‘Unfair publicity' on television

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 1

‘Unfair publicity ' on television

The Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association yesterday strongly criticised the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation for a television programme that gave “over-all unfair and adverse publicity” to a storage heater manufactured by Skope Enterprises, Christchurch.

The director of the association (Mr I. D. Howell) told the meeting that the N.Z.B.C. had commissioned the testing.

In a letter to the chairman of the N.Z.B.C. board (MajorGeneral W. S. McKinnon) the association said that the heater was tested by the Building Research Association and the test filmed by the N.Z.B.C. for the “Saturday” programme on October 21.

“The heater had been modified without the manufacturer’s knowledge. AH the vital safety cutouts had been removed and the heater had a 3kw element instead of a 2kw element fitted by the manufacturer,” the letter said.

“The testing was carried out in a small concrete room. As a result of the safety cutouts being removed, coupled with the heater generating five times the energy required to heat the concrete room, the heater exploded. "This was featured as a news item on the N.Z.8.C., and a news feature item on ‘Saturday.’ “In the ’Saturday’ programme, the N.Z.B.C. mentioned that for the purpose of the test a deliberate defect in the heater was created. However, in spite of this comment, the over-all

effect of the programme has been to create public concern about a storage heater which is the only New Zealand one which at present complies with the British Standards specification 3456. “IMPROPER” "The testing carried out on the heater was the equivalent of testing, say, a large boiler with its safety cutouts removed and required to put out more pressure than it was designed for; or the equivalent of testing a motor vehicle with its engine power increased and its brakes removed. In both cases those would be dangerous procedures which could cause injury or death.

“*We consider it was 'irpprbperi for the N.Z.fi.C. tp, run such a television 1 programme.” Mr Howell said that a reply had been received from General McKinnon. He was referring thee matter to the Director-General of the N.Z.B.C. (Mr L. R. Sceats). The president (Mr E. P. Chapman) said it was news to him that the N.Z.B.C. had set itself up as a kind of consumer institute. Mr Howell said that the New Zealand Insurance Council had decided it was not necessary for owners of the storage heater to pay any additional insurance premium.