THE NEW FACE OF BROADCASTING-3 Restructuring is but handing radio its own destiny

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33778, 26 February 1975, Page 5

THE NEW FACE OF BROADCASTING-3 Restructuring is but handing radio its own destiny

(By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY)

The extensive restructuring of our broadcasting system may have confused the public mind — but to one man it means merely the separation of radio from television.

He is the director-gen-eral of the Corporation of Radio New Zealand (Mr J. L. Harstonge), whose view is based on deep knowledge of the old N.Z.8.C., on the directorate of which he has been for many years.

He believes that the separation is a good thing; that

"steam radio” is at the beginning of a new era of fulfilment: and that the best is yet to be.

I approached Mr Hartstonge in the knowledge that many people outside what used to be known as the Broadcasting Service, and not a few within it, were having difficulty in spelling out what exactly would happen on March 31, when the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation ceases to exist, and a Broadcasting Council and three independent corporations come to life.

Mr Hartstonge admitted that the restructuring process must be puzzling to the public at large. “Simply, it is the separation of the control of radio from the control of television,” he said. “Before the Government’s decision, the N.Z.B.C. was running radio and one televison channel. The Broadcasting Authority already existed; and this, with some changes in objectives and powers, has become the Broadcasting Council. “The N.Z.B.C. did not run the Authority; it simply ran radio and television. The second televison channel was not in existence, and so the corporation did not run that. I believe it would remove confusion if people merely viewed the change at this stage as a separation of radio and television.”

His view of the change is

■ unequivocal. “It is immensely better. As from April 1, all the people in Radio New Zealand, the Board, the Director-General, the execu-: tives, the managers — everybody in radio — will be thinking and planning for radio. It is as simple as that

Since his appointment, Mr Harstonge has been forming a headquarters staff for Radio New Zealand —

which already had radio stations, but no central authority. Now he has a staff of five divisions, including sales, commercial aspects, and two networks. News impact As might be expected, knowing the innovations Mr Hartstonge brought in during his years as Controller of New Zealand Current Affairs, there will be sharp differences in the presentation of news and information, right from the opening day. It was decided earlier this week that Radio New Zealand would have three networks — Network 1 (Commercial), Network 2 (previously the National Programme), and Network 3 (previously the YC programme) — and that Network 3 will come in from 6 a.m. on weekday mornings. This will facilitate the i launching of a really big (by : New Zealand standards) expanded news service.

The idea is to launch this on Network 2 between 7 and 8 a.m.

Mr Hartstonge calls this a “roiling information service.” Of it, he says: “There will be shorts, and compact news bulletins which highlight the major news stories of the day; but there will be something we have never had before — good, punchy comment on the news breaking overnight . . . “Current affairs, we call it. This is the thing that has been lacking in this country, in our view, at a time of peak audience listening. Before people go off to work

for the day, they get the op-1 .portunity of catching up, not i only with the news, but with the opinions of people qualified to make them.” Mr Hartstonge has been planning this type of programme ever since his days as Current Affairs Controller. In his opinion, neither press nor radio in . New Zealand tend to give I adequate background to news stories.

Staffing arrangements are being made to facilitate the investigative type of news journalism. “The important questions are always ‘How and why did it happen?’’’ Mr ! Hartstonge said. “You can- ! not be sure of getting answers when the story ! breaks — but the listener remains unsatisfied until you 1 do.” He promises another element — the news-in-depth treatment. “We intend as a style in broadcasting to make a lot more use of radio’s real facility for speech, by bringing more talking reporters on the air, so that the story is told by the man who discovered it. “To my mind, this is really the heart of radio,” Mr Hartstonge said. “Radio is a voice medium, so you can hear the journalist telling his own story. This increases authenticity. Nothing comes in between; it is a live story.” Wider spread Asked whether much of this would be wasted on people getting ready for work, Mr Hartstonge said: “We don’t think everybody will listen to every minute of this breakfast session. It will be a rolling, developing thing — but people will be very much better informed.”

It is intended that a similar but shorter programme will be heard in the middle of the day, and another in the early evening, before television. In the meantime, the information will be fed out on line to all stations, either to inject into their

I programmes or to hold for further build-up. “It is a big information package into which every local radio station can dig.”

There will also be a modicum of news on the YC (Network 3) programme. The intention is that (he 8.8. C. News and News about Britain will be carried on Network 3. “The whole rationale of the YC network is that it is for the selective listener.”

The new idea has required a new approach rather than an expanded staff. But the big, ambitious programme requires also a different sort of teamwork. Much new ground is expected to be broken with the appointment (already made) of four assistant editors. “Each assistant editor will take a shift on a rotational basis. With him he will have reporters and a currentaffairs producer. These teams will stay together — and the developing story will be attended to by the one team . . .”

There will be many other changes to the format of Network 2. The time placements of some otherwiseacceptable programmes has suffered because of changed listening habits. These will have better placement. The style of music on Network.2 will be more consistently middle-of-the-road — not too classical and not too jazzedup.

“In the past, the National Programme has suffered from its efforts to be all things to all men — rather like the present televisions channel,” Mr Hartstonge said. “This is never satisfactory. But soon we shall have three public radio channels in New Zealand, and can be more selective in programming.” News cover I asked Mr Hartstonge about the “grey area” of news coverage, about which there seemed to be disagreement in televisions

circles. He said that in' terms of the legislation lead-; ing from the White Paper,: the idea was for Radio New Zealand to supply basic news to the television corporations.

“This is largely because;

Radio New Zealand already has a complete cover of New Zealand with its own staff of journalists.” said Mr Hartstonge. “In the past, they have been accustomed’ to serving television. This will be done quickly and

mechanically, A story filed i ; by one of my journalists in Tauranga to General News ■jService in Wellington will: . ■ run out at the same time on I the teleprinter feeds to the ; television newsrooms. li “They will be getting

unsubedited original story as quickly as it is filed — in exactly the same time as Radio New Zealand. What they do with it from then on is entirely their own pigeon; but they are entitled to come back through General News Service and ask for updating, further information. and so on. “It is a basic news exchange for ail corporations — an internal P.A. system, if you like. It is something I built up when I was Controller of News and Current Affairs, because we lacked such a system.” But the exchange will be not only the printed story. A 'tape service has been set up for voice-reports. feeding the voices of correspondents to all stations and to the i council. The transmission I side is in the hands of the i council. Most of this is not i a vision of the future. It is ;working now.

Athletics. — West German athletes set three world best indoor times at the national indoor athletic championships at Stuttgart. Karlheinz Weisenseel recorded 21.165ec in the men’s 200 metres and in the women’s 200 metres Rita Wilden’s time was 23.515ec. In the women's four by 200 metres relay a team recorded Imin 31.155ec.