Education by Radio (1932)

Revenue to the government about $44,200. Advertising time is sold to reputable concerns selling Irish products, or foreign products not competing with Irish prod¬ ucts, but the demand for time is small. Italy — The broadcasting stations are erected and operated by Ente Italiano per le Audizione Radio foniche. Program plans are submitted in advance to a com¬ mission appointed by the government. The commission comprises representa¬ tives of the musical, scientific, artistic, and civic interests of the nation. The government collects annual license fees of 72 lira [about $3.60] yearly on radio receivers. Number of receivers [ 1930] 1 70,000. Income from this source about $612,000. The government also collects duties on imported radio re¬ ceivers, and compulsory contributions from all town and city governments in places of more than 1000 population, and from hotels and other places of public entertainment. Advertising announce¬ ments are permitted during the daytime, but not in the evening. The demand for advertising time is small because listeners object to advertising. The government re¬ tains about 4% of the license fees and 10% of the contributions. Profits of Entc Italiano per le Audizione Radio jonic he are not limited by law, but the demands of the government for the development of facilities and programs tend to limit the profits. Latvia — The government owns and operates the only broadcasting station. A license fee of two lats [about 40 cents] per month is collected from owners of radio receivers during the winter, and one lat [about 20 cents] per month in the summer. Number of receivers [1930] 38,740. Revenue to the government about $162,708. The League of Nations — The League of Nations has made a contract with Radio Suisse, a communications company, for the use of a short-wave sta¬ tion at Geneva, Switzerland. Addresses and news of the League will be broadcast to all parts of the world, by radioteleg¬ raphy at first, but later possibly by ra¬ diotelephony. The broadcasting will be financed at first by handling commercial point-to-point communications. Liechtenstein — No broadcasting sta¬ tion. The government has a contract with the government of Switzerland under which the radio laws of Switzerland, among others, apply to Liechtenstein. Owners of radio receivers pay a license fee of 15 francs yearly [about $2.92] to Switzerland. Lithuania — The government owns and operates the only broadcasting sta¬ tion. The broadcasting of programs is under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. Owners of crystal radio re¬ ceivers pay two lits [about 20 cents] per month, if they live in cities, and one lit [about 10 cents] per month if they live in rural areas. Owners of tube receivers pay license fees of five lits [about 50 cents] per month if they live in cities and three lits [about 30 cents] per month if they live in rural areas. Revenue to the gov¬ ernment in 1930, about $32,860. Of this, 90% went to the Ministry of Education and covered between 60% and 65% of the broadcasting expense. The balance was paid by the government. Advertising is broadcast from two to five minutes two or three days a week. Advertisers pay 15 lits [about $1.50] per minute. Income from advertising about $600. Luxemburg — The government has given a concession to Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Radiodiffusion, a commer¬ cial company which is erecting a 200,000 watt broadcasting station. It will derive its revenue from advertising. An official of the company stated that it was asso¬ ciated with an international trust which includes in its membership the dominant American and European radio corpora¬ tions. He stated also that when the power¬ ful station of his company began broad¬ casting it would be difficult for many weaker stations in other countries to continue. The contract calls for the ap¬ pointment by the government of two commissions to control the operations and programs of the company. Of the net profits, 5% will be set aside for the ob¬ ligatory legal reserve; then 6% of the balance for dividends to stockholders; then 15% of the balance may be taken for gratuities for the board of directors. The government will receive 30% of what remains of the net profits. Monaco — No broadcasting station. A small license fee is collected from owners of radio receivers but they are few in number and the income is inconsiderable. The Netherlands — The two stations, by consent of the government, are oper¬ ated by two broadcasting organizations which represent civic, educational, and religious interests. Two other major, and seven minor, organizations are given time on these stations. Advertising has been prohibited by law since 1928, altho it paid 70% net profit to the broadcasting or¬ ganizations until it was prohibited. No license fees are collected from owners of radio receivers. Broadcasting is depend¬ ent entirely on voluntary contributions from listeners. Listeners increased rapidly after advertising was prohibited. One or¬ ganization with 132,000 regular contrib¬ utors, accumulated a surplus of $600,000 in two years. Another has 125,000 regu¬ lar volunteer contributors who send in an average of four florins [about $1.60] yearly, and has accumulated a large sur¬ plus. The four major organizations re¬ ceived contributions amounting to about $800,000 in 1931, according to a reliable estimate. Norway — Broadcasting is mainly in the hands of one private company, Kringkastingsalskapet, A. S. The government collects license iees of 20 krone [about $5.34] yearly from owners of receivers and retains 25%. Also a sales tax of 10% on the retail prices of receivers is col¬ lected. The broadcasting companies re¬ ceive 75% of the license fees and all of the tax. The total amount is divided among the companies according to the number of licensed receivers in their re¬ spective territories. Out of this income the salaries of the government employees who have charge of the technical opera¬ tion of the station, are paid, as are all other broadcasting expenses. Number of receiving sets [September 1931] about 100,000. Income from license fees, about $534,000. The profits of the company are limited by law to 7%. On account of technical difficulties which prevent com¬ plete coverage of the mountainous coun¬ try, the number of set owners is not suffi¬ cient to provide that percentage of profit at present. The Oslo Broadcasting Com¬ pany whose total income for 1930 was about $516,360 received $18,760 from advertising, which is confined to a short period at about 7pm and not connected with other programs. Because of com¬ plaints from listeners, the limitation on advertising is expected to continue. Poland — The government owns 40% of the stock of the operating company, Polskie Rad jo, S. A. This stock is in a class by itself, the other classes of stock being preferred and common. No stock can be sold or transferred without the consent of the board of directors. A monthly license fee of three zlotys [about 35 cents] is collected from owners of radio receivers. The government retains 15% and Polskie Rad jo receives 85%, under a 20-year contract. Number of re¬ ceivers [1930] 246,000. Income from license fees, about $1,033,200. Each of the six stations in Poland sells 20 minutes a day to advertisers, but the revenue from this source is too small to affect the gen Education by radio is published weekly by the National Committee on Education by Radio at 1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. [27]