Viewers and listeners on.... The shock of change

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33815, 11 April 1975, Page 4

Viewers and listeners on.... The shock of change

“L rgent repetition” Surely, if one wishes to I hear the day’s news it should ( be clear, concise, and pleasantly presented — as it has been in the past. Why, oh,, why suddenly present it with a blare of so-called music, an! announcer with accent so, foreign to our ears and who' seems anxious to create a sense of urgency throughout the entire hour of oft-! repeated news items? Added, to this we have frequently) inaudible and incoherent telephone interviews with a variety of people. Above all. where and when can one now hear that pleasant and informative little session “News from London” which has always been a delight at the conclusion of rhe early morning news? — As You Were. Again. ["News about Britain" is broadcast after the 6 a.m. and 8 am B B C. news on the concert programme.] \u-tralian <’opv I A horrible April 1 joke has been played on us with the introduction of the news programme between 7 and 8 a.m. The biggest joke is that the! head of the new broadcasting service said in an interview on the radio a fortnight ago) that he would aim to give the

new broadcasting a national, ;character. Instead, we get for! 1 1 breakfast a copy of the Aus-1 i'tralian breakfast programme,! (complete with American) ’(accent and music, and high-) (pressure news reading. Even! 1 ) the weather forecast has been 1 ''jazzed up. I, and I am sure; '.thousands with me cannot) ’!stand the commercial pro-! ‘I grammes and listened to! i;3YA because we liked it. • Please give us back a New: breakfast session! ’(without gimmicks and with; '(the time every few minutes. ‘ —April The First. “Progres” ’) I. too, am bitterly disap- 1 ’ pointed with some of the changes made in the name of progress on Radio New ■ Zealand and Television One.; Having passed the age when ! a transistor loudly pouring ■ forth pop music pressed to! ■ the ear is an essential part ■ of the day, I have come to; appreciate the dignity.: efficiency, and good taste ini presentation of the National! (Programme. But. alas, it is; > no more. The high-pressure; ■(news from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.. -■offends rhe sensibilities and! the stilted prompting of the’ ; weather forecaster are verg--11 ins on the ridiculous. The greatest inconvenience to >|most is the television news.! • now at 6 30 p.m. Very few;

people, whether working or with young children, find that; they can relax and give the: news their full attention at; this time. I cannot help won-; dering: who does benefit by; this particular change?—l Future Shock. ]Xews and music Why do we have to sacri-| flee the sane, rational 8.8. C. news for hotted-up versions: of the headlines? To hear of tragedies such as killing and: maiming in Belfast, followed; by a blare of distasteful! music makes the blood run 1 cold. In future we shall stick: to "The Press” for our news. —N. M. and S. E. Freeman.! Robby Gold-boro Your critics evidently missj the “highlight” of the TV viewing day since the event l of the new “set-up." I refer to the “Bobby Goldsboro 1 Show” which has been shown at 5.30 p.m. every day since, the change-over. It is a typical third-rate American -how and one wonders if the! powers that be obtained this ; series free. It certainly isn’t? worth a cent of anvones; monev or time. — BOBBY WHO 1 Rural broadcasts Joe Cote is a favourite: I with us, but we find the barrage of voices at breakfast, time too much of a good thing, and the verbal prods, to the excellent weather forecasters seem unnecessary-. But our most serious complaint is the timing of rhe rural broadcast at 12.53; to 1.7 p.m. Many farming; folk will be missing valuable news and information as they 'leave the meal table for shearing sheds and fields. I bop? this will be urgently reconsidered. — LUCERNE, j