[?]itish Gov’t is Fiji

Radio’s Santa Claus

lIRST glance at the accounts of the Fiji Broadcasting Com mission for the year 1956 (just nted and distributed) makes it pear that this great public lenity is costing the Colony about 1,000 per annum.

'.n 1956, its earned revenues were proximately £25,000, and the cost running the organisation a little ;r £40,000. When the Govern nt’s grant of £31,000 for 1956 is ►ught into account, the deficiency tviped out, and there is a surplus £8,860. Apparent cost to Govern nt, £23,000. lowever, the picture is better than it. The Government collected ir £20,000 in radio license fees — the total net cost of the broad ting system was about £1,500. A at service for practically nothing! actually, Fiji would be making ►fits out of the broadcasting tern if people in Fiji would only r their radio fees. It was calcu sd (from import figures) that at end of 1956 there were some )00 receiving sets functioning, but y 16,452 were registered. If the er 6,000 users had paid up, the rernment would have had some )00 more revenue.

'hat, doubtless, explains the “un istered radio hunt” that has been progress in Fiji in recent months, ’he Commission’s assets are ued at £121,000 —and funds for le have been provided since 1953 free grants, totalling £95,000, m the Colonial Development id and the Government of Fiji, I in some small loans, mostly n the Government.