CHALLENGE TO DEBATE

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30593, 9 November 1964, Page 16

CHALLENGE TO DEBATE

Ownership Of TV Stations (N.Z. Press Association’ AUCKLAND. Nov. 8 The only person so far to apply for a licence to operate an independently owned television station has challenged the chairman of the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (Dr. F. J. Llewellyn) to debate the issue—on television But the applicant Mr Gerdon Dryden, of Auckland, said he thought it incorrect to pose independent and corporalionowned channels as alternatives. "Let the corporation set up a second channel and independent operators a third at the same time,” said Mr Dryden If granted a licence, said Mr Dryden, he would press ahead with immediate planning of an independent service—in spite of the threat by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr A. H. Nordmeyer) that a Labour Government would nationalise any private television station. He said he hoped the Government would honour a preelection pledge given by the Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) in March, 1960 when he said: “If private people are prepared to advance money, they should have the opportunity to establish television in New Zealand, and it will be the National Party’s policy, if it becomes the Government, to see they have the opportunity.”