Pressure on A.B.C.

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33003, 24 August 1972, Page 13

Pressure on A.B.C.

(N Z Preu Assn.—Copyright/ i SYDNEY, August 23. There had always been political pressure on the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Sir Charles Moses said last night.

A former general manager of the commission, he said that there was always “a much greater tetchiness in the atmosphere just before an election.” Sir Charles Moses, now secretary general of the Asian Broadcasting Union, said that political interference was nothing new. He was general manager for 30 vears.

An A.B.C. broadcast on birth control in 1938 had so shocked people that the Broadcasting Act had been amended stating that any such future programmes had to be referred to the Direc-tor-General of Health. "I always had complaints from the Opposition whichever side it was on.” he said. “Sir Robert Menzies never rang me personally on any matter.

"Mr Chifley, when he was Prime Minister, would ring and say ‘look here. Colonel, some of the boys are complaining.' “Sir Earle Page demanded an apology after I was quoted in a newspaper heading as saying politicians weren’t good broadcasters.” What did he think of the pi ?sent-day accusations of bias within the A.B.C.

“I don’t have any evidence of it all myself, but because I work so hard myself I see and hear very little of the programmes. “People constantly have a crack at me charging bias and it upsets me, but I am personally unaware of it.”

He said he was “upset” by the suggestion by the Post-master-General (Sir Alan Hulme) that the A.B.C. commissioners should personally view or listen to any material that might be controversial. “The P.M.G. was wrong. “This is impossible and its not the function of the commissioners. Their function is to lay down the policies which should be interpreted by the A.B.C.’s senior executives.

“In the sensitive areas of news and current affairs I think the important thing is to appoint people with a sense of responsibility, to let them take charge and let them know you have every confidence in them. “I resent any suggestion that the A.B.C. should keep off this subject or that —that is terrible.” The Australian Prime Minister (Mr William McMahon) said in Canberra today that the Australian Broadcasting Commission should not be regarded as a sacred cow and therefore completely immune from any kind of comment or criticism.

Mr McMahon was replying to a question from the Queensland Labour Party

member, Dr D. N. Everingham, who asked Mr McMahon whether he would press the A.B.C. to allow appearances of present and alternate ministers on its current affairs programmes.