F.—l.

BROADCASTING SERVICE. The New Zealand Broadcasting Board continues to provide a satisfactory service for listeners. A statement of the Board's activities is set out separately in the fourth annual report presented to the House. Broadcasting Board. The term of appointment of the Chairman of the Board (Mr. H. D. Yickery) expired on the 18th December last, when it was extended to the 31st March, 1936. His appointment was later extended to the 30th June, 1936. Private Broadcasting-stations. The number of private broadcasting-stations operating at the 31st March, 1936, was twentytwo, a reduction of one compared with the number at the end of last year. Station IZH, Hamilton, discontinued operating on the 10th August, 1935. Several of the private stations curtailed their schedules during the year, and two stations were temporarily closed for the greater part of the year. Receiving Licenses. That broadcasting is taking its place as an essential service in a large proportion of the homes of the Dominion is evidenced by a further increase in receiving licenses over the past year. The gain in licenses (39,457) represents the largest increase yet recorded in any one licensing year. The following table shows the ever-increasing growth in the number of listeners over the years during which licenses have been issued : — Number of licenses at —• 31st March, 1924 .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,830 31st March, 1927 .. .. .. .. .. • • 18,162 31st March, 1930 .. .. .. .. •• •• 53,407 31st March, 1933 .. .. .. .. .. .. 93,489 31st March, 1934 .. .. .. .. .. .. 118,086 31st March, 1935 .. .. .. .. .. .. 152,808 31st March, 1936 .. .. .. .. .. .. 192,265 The number of licenses per hundred of the population at the 31st March, 1936, was 12-4. It is interesting to note that, as the number of householders in New Zealand is slightly over 345,000, receiving sets are installed in more than half of the households in the Dominion. Radio-dealers' Licenses. On the 31st March the number of radio-dealers' licenses was 1,180, compared with 1,214 at the end of the previous year. Regulations gazetted on the 6th February provide for a new class of radio-dealer's license for those persons engaged in the repair and servicing of radio apparatus, the additional form of license entitling the holders to stock wireless apparatus for use in connection with the servicing work carried out by them. The new class of license, the fee for which is £5 55., does not permit the sale of radio apparatus in the ordinary way. Previously, a radio-serviceman was not permitted to hold stocks of accessories without being the holder of an ordinary dealer's license, the fee for which is £15 at each of the four centres and £7 10s. at other places. The number of prosecutions for unlicensed receiving sets during the year was 1,050, the total amount of the fines inflicted being £596 lis. lOd. PRIVATE EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. Private experimental stations, or what are more commonly known as amateur transmitting and receiving stations, increased in number by 137, the total number at the 31st March being 1,013. To enable the power used by private experimental stations to be subject to more accurate control, the regulation governing the power of such stations was altered during the year. Previously it was provided that the power of amateur stations should not exceed 100 watts of radiated energy; now it is provided that it shall not exceed 100 watts anode rating. This alteration brings the New Zealand regulation on the subject more into line with the corresponding provision in the majority of other countries ; it will also effect a reduction in interference on the congested amateur bands of frequencies. PRIVATE COMMERCIAL STATIONS. During the year licenses were issued for the operation of two private commercial radio services, in both cases communication by means of established departmental communication services being impracticable.

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