Broadcasting Commission

Plans

Take Shape Slowly

A CONSIDERABLE amount of fi equipment for Fiji’s new Broad :asting Commission is now in Suva )ut it is expected that it will be some ime before it is in use.

Meanwhile, broadcasting in the Colony is in a transition stage be ween Amalgamated Wireless (A’sia control and that of the soon o-function Broadcasting Commission, vlr. Frank Exon recently returned to -iji after Australian leave and will be n charge during the change over. A onstruction engineer was also due n Fiji at the end of April.

A new transmitter for the broad :asting service arrived in Suva just n time to be drenched on Suva vharves by the January 28 hum ane. The cases containing the trans nitter were dried out as soon as >ossible and since have been issembled at Tamavua by Mr. H.

Juntley who was Officer-in-Charge >f AWA during the absence of Mr.

A new broadcasting station, tudios, etc. will be built near the Government buildings in Suva.

Suva’s present broadcasting station GV is owned by Fiji Broadcasting 20., Ltd., of which AWA has a con rolling interest. Their licence ex )ired at the end of 1949 but was re lewed until such time at the Broad :asting Commission was ready to ake over. The decision to put all -iji broadcasting under Government ontrol arose out of the deliberations

of a committee set up some years ago, and evidently in the belief that Government will be able to make a better job of it than private enter prise.

The Commission will function much along the lines of the Austra lian Broadcasting Commission with the exception that revenue will be derived from advertisements as well as from listeners 1 licenses at 25/each.

Although Fiji has a population of about half a milion, there arc only 2.000 licenced receivers.