BROADCASTING CONTROL

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21423, 15 March 1935, Page 12

BROADCASTING CONTROL

REPKESENTATION OF LISTENERS MINISTER ANNOUNCES AMENDMENT SUPERVISION OF PROGRAMMES |F:-f--:i: Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, March 14. p-, a .<;.',.! tor the appointment of two - ,'r.-'c- representatives to the new -.■'".!^ C :. i .- i : : i- Beard is contained in an ''■',-Z " -to the Broadcasting ':-'.;..". ; , 5 - cl .General 'the Hon. Adam i: r .n^; ;i , :i . in the House of Represen-"tw•"b-i-'-d ' us previously stated, will j L-'vc"" lcvcu' members. The revised t that two members shall i- appointed from persons nominated ;■'•■ or-anisations recognised by_ the i : o;r-a='cr-Geiieral as being representee (lI ihc holders of receiving :-cense* m New Zealand, provided that ]f no nominations are received the Governor-Gcneral-in-Council may appoint such persons as he thinks fit. As in the original act, the first chairi_'':;.: v.ii; hoid office for five years, .:: d :.:üb-tc!ucii! appointments shall be j, j: H-;ii'>. Of the other mem-b-.rs, three- .-hull be appointed for four :-c-ui's and three for three years. 'J hereafter the appointments of mem-m'.-i will be for three years. The important clause giving the I'.u.d control of the programmes of ;,;] broadcasting stations has been sub.•anlrallv redrafted, and in popular ■;.nguage has been "loosened ■up." OrirT.alJv' the bill stated that the board should have the duty of controlling all programmes to be transmitted from broadcasting stations. The provisions, as redrafted read: "The board shall have the duty of supervising all programmes to be transmitted from broadcasting .stations, and for that purpose i.jav prohibit either absolutely, or subject to .such conditions as it thinks fit to impose, the transmission from any broadcasting station, of any programme <-r part of a programme which, in its • .'Pinion, is unsuitable for broadcastWith the insertion of that compre-i.cii.-ivc direction, the sub-clause delaihng the board's supervisory duties nas been deleted. The clause dealing with the cancellation of licenses has .-.:.-■ o been redrafted, and in its new form reads as follows: "Upon receiving it report by the board that the licensee <■!' a broadcasting station has failed to rcrnpiy with any prohibition or conon ion" with respect to its programmes brooded by the board, the Minister r j\. ;n his discretion, cancel the l.i.cn.c fit the licensee."

CONTROL BY BOARD CONDEMNED MEWS OF OPPOSITION LEADER POSITION OK B STATIONS I From Our Parliamentary Reporter.l WELLINGTON. March 14. ('<! trr] of broadcasting by a board i'i.-:pnd of by the Government was j'.'iiicll.y condemned by the leader of •-'• Opposition <Mr M. J. Savage), ■A\'.n !he Broadcasting Amendment !.'.!! va: being considered in commit- !'•'_• in the House of Representatives l-.'-duy. ' The day of boards is gone," he derlared. "The time for Parliament to < xntrol is here. Why this humbug about setting up a board providing for control of the service by people who do not know anything about it? The amendments circulated by the .Minister are mere words and mean nothing. If members are going to .-wallow this bunkum they deserve all they get. The Minister wants to hand ihe broadcasting service over to a board and shelter behind the board just as the Minister for Railways :■ belters behind the Railways Board. II I had my way I would wipe oui the board and allow the Post and Telegraph Department to do the job. People of a certain political colour v. ho suit the Government will be appointed to the board. The Minister will probably get up and say in re-T>'-y that he wjll have the last say; L'iit in 99 cases out of 100 his say will tc thai of the board." Mr Clyde Can- (Lab., Timaru): He v. :ii bo an echo. Mr Savage: Yes. He will be merely r..i echo of the board, and there won't be communists on the board. A Labour member: Nor will there be any Labour members. .Mr Savage: No. They will be true Ai'je Tories. When Labour rules it will not rule by boards. Labour will M-ccpt the responsibility for laying down a policy and then see that it is administered. Listeners' Fees "The time has come for this House to insist that the competition of the Government will not be legislated out of existence." said Mr Savage, referring to B stations. "If the Government wants a monopoly, let it be obtained by fair means—by the standard Vf service that is provided. The Minis--Irr is not setting away with this bill. Broadcasting is one of the greatest m rviccs of the age, and under this Jogislatiun it is going to be hamstrung st every turn by a Tory administration. There is a day of reckoning U Mr A. J. Stallworthy (Ind., Eden): Let ;t come. Mr A. E. Ansell (C, Chalmers) said 5'C would agree to a percentage of revenue from the listeners' fee being 3 :andcd over to efficient and approved E stations. He asked whether there v.as a contract between the Broadcasting Board and the "Radio Record," under which the owners of that journal were given a monopoly to publish programmes in advance. He thought the "Radio Record" could be made a much more valuable publication than r was. and he urged the Government i'» consider publishing a "Record" of i's own. "Compared with the 'Listener,' we »ie far behind the times," he said. Mi- Carr objected to the ban on advertising over the air, and said that iiis Government was giving a monopoly to ihe newspapers, who were pkiymg dog in the manger. Listeners' Representation ■ Mr A. Harris <C, Waitemata) said Jie believed the underlying reason of 'the legislation was to eliminate the B Kations from broadcasting in New Zealand. The bill definitely provided machinery for that, and it was an exceedingly dangerous thing to place in the hands of a board. Whether that |was the intention or not, the public *vho paid the license fees were gravely concerned at the bill. He could, not see that the amendments ■ Wade very much alteration. It was wtrue that listeners' organisations were

to be allowed to nominate certain persons for appointment to the board, but a great many listeners did not belong to any organisation. In those circumstances, he would prefer to see the listeners' representatives elected. Mr E. J. Howard (Lab., Christchurch South) said that if the Minister allowed members to vote on the bill according to their own beliefs, he felt there would be substantial relief provided for B stations. Speaking of the appointment of two listeners' representatives to the board, he declared lhat the manner of their selection would not enable listeners to have a say, and he added that broadcasting was the only service in which those who provided the money were not given an opportunity to have a measure of control.

Mr Howard criticised the control of broadcasting by a board, and said it should be administered by a Government department—not the Post and] Telegraph Department, which was sadly overworked as it was. but a separate department with a Minister' in charge. Radio Advertising When the bill was in committee this evening, Mr D. G. Sullivan (Lab.. Avon) asked the Postmaster-General to declare once and for all the Government's attitude toward B stations. What methods was the Minister going to adopt to kill them oft'? Was he going to starve them out, or was he going to encourage the board to refuse them permission to carry on? Would the board allow B stations to advertise even to the limited extent of providing sponsored programmes? Mr Sullivan agreed with the Minister that the American system of wholesale advertising was obnoxious; but he could see no harm in a system of sponsored programmes, which would give small stations sufficient revenue perhaps to carry on. The B stations, such as Station 3ZM. Christchurch, could not exist without a source of revenue. Mr Hamilton: That is the position now. Mr Sullivan: I know that; but B stations were in hopes of some assistance from this bill. Now it is going to kill them off. The Minister explained that he had fulfilled his promise to consider reasonable suggestions for amendment of his bill, and that he had provided for listeners' representatives out of deference to members, and to several deputations representing the listeners themselves. An amendment had also been introduced with the express purpose of loosening up the controversy regulations. Mr Savage: Cannoi the Minister give an outline of the general policy to the Post and Telegraph Department, and allow it to carry on the service? Mr Hamilton: But that would not change the position. We would have to place the business in the hands of a committee of experts. Mr Savage: Yes; but not laymen. Mr Hamilton: Will members ever understand that we are not establishing a board. A board has been in exj istence for three years. We are not I putting the complete control of broadcasting into the board's hands. The Minister will still control the licenses, hours, and wave-lengths. Besides, it j is quite possible that B stations will 1 do better under a board than under hard and fast regulations. Mr Savage: Perhaps the board will put them out of their misery. A National Service Mr Hamilton repeated that the Government's policy had been to establish a national service, and that when the four city stations were completed this service would be truly national and perfectly adequate. A Govern-ment-owned and Government-control-Jed monopoly was better for broadcasting than a competitive system. The country must guard against the commercialising of its radio service. Mr Sullivan: What is the matter with sponsored programmes? Mr Hamilton: We did try it, but found it too difficult. The advertisers always try to go a little further. I have every respect for the B stations. They have had a hard spin, and they have been responsible for the sale of many licenses; but the board will administer an adequate string of principal and subsidiary stations. There are seven or eight subsidised B stations, making a total of 15 or 16. We are not out to crush the B stations; but. we do not want to give them a source of advertising revenue. The House rose at midnight with the broadcasting debate unfinished.