AUSTRALIAN CONTROL

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 89, 17 May 1929, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN CONTROL

NO CHAXGE IN JULY.

Despite the previous announcement bv the Post Master-General, the Australian Post Office Department hnds that it cannot take over tlie c.ontio ond administration of broadcasting in the Commonwealth at the and o June. As a matter of fact, says the Sydney Morning Herald, there seems to be doubt if the department will be able to take over from tlie existmg companies by the end of tbis year. All contracts extcnding beyond the end of June next were. by instEiictions fiom the department, cancelled by the oompanies* owning broadcasting staticns in New South Wales, Yictona, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. In some instances lieavy compensation had to be paid for the breaking of contracts by the companies to contractors for the maintenance and control of broadcasting equipment and other services. _ In a word, tlie broadcasting companies made arrangements to go out of business at the end of Jone, and decided to make a claim for the settlement of outstanding matiers by arbitration. as provided for in the license to broadcast issued by tlie department. The Post Office Department cannot take over the brondcasting stations at the end of June, because it has made absolutely no provision for the supply of news and entcrtainment procrammes from tho "A" class stations from the beginning of July next. Jnformation recoiverl from Canberra and Meihnurno is to the efirect that the Post Office Department has made a request to the existing owners of "A" broadcasting stations in the five States mentioned to continne on the present basis until the end of this year ' or early in 1930." The owners qf *he stations have expressed their wilI'ngness to continne supplying programmes for listnors. but added that thev would reserve their right. to suhmit, at a later stage, claims for compcnsation - to - be settled by arbitration in accordance with the ternis of then ccntract. Sucli an arrangement can only be regarded as a "stop-gap," and it will retard the bringing into operntion of the miproved procrammes which were rromised bv the Post Office Department under the scheme of nntionnl broadcasting to be hrought into operntion in Julv next.