CHURCH AND RADIO

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 23, 8 November 1935, Page 3

CHURCH AND RADIO

DISTRIBUTION OF BROADCASTS.

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY VIEW.

(Per Press .Association.)

WELLINGTON, November 7

The broadcasting of church services was dealt with by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. It was decided, inter alia, to take steps to for man interchurch broadcasting board, with church, representation on the board according to the strength of the population.

The Rev. W. Allen Stevely, convener of the . .committee on broadcasting, said that three big matters emerged from the deliberations of. the committee. One was that the present allocation of broadcasting services was quite anomalous. The second point was that the committee came increasingly to realise the desirability of being granted time on the national stations. The Broadcasting Board had replied that *he request were granted, similar requests would come from other •denominations, and the ultimate result would be an overloaded arid unbalanced programme. In view of the situation of B class stations, the committee was strongly of opinion that the Church must hay© time on the national stations for the educational, inspirational, and evangelical work of the Church. It was felt that the Church, having the biggest message of all, had a right to the use of “this great iriodern means of propaganda for its work.”

The third point, closely associated with the first, was the .desirability of creating an i inter-Church broadcasting board. . Broadcast Services. The Rev. G. Budd (Auckland) seconded the motion that the committee’s report be received.. He said he believed that far more people listened in to church services than was realised. He did not agree with the finding of the committee that only by a limited number of radio pastors could an effective continuity of messages and contact be maintained ' with radio He thought there was room for diversity in the men who were given the privilege of speaking over the air, and he believed that the radio congregation liked a change of speaker as much as the average congregation. (Laughter). The assembly passed on to deal with another recommendation, dealing with the desirability of there being a reasonable measure of freedom for the purposes of religious publicity by responsible organisations. It was agreed to authorise the Broadcasting Committee to take steps, in conjunction with the representatives of other Churches, to obtain time from the national stations. It was also decided to thank the Broadcasting Board for the facilities already in existence.

Radio Privileges. Mr C. S. Falconer said he thought the broadcasting of services from Presbyterian churches in different centres should also be settled. The privilege should go round. He moved as a recommendation that the Presbyterian city churches be wired and a rota arranged for each year by a local Presbyterian broadcasting committee. Mr Stevely drew attention to the finding of an assembly committee that it was undesirable that more than three Presbyterian churches be wired in each chief centre. Mr Falconer contended that a aeu herring was being drawn across the scent. He'said what he contended was that it was wrong that certain churches should be selected, and that the selection be permanent, to the exclusion of other churches. The motion was carried by Si votes to 56.