Government's Object: Full Control of N.Z. Broadcasting

Radio Record, 12 June 1936, Page 9

Government's Object: Full Control of N.Z. Broadcasting

We Want No Big Overseas Moneyed Interests Here, says Prime Minister |

THERE ARE GOING TO BE NO BIG OVERSEAS MONEYED INTERESTS IN NEW ZEALAND BROADCASTING. The State is master regarding the issuing of licenses for broadcasting stations-and it is going to remain so. . ; The objective of the Government is complete ownership of New Zealand’s broadcasting : services. The Government will see that existing B class stations are properly looked after.

These points formed the gist of a conversation between the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) and the "Radio Record" at the week-end. "We will see to it that no big outside interests

get possession of New "fZealand’s broadcasting "services," said Mr. Savage. "Radio is one of thé most powerful forces in the world to-day,. and the State is going to remain master so far as licenses in the Dominion are _ concerned. "We are pledged to see that existing B class station owners are given fair treatment. They have nothing to fear-and the time is not far distant when many of the difficulties under which they have been working ° will disappear. "Our objective is to take over as many of these stations as we can. Of course, this won’t happen overnight, but we are steadily working toward this goal.’’ The Broadcasting Amendment Bill, which is before the House this week, is an eagerly anticipated. measure, affecting as_ it does nearly 200,000 licensed listeners throughout the Dominion. And, if the |Governmen. hag its way, this number will be doubled and even trebled before long, Mr, Savage is the first Prime Minister

of New Zealand to fully grasp the real significance of broadcasting in its relationship to modern life, and he has said several times since he came into power that radio in New Zealand would become just as much a part of the ordinary household services as are

light, heat and water. It is no secret that seats were lost and won in the November election ove the vexed problem of the last Gover ment’s treatment of B. _class stations culminating in the. "Jamming" of station. 1ZB, the well-known. Auckland B station, ‘a, few ‘nights be- — fore the general election.

According to information in Auckland, an effort has been nmiade to form an associaticn of all those stations which sent representatives to the recent conference in Wellingtonthose stations which expressed themselves in favour of unvestricted . advertising on the air; in preference to sponsored programmes or a direct Government subsidy. So far as is known, the stations not in favour of unrestricted advertising have not been approached, the idea underlying the scheme being to prevent the cutting of advertising ratés among members of the association, and to secure some economy in the matter of exchange of programmes. It is widely believed in the north that an influential company is in prospect. to finance the present Friendly Road station, the intention being to run this station as a commercial affair instead of an..organisation. In view of the attitude of the Post and Telegraph Department that it will not permit -the transfer of broadeasting licenses, or even the change of lame, it would appear that the Government’s approval of this scheme will be necessary. (Continued on next page.)

Exclusive Information On Main Clauses

THE. following information, exclusive to the "Radio Record,’ purports to be the main clauses of the Broadcasting Amendment Bill which is being brought down in the House of Representatives this week. These clauses are set down below, but the paper takes no responsibility for their accuracy: . Control of the New Zealand broadcasting services to be under the Minister. ‘No increase in B class licences and trans-~ fer to be made only to the Government. Sponsored programmes to be permitted from B class stations, each station to pay its own way and’ have a mana- © ger. A director of national broadcasting to be appointed with two assistant directors. A programme committee to be set up. Commercial C class stations to be established in the four centres, with advertising rights to be under the control of the Government. Provision to be made to take over the assets and liabilities of the Broadcasting Board. Appropriations to provide the necessary finance for all departments.

(Continued from previous page.) "We are steadfastly refusing to have any dealings with advertising until the present measures have gone through Parliament," said the director of staion 8ZM,. Christchurch’s only B class station, to the "Radio Record." "It is our opinion that, when the Government’s final proposals are.made-known, all B stations should get together and discuss matters of policy and work that will bring them into line with the Government’s intentions, So far as 83ZM is concerned, the station will lend whole-hearted assistance to the Government in its efforts to make. the new broadcasting policy an amicable and satisfactory one. to all the interests eoncerned." Two or three official members of the Otago Radio Association, which owns and operates station 4ZB, were agreed that their organisation did not want the right to advertise, but -would rather receive a subsidy. The association, they pointed out, was not a commercial concern, but was an amateur body performing a service to listeners, and entirely dependent on members’ subscriptions as its means of support. Listeners’ license fees went to the A stations, but 4ZB felt that it was now entitleqd to some. financial consideration in view of the service it had given in the past, "We have never supported the idea of advertising over the air," remarked one member, "but a subsidy from the Government would be very acceptable." "Having discussed the question of the’ B stations with thousands of listeners, who are deeply interested in the matter," said Mr. R. Walls, owner ‘of station 4ZM, "I find that the: large majority are in agreement with the privilege of limited advertising. Stations located in the cities are generally of the opinion that there is room for advertising, and they are confident that if advertising is allowed they will receive the support of the business community. We are waiting for the Government to bring. down a Bill which, we have no doubt, will be ac: _ ceptable to both the listeners and to the B station proprietors. We are grateful that the Government has considered the position of the B stations as it has and, so far as 4ZM is concerned, we will never give the Government cause to regret any legislation it might pass in the interests of listeners. That stations in the large towns wished for advertising, but that those in the smaller towns wanted only a subsidy, was the opinion expressed by Mr, F. W. A. Barnett, al of the firm that owns Mr. Barnett said he had never asked over the air for financial assistance from listeners; 4Z0 had been solely supported by the company that owned the station. He made it clear that the firm did not want charity, or, in other words, it did not want to be a drain on the Government’s radio pocket. "We want to be self-supporting," he declared, "and we want the chance to make a success of it without there being any cost to listeners or the Government, , The Prime Minister preferred not to comment on the position of Wellington at this juncture. Wellington is at present the only city of any size in the Dominion without a B class station, 2ZW

having been bought out by the last Government more than two years ago. Mr. R. H. Nimmo, chairman of directors of the 2ZW Broadcasting Service, Ltd., and a former Dominion president of the B Class Stations’ Association, said that he awaited the outcome of the present Parhamentary measures with interest, "Our station, which was opened in May, 1931, pioneered many of the programmes that are in regular use on the air to-day," said Mr. Nimmo. "27, W: was the first station in New Zealand to broadcast Sunday services, the first station with a special children's hour concert theme, the first to provide early morning breakfast musical sessession, late dance programmes On Saturday night "The capital city was the last place in New Zealand to have a B station,

aud the directors of 2ZW determined to do the job properly. Theréfore, when the station opened, it was equipped with a transmitter the second most powerful B class station in -the Dominion. "But the restrictions placed ou B elass stations by the National Government insofar as revenue was concerned macle it impossible for a { station of the size of 2ZW to earry on; In other words, it was literally forced off the air, "But, in view of the fact that the stations 2ZW, Wellington, and 1ZR, Auckland, were forced to sell out solely a8.a result of the hopeless conditions imposed on them, the directors of both stations placed on record with the Post and Telegraph Department that, in ‘the event of a change of Government or policy, whereby B class stations could come on the air again and earn revenue, the groups operating these: two. stations would have, as I submit they were fully entitled to, full consideration were more licenses issued, But I wish it to be clearly anderstood that, | unless legislation provided that work- { ing costs of the station would be met, either ‘by subsidy or ‘advertising, 2ZW would certainly not come on the air again."

Two New Features

Page For Children and Betty Boop Cartoon JN keeping with our policy of making.the "Radio Record" an essentially home journal we would draw read: ers’ attention to two new fea-tures--the amusing Betty Boop cartoons, which will be published regularly on the inside front cover, and the "Page for Radiobeams,"’ stories and items of interes’ for children, on page 64.