3YC Programmes

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30389, 13 March 1964, Page 3

3YC Programmes

Sir, —The Director-General of Broadcasting (Mr G. H. Stringer) repiled incorrectly that it is “not often” that intrusions of sports materials are made into the 3YC evening programme. So far this year such intrusions have occurred on 20 days, ousting the serious programme from 5 p.m. usually until 8.5 p.m., sometimes until 8.35 p.m. There is no excuse for these intrusions (which were suddenly begun two years ago without precedent), and Mr Stringer neither offers any nor provides any assurance against their recurrence. What started as a 35-minute intrusion from 7 p.m. has been extended to 65 and even 85 minutes. hat began with international representative matches is, yoh report, to include New Zealand Colts. Why has the serious listener been singled out for such treatment? Because cultural programmes are obviously the most vulnerable. They receive the least broadcasting time and have been, of recent years, the first to suffer cancellation. This vandalism has got to stop.—Yours, etc., DISGUSTED. February 28, 1964. [The Director-General of Broadcasting (Mr G. .H. Stringer) said: “The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation must keep its services as flexible as possible and, as the occasion demands, do everything possible to accommodate unscheduled material if it is known to have a wide audience. Unfortunately, YC stations, not being committed as rigidly as other stations to standing arrangements for weather, news, and similar regular broadcasts, provide sometimes the only practicable avenue for programme amendments of the kind objected to by ‘Disgusted.’ I can assure the correspondent, however, that changes to YC evening broadcasts are kept to the minimum and are not made lightly or without full regard to the interests of listeners generally.”]