while wireless technology was in its infancy, promotional exhibitions were conducted to progress the industry. in the late 1900s and early 1910s, these were mainly a small part of larger industrial exhibitions, displaying the wares of australian, british and us commerce and the handiwork of private experimenters (which often outclassed the commercial goods). by the 1920s interest had reached a level where entire exhibitions were devoted to wireless and immediately prior and subsequent to the commencement of high power broadcasting, interest reached fever pitch. throughout the 1920s, the state divisions of the wireless institute of australia played at least major part in most exhibitions. commercial broadcasting interests were particularly supportive of the exhibitions, as each new set sold meant one more broadcast listener's licence issued by the postmaster-general's department, a portion of the fee for which was allocated to the local licensee. even the pmg itself was not a disinterested party. while the listener's licence fees went to consolidated revenue, the results were widely reported to the newspapers alongside the relative amounts which the department was allocated which included from 1929 the costs for the transmission and studio facilities of the national broadcasting service.