Australian Versus New Zealand Radio Programmes (1934)

Australian Vs. N.Z. Radio Programmes

Dissatisfaction Expressed By Listeners and Press

New Zealand Radio Programmes

AUSTRALIA'S Broadcasting has been coming in for a great deal of praise recently in New Zealand. It has been suggested that a large percentage of New Zealand listeners are licensees only by virtue of the fact that they can listen to Australia and other overseas stations. It has also been stated in certain sections of the N.Z. press and it is understood that the opinion expressed herein is substantially that of the large body of listeners, that programmes are unsatisfactory, that the arrangements for them are hopelessly out of date and that the announcers with one or two exceptions are not good.

Contrasted with the N.Z. system is the Australian with its fine programmes provided by both "A" and "B" class stations, a system which receives loud commendation in New Zealand. The history of broadcasting in New Zealand has been somewhat troubled. When the era of broadcasting commenced the administration was taken over by a private company, the New Zealand Broadcasting Company which established four "A" class stations. Private stations were allowed but were withheld the right to broadcast advertising matter - a very serious restriction upon their activities.

Broadcasting Board

In 1932 the control of broadcasting went out of the hands of the Broadcasting Co. to a politically appointed board comprising three members, Mr. L. B. C. Macfarlane, a farmer from Canterbury, Mr. H. Vickery, a Wellington accountant, and Mr. G. R. Hutchinson, a prominent Auckland grocer. The Board selected as its general manager, Mr. E. C. Hands, who prior to his appointment was an official of the Post & Telegraph Department. Certain other executives principally on the engineering side were recruited from the ranks of the P. & T. Department. The members of the board receive honorariums amounting to £1,350 together with expenses, this being provided for from the annual licence fee of 30/-.

Private Stations

About the time the board took over, the Minister for the Post & Telegraph Department, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, gave permission to private stations to broadcast a certain amount of advertising, but it had to be so restricted that the road of the N.Z. private stations was a very hard one. Nevertheless some two or three excellent stations showed that even with restricted revenue good programmes could be provided. They became exceedingly popular, but the popularity was short lived as the right to use the air for advertising was shortly taken away from them and the principal stations were then taken over by the Broadcasting Board. This was not a popular move as the individuality of the stations has been lost and they have merely become units of the apparently unpopular Broadcasting Board.

Unsatisfactory Programmes

Evidently the programmes broadcast in N.Z. have been unsatisfactory and listeners have been turning to the Australian and other overseas stations for their entertainment. Fortunately New Zealand is well situated with respect to the reception of overseas stations and not only Australian but American stations can be received at sufficient strength to provide satisfactory entertainment. From the early evening onward the Australian stations provide the principal programmes for a large number of N.Z. listeners. Commenting on the failure of the N.Z. Broadcasting Board to provide satisfactory programmes the broadcast of the Test matches was instanced recently in a press outburst. "While thousands of listeners all over the Dominion were tuning in to the enterprising service provided by Australian stations and new sets were being bought by the hundred all over the Dominion under the impetus of the great world-wide radio event, all that the New Zealand Board stations could do was to give a few bare and scrappy details hours after the vast majority of listeners were already in possession of a complete running report of the game." Apparently the Australian stations were those principally listened to in the cricket broadcasts, a fact which national advertisers who are interested in both countries should appreciate.

Suggested Reorganisation

The suggestion has been made that in place of the Board, a director of radio services should be appointed, a man with wide knowledge of cultural subjects and the class of entertainment and radio service which appeals to listener. He should be then a direct representative of the people of New Zealand through parliament. A clean sweep should be made of the existing advisory board (appointed to represent listeners) and in its place should be an advisory board elected by listeners. It has also been suggested that the staffing should be re-organised and the places now held by superannuated P. & T. officials should he advertised. Criticism has also been levelled at the practice of the Board of placing their radio programmes through one source which copyrights them so that the programmes may be published by the remainder of the press only on the day of the broadcast.

These facts give great satisfaction to Australian broadcasters who are undoubtedly providing for their listening public one of the finest services in the world. Another instance where Australia has been able to show the outside world that she can produce the best!

Australia vs. N.Z.

It is interesting to note that the 120,000 licenced listeners in N.Z. out of a population of approximately 1½ millions, represents approximately the same proportion of listeners to non-listeners as in Australia.

This is a compliment to Australian broadcasting. N.Z. is a small, compact country which has scattered over it approximately half the number of broadcasting stations that there are in Australia. It is also situated favourably with respect to the reception of overseas programmes. To a far greater extent than in Australia country districts are reticulated with electricity. Sets in that country are not expensive and even though the door is open to foreign importations, the prices are about the same as in Australia and the quality no better. Australia and New Zealand are thus very strongly contrasted in their broadcasting systems. a contrast of which Australians have every reason to be proud.

(RADIO & ELECTRICAL MERCHANT, July 20th, 1934, Page 14)

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