Reply to Gospel Radio

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33480, 11 March 1974, Page 12

Reply to Gospel Radio

(from Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON.

A charge that Gospel Radio Fellowship, of Christchurch, incorrectly quoted him in a news release dated February 25 relating to the declining of a shortterm broadcasting authorisation was made by the PostmasterGeneral (Mr Douglas).

In a letter to the director of the fellowship (Mr R. M. H. Berry), Mr Douglas says: i“I was disturbed to find in 1 your news release a passage in quotation marks purporting to be a passage taken from my letter. This passage does not appear in my letter . ..”

The quoted paragraph reads: “In making my decision I also had to take into consideration the repercussions of granting a shortterm broadcasting authority to Gospel Radio Fellowship. Once the precedent had been set I would have received applications from similar groups all over the country ”

Mr Douglas has released copies of his letter and of the news release. The words quoted do not appear in the letter. PURPOSE NOTED He also made the following statement: “Applications for short-term broadcasting

authorisations have been made to me under Section 87 of the Broadcasting Act. The purpose of this section, which duplicates a section frcm the Broadcasting Authority Act, . was clearly stated by Mr H. J. Walker in the House in 1971.

“The purpose of this amendment is to enable short-term transmissions to be made from trade-fairs, exhibitions, and the like, without the need for a formal hearing or the issue of a warrant.

“The application made by Gospel Radio stated that it would ‘provide a service which the society feels will be in the public interest for the local community’. This , sendee was, therefore, planned for the Christchurch community at large, and in competition with existing (Christchurch stations.” As these proposals went beyond the intended scope of'the legislation, the application w r as declined, said Mr Douglas. SPECIAL PURPOSE

“On the other hand, the application by the Auckland University Students’ Association for a short-term broadcasting authorisation stated that ‘the station would be used primarily as a vehicle for the dispersal of information relating to enrolment and orientation activities at the university’. It was, therefore, made for a particular purpose — for the benefit of other students.

“As these proposals, tn

my view, came within the intention of the legislation, the application was granted. “As I pointed out in my letter to the Gospel Radio Fellowship, section 54 of the Broadcasting Act provides alternative means for organisations such as Gospel Radio to obtain broadcasting time. May I suggest that the fellowship follow the suggestion in my letter in this regard.”