Victoria for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, who drafted its first programme, and is still guiding its much more varied forms of enterainment to-day. Since its introduction ten years ago, vireless broadcasting has made rapid and vontinuots progress in Victoria. From the small beginnings of amateur experimenters it soon passed to the stage when private companies were granted A class and B class licenses to broadcast, and . when those citizens who owned receiving sets: paid fees for the privilege of listening to the programmes provided. Following are the licenses in force ix Victoria since the inauguration of broad"asting :-
1925 ..... 20,289 1930 ..... 140,072 1926 ...4. 64,587 1981.0... 137,265 927.2... 118,065 1982 ..,.. 189,502 1928 ,.... 137,758 1933 ..,.. 171,818 1929 ..... 142,750 1934 ...°, 226,025
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Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 40, 12 April 1935, Page 11
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870National Broadcasting System Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 40, 12 April 1935, Page 11
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