Broadcasting Policy On Religious Rock ’n’ Roll

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29108, 21 January 1960, Page 15

Broadcasting Policy On Religious Rock ’n’ Roll

"The Press" Special Service

WELLINGTON, January 20. Religious rock-’n’-roll records now in vogue were all given a careful audition before being played by radio stations, said the Director of Broadcasting (Mr J H. E. Schroder).

He was answering a complaint from a woman who protested that she had heard a religious rock-’n’-roll tune from a local radio station and had thought all such records were banned. Mr Schroder said departmental committees gave auditions to all commercial and rock-’n’-roll

numbers to check musical, vocal, instrumental and general presentation values. “We are selective, ’ he said, “and reject everything which is rough or of poor standard.”

The disc which prompted the complaint, named "The Pharaoh’s Army,” had been passed by a committee, subject to policy rules on religious rock-’n’-roll.

These rules which were sent to stations in October, 1958, after four months’ discussion by committees, stipulated that what are known officially as popular religious songs may be used only in hit parades and request programmes.

They may not be played over children’s programmes, junior request programmes, breakfast sessions, lunch hours, “music while you work” or other miscellaneous light music programmes. They may not be “sown too thickly,” played one after another, nor transmitted immediately before or after tunes which “jar” against them.

Broadcasting authorities had to be severely selective with such music, Mr Schroder said. “There is neither room nor time nor taste for everything which comes out. With the religious rock-n’-roll we distinguish between a definite, concrete religious character, a vaguer, or more atmospheric quality and the devotional or doctrinal type. All, said Mr Schroder, had emerged as a “pepped-up, newly instrumented” version of "good old religious songs,” but they had to impress by their sincerity and could not be played on a devotional service unless chosen by a clergyman. The complaint was the first objection to be received, he added.