The expenditure on Broadcasting for the financial year 1927-28 is estimated at £29,055, to provide for the Dublin and Cork Stations. This represents practically no change in the expenditure authorised in connection with the previous Estimates. During the financial year ended 31st March, 1927, the following licences were issued:—18,820 at 10/-; 52 at £1; 44 at £5. The revenue from licences amounted to £9,682; advertisements and other incidental revenue yielded £200, and the receipts from the import tax realised £19,000, making a total of £28,882. It will thus be seen that even in its infancy Broadcasting has been run without any charge on the State, and the revenue last year, in addition to providing for the running expenses, was also sufficient to meet the capital expenditure. It is anticipated that the number of licence holders during the current financial year will total 35,000. Any drop in the revenue from the import tax during the current year will be offset by the increased yield from licences, and it is anticipated that we will again be in a position this year to meet all expenditure in connection with Broadcasting out of that service's revenue.
Immediately after the passing of the Wireless Broadcasting Act, 1926, empowering me to collect wireless receiving licences, I caused steps to be taken to round up the huge number of defaulters, and I am happy to say that the results have been satisfactory. In all 340 defaulters were prosecuted, and fines of varying amounts were inflicted in the vast majority of cases. In addition the number of licences issued following the prosecutions increased very materially.
On previous occasions, in discussing broadcasting in the Dáil, I informed Deputies that it was the intention to provide a central high power station for the relay of our programmes to the whole country. I am glad to say that this principle has received the approval of the Government, and proposals to carry it into effect are at present under consideration by the Minister for Finance. It is considered unlikely that any expenditure in connection with this project will be required during the current financial year, and accordingly no provision has been made in the Estimates. If, however, any expenditure should be subsequently required for this purpose during the present financial year a Supplementary Estimate will be submitted to An Dáil. When the high power station is functioning it is anticipated that all citizens of the Saorstát, with the possible exceptions of those resident in Northern Tirconaill and South-West Kerry, will be able to hear and enjoy our programmes on inexpensive crystal sets. For those citizens outside that radius a one-valve set will suffice.
The World Broadcast Wave Band is at present very crowded, resulting in interference by stations with one another's programmes. Hitherto matters of this nature have been dealt with by the Union Internationale de Radiophonie. The Union, whose head- quarters are at Geneva, is composed of representatives of most of the European broadcasting companies, but has no executive power, and in view of the importance of radio the various Governments have now taken up the whole question, and an International Governmental Conference has been convened to discuss all radio problems. This Conference will be held in Washington in the autumn of this year, and will be attended by representatives of my Department.
The Minister for Finance has agreed to my proposal for the issue of free wireless licences to the blind, and the necessary regulation under the Wireless Telegraphy Act has been prepared to be laid on the Table of the Oireachtas. An Advisory Committee, the members of which are representative of all the cultural interests in the Saorstát, has been set up to assist me in the conduct of broadcasting, and has already held three meetings. I anticipate that as a result of the Committee's help and advice that broadcasting in the Saorstát will rank equally with broadcasting in any other country.
