CENSORING THE AIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 138, 14 June 1938, Page 6

CENSORING THE AIR.

Slowly but very surely the censorship over the air is being tightened, anil with the State acquisition of most of the B stations the stilling of any adverse expression goes steadily on. The latest speaker to receive his conge is Mr. A. E. Robinson, who for some years has acted as the literal mouthpiece of the Farmers' Union over station IZJI. Now he has been told'that he is to give no more italics without specific approval from' the Broadcasting office, and talks "in connection with farming interests generally," a- euphemistic phrase, will be permitted once a week. The B stations were to be very completely safeguarded, listeners were told before the election. They know now how very complete the safeguards are. With one definite exception, tlie censorship imposed on all B stations over which the Government has control-is complete. There still remains one thorn in the flesli outside the State-owned services, but its speakers may find themselves lon the shelf beside Mr. Robinson before long. Unprejudiced listeners to B stations know how much they have lost, when they compare the present programmes with those that were offered before the licenses were taken over by the Government which so roundly condemned the slightest interference with any of them before its election.