Noumea's Tv

France Gets A

[?]Ove On (No One

Knows Why) WITH

Noumea's Tv

I From Fred Dunn, in Noumea When the French Minister for fo rmation, Mr. Alan Peyrefitte, was New Caledonia last October, he omised the people of Noumea that ey would have television within the I xt couple of years, and that every f ort would be made to have a station aerating in time for the South Pacific ames, towards the end of 1966 IM, Nov., 1964, p. 63).

THINGS have changed since then, . and it is now expected that aumea will have TV by the end of is year—and possibly by October, As in France, where there is no •mmercial TV, Noumea’s station II be Government-controlled.

It will be the second TV enter ise to be established in the South cific —the first being American moa’s educational TV station last itober.

To get Noumea’s station into ser :e, technicians have been rushed >m France, and one of the three oposed TV towers has already been scted. (The sites for the three wers are Semaphore Hill, Mt. >ffyn in the centre of town, and 3 former Fort Ouen Toro which minates Anse Vata Beach.)

New Building

Meanwhile, work is going ahead lidly with the construction of a w radio and TV station building, d local stores are advertising three ands of TV receivers at prices iging from 27,000 Pacific francs 135) to double that sum. The re vers may be had on terms.

No one seems to know for sure tat the reason is for the sudden ste to get TV into action in mrnea. But the majority party in :al politics, the Union Caledonienne, ?gested in its roneoed newssheet re itly that the French Metropolitan wernment wanted the station to ready for the coming presidential ctions.

If this is correct, it will surely ike the election propaganda to be t over the world’s most expensive, the rush technique now being used install Noumea’s TV station must

be costing French taxpayers a huge fortune.

In its newssheet, the Union Cale donienne bewails the terrific waste of money in installing this “plaything”, when many more important projects —schools, hospitals, etc. —are needed.

Noumea’s cinema-owners are not looking with a kind eye on the ar rival of TV as they know what the small screen has done to the big screen in other countries.

But most local picture-goers will not be able to afford TV sets, and if the TV authorities put on little but culture (and propaganda), then those who have sets will not hesitate to re turn to the big screen.

At present, it is expected that broadcasting hours will be three per evening, starting at about 7 o’clock.

Because of the mountainous nature of New Caledonia, few areas outside Noumea will receive transmissions.