I move:—
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £25,796 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1935, chun na d'Tuarastal agus na gCostaisí eile a bhaineann le Fóirleatha Nea-shrangach (Uimh. 45 de 1926).
That a sum not exceeding £25,796 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1935, for the Salaries and other Expenses in connection with Wireless Broadcasting (No. 45 of 1926).
The amount of the Estimate for the broadcasting service for the year 1934-35 is £38,796 as compared with £43,530 for 1933-34. That is a decrease of £4,734, due mainly to the cost of erection of the high-power station having been cleared last year.
The revenue from wirless receiving licences last year amounted to approximately £26,000, and from fees for advertisments and miscellaneous receipts about £22,000. The direct expenditure on the broadcasting service out of all votes last year amounted to about £53,230, including £4,000 for the completion of the high-power station. The number of wireless receiving licences issued last year was 50,500 representing an increase of 17,071 over the previous year. Special inspectors have been employed for some time in rounding up licence defaulters throughout the country, and there were 350 prosecutions of defaulters during the year. The revenue from licence fees in the year 1934-35 is estimated at £30,000, representing approximately 60,000 licences. The growth of licences is likely to continue for several years before saturation point is reached.
As regards programmes six concerts were given by the Symphony Orchestra of the Dublin Station, all the concerts of the Dublin Philharmonic Society were broadcast and the Station Opera Company performed a number of operas. A promising development has been in the increase of programmes relayed from provincial centres, including Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, etc. Also an interesting result of the extension of the use of wireless throughout the country districts during the past year has been a growing demand for more Irish music, particularly dance music, the ceilidhe music broadcast nightly being specially appreciated. The scope of the talks programme has been extended and particular attention has been given to talks on Irish history, Irish music and Irish literature.
The broadcasting of running commentaries on sports events continues to be very popular with listeners, particularly the broadcasting of Gaelic football and hurling matches and an extension of such programmes is being planned for the coming season. During the past year a trial has been given to sponsored advertising programmes and the question of future policy in regard to such programmes is at present being considered in the light of experience gained so far.
As to the technical side of the broadcasting service a conference of European Governments was held at Lucerne last year for the purpose of allocating wave-lengths to broadcasting stations in Europe. This Administration was represented at the conference and the wave-length allocated to the Athlone Station is regarded as satisfactory, having regard to the international difficulties involved in the problem of wave-length distribution. The new wave-length has improved reception conditions somewhat throughout the Saorstát as a whole by reason of the fact that the non-fading range of the Athlone Station has been extended.
