More Politics On Radio, TV Urged

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31304, 25 February 1967, Page 19

More Politics On Radio, TV Urged

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, February 24.

Television and radio have neglected to help educate the public politically, in the opinion of the northern regional programme advisory committee to the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation.

The committee held its quarterly meeting yesterday and among its recommendation! to the corporation was that political programmes should be intensified and improved. The chairman of the committee (Sir Douglas Robb)

said radio and television were perfect media for educating the public on important political issues.

“The general political education of the people has been neglected, and should be attended to by the corporation not just before and at election time: it should be a continuing process, with programmes at least once a month, or even better, every fortnight,” he said. The programmes should not concentrate solely on party politics—although politicians should not be excluded—but more on the important issues of the day.

"The last elections gave evidence of a general lack of public awarness of the issues involved,” said Sir Douglas Robb. “The committee felt strongly that the coverage was too restricted and needed more careful planning.”