Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Saturday 13 March 1937, page 19


STATION 4BC SOLD

Southern Company's Big Deal ESTABLISHING NET-WORK

The Australian Broadcasting Company, which through its sub sidiary company, the .Common wealth Broadcasting Corporation,

owns station 2UW (Sydney), has purchased station 4BC, Brisbane, and shares in the companies own ing stations 4GR Toowoomba, 4MB Maryborough, and 4RO Rock hampton. The station was owned by J. B Chandler and Co., and Mr. J. B Chandler, managing director of that company, said yesterday that the transaction was the largest in Austra lian broadcasting history, There would be no change of per sonnel or station personalities. He himself would continue associations with 4BC and other broadcasting in terests, and Mr. V. F. Mitchell would continue to be general manager of the broadcasting interests. The announcement was made by Mr. Stuart P. Doyle, chairman of direc tors of the Australian Broadcasting Company and the Commonwealth Broadcasting. Corporation, who said the Australian Broadcasting Company now had interests in -four -stations in Queensland. The acquisition of the Queensland interests would establish a network which would greatly im prove the standard of programmes. 'It was intended to relay and inter change, many programme features with 2UW, Sydney, and to; bring new local and overseas fixtures into the programmes. Mr. Prank Albert, a director or the company, had left for .America, ' the Continent, and- England' last week, and would make a world survey of broad casting ii. the interests of the new group. BETTER PROGRAMMES 'The purchase represents one of the most important developments In radio,' Mr. Doyle continued. 'It must tend to greatly improve :. pro grammes. Human entertainers , as distinct from screen players are com ing into their own again., and more particularly on the air.' His asso ciated company, Cinesound Produc tions, was developing screen person alities, and they would be available, on the stations before long. Mr. Doyle paid a high tribute to the work of Mr. Chandler, who, he .said, had been a pioneer of broadcasting in Queensland, and had developed the stations to a high standard, ' Mr. Chandler said he thought the future development of broadcasting would make large organisations with complete networks and programme features essential: The day of the Independent individual- unit had passed. .' His company had; concluded . that, as: it had been virtually impossible to obtain southern stations to complete an Australian-wide network, the sale of the Queensland stations was in the best interests of the firm and the list ening public.