Education by Radio (1932)

pense is from about $667,500 to about $801,000 yearly. Law prohibits use of license fees for purposes other than broadcasting, so balance is used for im¬ provement of plant and programs. Esthonia — Broadcasting station oper¬ ated by Raadio Ringhaaling Company under permission from the government. Government collects license fees for re¬ ceivers, $4 to $10 per year. Number of receivers April 1, 1931, 13,266. Income above $60,000 per year. Government re¬ tains 15% [more than $9000]. The bal¬ ance [over $51,000] goes to Raadio Ringhaaling Company, but government taxes reduce this to $30,600 up to $35,700. The company paid a dividend to stockholders in 1928 and since that time has added 10% to 12% of its gross in¬ come to its reserve. Number of receivers reported in July 1931, 15,869. Advertis¬ ing occupies about twenty minutes per day. The income from advertising is too small to affect the policies of the com¬ pany. Finland — Government owns and operates all but two stations and will take over these two. Programs are produced by Osakeyhtio Suomen Yleisradio, a na¬ tional organization whose capital stock is owned by universities and other educa¬ tional and civic organizations, including cooperative societies [which include in their membership about 35% of the population]. The managing board of the company is composed of four representa¬ tives of the government and fifteen repre¬ sentatives of the stockholders. The execu¬ tive committee of the board is composed of five members elected by the board. Said committee, representing the 63 edu¬ cational and civic shareholding groups, and enlarged by two members represent¬ ing the government, forms together the program committee, which partly ar¬ ranges, but mainly only controls the de¬ tails of current programs. These contain no advertising. The government taxes re¬ ceivers 100 marks [about $2.50] yearly. There were 106,559 licensed receivers in 1930 and the income was about $266,397.50. The government retained about 50% to pay operating expenses and paid the balance to the program organization. This organization pays 7% dividends, which are limited to 1% above the dis¬ count rate of the state bank. There is a possibility that the government will take over the program organization. Political propaganda is excluded. Also care is taken to prevent any political party from gaining a preponderance of power in the board. France — The government operates some stations and others are operated by commercial companies. Advertising is limited to short announcements because the listeners do not want advertising. The government charges a license fee of 10 francs [about 39 cents] yearly for re¬ ceivers. The number of receivers is re¬ ported by a commercial broadcasting company as 2,000,000, but this appears to be an estimate. Germany — The German Reichspost [mail service] is the central office for all legally sanctioned activities in the field of radio. The government controls Reichs Rundfunk Gesellschajt, which is a central organization representing nine broadcast¬ ing companies. The Reichs Rundfunk Gesellschajt has a majority vote in the nine companies. Another organization, Deutsche Welle, receiving income from the operating companies, provides na¬ tional educational programs. A license fee of 24 marks [about $5.63] yearly is col¬ lected from owners of receivers. Number of receivers in 1930, 3,509,509. Revenue from fees, about $19,758,535.67. The government retained 40% [about $7,903,414.26] and paid 60% [about $11,855,121.40] to the operating companies. The companies are permitted to make profits up to 10%. Number of receivers reported July 1931, 3,241,725. Advertis¬ ing is broadcast about ten minutes daily from each station. Revenue from adver¬ tising goes to the government. Listeners object to the advertising, and an effort is being made to reduce the time. Great Britain — Stations operated by British Broadcasting Corporation, which is chartered by the government. This cor¬ poration succeeded the British Broad¬ casting Company, dissolved because it was under control of the radio industry. Because of this control it came to be felt there was no guarantee against exploita¬ tion of listeners. The Postmaster General is the agent of liaison between the cor¬ poration, the Crown, and Parliament. He has the right to issue licenses for the con¬ struction and operation of broadcasting stations, to issue such general orders and particular instructions as he considers useful, to demand such proof as he desires of the execution of his instructions, to examine the accounts and annual reports of the corporation, and to authorize or forbid the liquidation of the corporation. The mention of the producers of a phonograph record that is broadcast, or of the sponsor of a program, is permitted, but nothing else in the nature of adver¬ tising. The government charges a license fee of ten shillings [about $2.43] yearly for receivers. The number of receivers [1931] was nearly 4,000,000. The in¬ come from license fees was well over $7,000,000. The government retained 12]/2% of this amount [about $875,000], The national treasury department took approximately 25% [about $1,750,000]. Total revenue for the government, about $2,625,000. To help the government in the financial depression of 1931, the cor¬ poration voluntarily offered to pay $1,000,000 into the treasury out of the balance put aside for future development. Greece — No broadcasting station at present. A concession has been granted to Durham & Co., Inc., of Philadelphia, Pa. The government retains full control of its radio channels. A license fee will be collected from set owners by the govern¬ ment, which will give the company money to finance its operations in Greece. Brief advertising announcements will be per¬ mitted between programs. Number of re¬ ceivers at present about 3000. Hungary — The government erects, operates, and maintains the broadcasting stations. The programs are provided by Magyar Tclefonhirmondo es Radio, a corporation. A tax of 2.40 pengos [about 40^] per month is collected from owners of radio receivers. Additional amounts are collected from hotels and other concerns using one master receiver to serve num¬ bers of patrons. The government retains one-half the tax and gives the balance to the program company. There were 307,909 licensed receivers in 1930. Revenue to the government about $1,477,963.20. Same amount to the program company. The company’s share will be reduced and that of the government correspondingly increased if the number of set owners in¬ creases beyond a certain stipulated total. Advertising by radio is prohibited as con¬ trary to the best interests of the govern¬ ment, the company, and the listeners. Program plans are submitted in advance for the approval of the government, and certain hours are reserved for use by the government. Hungary began broadcast¬ ing music and news over telephone lines to homes in 1896, and is believed to have had a longer experience with program service than any other country. Irish Free State — The government owns and operates the broadcasting sta¬ tions. They are financed by a license fee of ten shillings per year [about $1.70] plus an ad valorem duty of about 33 1/3% on imported radio apparatus. Number of licensed sets [1930] 26,000. [26]