COMMERCIAL TV

Press, Volume C, Issue 29637, 6 October 1961, Page 9

COMMERCIAL TV

Introduction Marked A function to mark the introduction of commercial television in Christchurch was held on Wenesday evening by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service. Among those attending were the Minister of Broadcasting (Mr Kinsella), the Director of Broadcasting (Mr J. H. E. Schroder) and representatives of advertising agencies and firms connected with advertising. “1 would like to pay tribute to certain members of the service who have brought us to this stage,” said Mr Schroder. He could not name them all, he said, but it was their work which had made commercial television in the city possible. Mr Schroder said that he was pleased to welcome the advertising representatives to the function, “for your business is our business.” The advertisers contributed to the service and it was to a certain extent through them that the public got such a good service.

Mr Kinsella also paid tribute to the broadcasting service. “No Minister could have a better body of chaps under him,” he said. In the service there was a big group of men who did the job because they liked it. He was very sorry that Mr Schroder was retiring at the end of the year. He had been very good to work with.

"The broadcasting people are not public servants as we know them,” said Mr Kinsella, “They have a pride in their job and an esprit de corps.” Some persons thought that broadcasting was strictly controlled by the Government. but that was not so. He believed that broadcasting and television were powerful media, and that it was very dangerous indeed for political influence to come into programming. Mr Kinsella spoke briefly of the Broadcasting Bill soon to come before Parliament, and said he believed that changes made under the bill would make a good service even better.

After the speeches there was a buffet dinner. Guests then moved to another room, in which there were several television sets, to watch part of the evening’s programme, which included advertising “spots” of different lengths.