RADIO AND THEATRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 7

RADIO AND THEATRE.

CHIEF COMMISSIONER'S VIEW,

SYDNEY, August 5.

The criticism of the Australian Broadcasting Commission on Tuesday by Mr. John Tait, general manager of J. C. Williamson, Limited, who alleged unfair encroachment on the business of the legitimate stage, was the subject of a reply to-day by Mr. W. J. Cleary, chairman of the commission. Mr. Cleary directed attention to the small number of overseas artists brought to Australia by private entrepreneurs, and to the restricted appearance of these artists. The reason why the commission was able to pay more for artists was because it had a tremendous audience of listeners who clamoured for good music and insisted that the commission should be enterprising. The commission was obliged to do its best to improve the musical standards of Australia and in yielding to the public clamour was bound to recover some of the cost by public concerts. Many of the artists insisted upon performing in public. Mr. Cleary asked: What had private entrepreneurs ever done' for symphony music ?

Commenting on the Australian dispute, Mr. D. D. O'Connor, the well-known concert and theatrical manager, said that Mr. Tait's protest wouKT be endorsed by the branches of the entertainment business in New Zealand. jEntrepreneurs resented competition from a Government Department, operating on public funds and presenting entertainment at cheap prices. There was no desire to re-strict the commendable enterprise of the Broadcasting authorities in bringing noted artists to the country, but the public appearanc-cs of these artists should be made in co-opera-tion with existing theatrical managements instead of in competition with them. Mr. O'Connor is confident that, as far as New Zealand is concerned, a scheme of co-ordination is quite practicable.