Baptists Oppose N.Z.B.C. Plan

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30438, 12 May 1964, Page 13

Baptists Oppose N.Z.B.C. Plan

Strong objection to the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation’s proposal that all the YA and YZ stations should in future be linked for religious broadcasts is expressed in an editorial in the May issue of the “New Zealand Baptist.”

“If the proposal is accepted it will mean that on any one Sunday the same service will be broadcast over all stations in the network in place of the local church broadcasts over the YA stations,” says the editorial.

“The most rabid Protestant will be forced to listen to a Roman Catholic service or turn off his radio; the convinced Roman Catholic willhave to listen to the .Protestant service or turn off his radio. “No alternative service will be . available. This will be true not only of' Sunday broadcasts but-also of children’s services and devotionals. The devotionals are all to be moved to 10 a.m. and will be national hook-ups. Alternative “For more than a quarter of a century an alternative service has been broadcast By ‘alternative service’ is meant the attempt to ensure that on any one Sunday a liturgical and a free service would be available. This was regarded as desirable and equitable since there are people who prefer one or the other type of service. This principle of alternative service involved much work in drawing up the rota of church services.

“Those preferring a liturgical service could usually tune in to a Roman Catholic or Anglican service. Those listeners who did not wish to listen to the local liturgical service could get a ‘free’ service by tuning to another station.

“The Broadcasting Corporation wishes to improve the standard of religious .broadcasting to meet the challenge of television. With this desire surely all will agree. Some religious broadcasts leave much to be desired. Al] responsible Baptists will wish to see Baptist broadcasts improved. “One question that arises

is whether this is the way to do it? The national hookups on the fifth Sundays were supposed to lead to improvements. It can hardly be said that they have proved successful from a listener’s point of view.

“The other question concerns the wish of the listeners to have an alternative service available. No-ohe can deny that the best produced ‘free’ service will not satisfy the needs of those accustomed to a liturgical service. Equally it is true those accustomed to a free service will feel deprived of their worship by the best produced liturgical service. “In our judgment, the Broadcasting Corporation should at least provide two services each Sunday, morning and evening. This should be the minimum required to meet the legitimate needs of listeners.