Broadcasting Station

Rarotonga Wants a Local Broadcasting Station

f'T'HE question of establishing a small broadcasting station in the Cook Islands was discussed at the October session of the Legislative Council at Rarotonga.

Although privately-owned stations are no longer licensed in New Zealand, such a station in the Cooks could function until such time as the Administration is in a position to establish one of its own. The station would be staffed by qualified technical members of the Administration radio department in their spare time— they have already indicated their willing ness to co-operate in this way.

The Cook Islands and Tonga are now the only Group in the South Pacific not served by some local broadcasting service —the New Hebrides being served from Noumea.

At the present time a very limited amount of information is distributed throughout the Cook Islands by means of a half-hour, week-day broadcast in morse. This is copied on all islands and published in the form of a single sheet of foolscap posted outside the local post office. It contains about two minutes of reading matter. For the same amount of broadcast-time, spoken broadcasts could cover a wider field and stimulate the interest of the people in local affairs.

The technical equipment for an interim station would not be costly; most of it would probably be contributed by in

terested parties if the necessary per mission is granted by the New Zealand Government and the necessary co operation received from the Radio Superintendent in Rarotonga who is re ported as not altogether agreeable to the proposed plan.

One or two village receivers, as in W.

Samoa, would meet requirements.

11 Mr. Indar Jit Singh Walia re cently arrived in Suva from India to teach at the Deenbandhoo High School. He is a graduate in science and mathematics at the Punjab University, and recently studied educational procedures in India under a UNESCO scholarship. He is a hockey player and athlete.