Date for colour TV recommended

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32703, 4 September 1971, Page 2

Date for colour TV recommended

• * (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 3. The New Zealand Broadcasting Authority, whose report was tabled in Parliament today, recommends that the N.Z.B.C. should convert its existing channel to colour by October 31, 1973, and, within two years of that date, that the Government should empower the Authority to receive applications for a second channel, also in colour.

The Authority makes no recommendation about the introduction of private-enterprise competition in television. Such a recommendation might be considered as likely to prejudice the subsequent application of any prospective warrant-holder, the Authority reported.

Referring to the introduction of private enterprise, the Authority suggests two alternatives—either the creation of three regional services linked for most of the time as a network, or the establishment of an independent public company, with a large degree of public shareholding, running a single service.

The Authority sees the second alternative as the better one, economically. The tabling of the report in Parliament drew rapid reaction from the Minister of Broadcasting (Mr Walker). “The report establishes the basic facts without which future' television broadcasting policy could not be formulated in the best possible way,” he said, “but it should not be taken for granted that the report itself automatically will be-

come policy, or that all recommendations will be accepted in every detail.”

Related factors The Government, in considering the recommendations, also would have to take into account many other separate, but related factors. “The recommendations in the report are specific and well reasoned on the basis of evidence heard by and presented to the Authority during its inquiry,” Mr Walker said. “Nevertheless, several of the recommendations do have far-reaching implications, the effects of which would extend well beyond the fields of television and the electronics industry. Inevitably, some must affect the national economy as a whole. “In considering the timing and implementations of vari-

ous recommendations, the Government also will have to weigh its desirability and priority in relation to other matters of national importance.” Australian position New Zealanders will be watching colour television considerably in advance of Australians if the Government accepts the Authority’s recommendation on dates for the change, says the Press Association’s staff correspondent in Sydney. Colour television is in limbo in Australia at the moment, and there is no indication when the Federal Government is going to act. Its last official word was in December, when it shelved the matter. The Postmaster - General said the Government had decided not to declare a date for colour television, the correspondent says. Preparation period However, he did say that when colour television was approved, the industry would have three years to prepare for its introduction. This was double what had earlier been promised and came after a report from the Broadcast Control Board (the equivalent of the Broadcasting Authority), and representations from the television industry.

Because of the cost involved, the industry has been lukewarm about colour television.

Manufacturers on the other hand, sensing a boom in tele-vision-set sales once the change is announced, have been pressing for a decision. No-one seems to have much idea of when colour television will come, but, given the three-year preparation period, Australians could not possibly be watching colour television until late 1974, or early 1975, even were the changeover approved now.