‘Favourable Impression’ Of Australian TV

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29260, 19 July 1960, Page 16

‘Favourable Impression ’ Of Australian TV

“The Press" Special Service

WELLINGTON, July 18. The' Naw Zealand Censor and Bedtkttar of Cinematograph Eitan, Mr D. C. Meln«oah. has returned to Wellington from Australia with a most favourable impresston . of television programmes in the Commonwealth and a high regard for the friendliness and co-operative attitude of Australians. During his two-week trip, Mr Mclntosh .visited Sydney l , Canberra, and Melbourne. He discussed TV-fllm censorship with the Commonwealth film censor and with broadcasting control board officials. He said there were two forms of television programme control in Australia. The first was exercised through the censor’s office, which examined all imported film material, and the other was the responsibility of the control board, which was principally concerned with standards of programmes. "From my observations it seems that the public at large has little quarrel with either body,” Mr Mclntosh added. "Responsible Approach" The chief censor, Mr C. J. Campbell, the three men and three women members of the censorship board and the two deputy censors all had a full appreciation of the fact that TV films were piped right into homes. This demanded an even more responsible approach than to censorship of films for commercial screenings in cinemas, attendance at which was much more selective. Television coverage of news and sports was good. Mr Mqlntosh said he had been “pleasantly surprised” at the generally high standard of “commercials” broadcast from TV stations. He was not prepared to say how much this was due to the watching brief of the control boards’ standards’ personnel, but it was certainly true that the board maintained a monitoring service on all channels, though not continuously on any one of them. Particularly impressive was the

manner in which announcers and commentators. “angled” their approaches to children. Mr Mclntosh expressed the opinion that, in many instances, parental discipline was reinforced by techniques adopted by television personalities. Origin of Programmes The majority of programmes On the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s non-commercial network were of English origin. Those used by the commercial channels were principally from American sources. Television censorship in Australia, provided three “certificates.” All published programmes carried the censor’s recommendation. and were timed so that adult programmes would not be seen by children. The gradings are: General “A,” unsuitable for children up to 15 years of age; “AO,” unsuitable for both children and adolescents up to 21 years of age. Mr Mclntosh said he was not able to comment on what censorship gradings might be introduced for television in this country. He had a large number of reports and analyses to evaluate, and it would take some time to reduce nearly a fortnight’s discussions and impressions to a correlated whole.

An examination of the censorship register shows that the censor’s office in Wellington has already examined 84 half-hour TV programmes—a total of 42 hours’ viewing time. Cuts have been made in some of these films all of which have received “genneral exhibition” gradings.