I move:—
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £46,995 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, 1942, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí cile i dtaobh. Fóirleatha Neashrangaigh (Uimh. 45 de 1926).
That a sum, not exceeding £46,995, be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1942, for Salaries and other Expenses in connection with Wireless Broadcasting (No. 45 of 1926).
The amount of the Estimate for the broadcasting service for the financial year 1941-42 is £70,595, a decrease of £55 on the provision for last year. Taking the figures under the principal sub-heads, sub-head A—Salaries, Wages, etc.—is increased by £1,100. The increase is due to incremental increases in salaries and wages and to additional engineering staff provision for short-wave transmissions. In sub-head B—Cost of Programmes—there is a decrease of £800, due to shorter programme hours and a reduction of outside broadcasts. The gross decrease is £3,300, but provision amounting to £2,500 has been made for short wave transmissions and increased performing rights fees. The net decrease is, therefore, £800.
Sub-head E—Light, Power, etc.— shows a decrease of £640. The full amount of the decrease is £740, arising from reduced programme hours, but there is offsetting expenditure of £100 for short wave transmissions. Under sub-head F—Plant, Equipment, etc.— the net increase is £390. A sum of £1,460 is included for additional equipment for short wave transmissions, but there are savings, against this, in respect of equipment for the home broadcasting service which is not at present obtainable owing to war conditions.
Short wave broadcasts from 4.0 to 4.30 a.m. were radiated from the 1st December, 1940, to the 31st March, 1941, and reception reports were received from representatives of the Department of External Affairs abroad. Reception was, on the whole, unsatisfactory and the broadcasts have been suspended for the time being. It was hoped to obtain further equipment for the purpose of increasing the power of the short wave transmitter but, for the present, this has been found impossible.
Broadcasting revenue in the financial year 1940-41 amounted to £125,500 approximately. The revenue from wireless licences was £109,500 and from advertisements and miscellaneous receipts £16,000. The revenue from licences in 1941-42 is estimated at £112,500. The total number of licences on the 31st March, 1941, was 182,694— an increase of about 13,000 on the number at the same date in 1940. The increase is satisfactory, but the Department continues to experience considerable trouble by reason of the failure of many owners of receiving sets to take out or renew their licences in proper course. Last year, legal proceedings were taken against over 800 defaulters. I would appeal again, as I did last year, to all concerned to comply promptly with what is a statutory and, indeed, a moral obligation, and incidentally avoid for themselves the needless expense of court costs.
The position regarding advertising programmes is that owing to developing difficulties in regard to supplies of raw materials, the revenue from advertisements in the current year is not now considered likely to exceed £3,000, or one-third of the sum originally expected. The sponsored programmes are confined to Irish registered organisations, excluding the wholesale and retail distributive trades and makers of patent medicines, cosmetics and alcohol.
Broadcasting organisations everywhere have had to contend with abnormal difficulties during the past year and in this respect Radio Eireann has not been an exception. I referred last year, for instance, to the interference with transmission from Athlone from stations of other countries which was being experienced, and while everything possible has been done by way of representations to the Administrations responsible, I regret that a certain amount of interference continues. I am afraid, however, that no material improvement can be hoped for until the war ends.
Programme hours have been shortened. The urgent need for the exercise of the strictest economy in expenditure has necessitated a reduction of about six hours a week in broadcasts of local artists, and there has been an increase of recorded programmes.
Public symphony concerts have also been suspended, but I hope to arrange for some public concerts next season on the lines of the Friday orchestral hour.
The news service has been given particular attention and an additional news bulletin is now being broadcast daily in the midday programme.