Tonga Radio Has "Excellent" Cover

The Tonga Broadcasting Commission’s 10-kilowatt broadcasting station ZCO at Nukualofa —on 1020 kc/s—was officially opened by Queen Salote on the occasion of her birthday on March 13.

The station had been carrying out test transmissions at various times of the day from mid-February.

Probably due to its location on an island of no great size sur rounded by open oceans, the station appears to have a\ very ex cellent coverage. Certainly in Auckland it provides better signal strength than many New Zealand stations of comparative power located to the south of that city.

For the Tongans of Auckland it will provide a very real link with home. Reception is likely to be even better through the winter.

Programmes so far have been a very pleasant mixture of Tongan vocal music and European music of the more restrained type, with no advertising, though it is understood that sponsored programmes will be introduced.

Occasional news items have been given but up to March 18 there did not appear to be any organised local news service, at least during the evening programme which was then being heard from 0600 to 0900 GMT (7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tonga time).

A news service will be keenly awaited by Tongan listeners outside Tonga.