TV FREEDOM GIVEN VIGOROUS DEFENCE

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33957, 25 September 1975, Page 4

TV FREEDOM GIVEN VIGOROUS DEFENCE

(By

KEN COATES)

The outgoing’ pro-i gramme controller for TVI (Mr Bill. Munro); vigorously defends .the; new broadcasting set-' up, saying it guarantees [independence. And he is [impatient with politicians who criticise it. Mr Munro returns to the Australian Broadcasting Commission in December and says he has no ax.e to grind “I am leaving reluctantly, because I have great, faith in the new structure,” he said in Christchurch yesterday. It was not a “three-headed monster,” the outcome of some ill-considered decision, or the result of some political fright. The corporations were competitive, and this iwas most, important, he [stressed. MONOPOLIES I “I know what monopolies are all about, what Government interference or involvement is all about,” he said. “It is happening, or has happened in many countries, including New Zealand. [ “You now have legislation [providing viewers and listen•ers with real options, but

imost important, with a guar-| lanteed element of indepen-;! deuce,” Mr Munro said. I “This leaves broadcasters) ! free to get on with their; 1 [jobs of informing, educating;* and entertainiing, particu- [ larly in those important t areas of news, current af- i fairs, and local productions : of drama, documentary and < light entertainment.” < Any attempt to interfere)’ with this freedom and inde-J pendence should be most! vigorously countered. ; To politicians who 1 recently criticised two cam- 1 era teams being sent to cover the same sports ' events, Mr Munro said if : this happened it was a small price to pay for indepen- < dence. And to criticism of TV] , for sending crews overseas, , he replies by asking whether i New Zealanders want to accept other views of what . is going on elsewhere in the • world, or views which others wanted us to receive. : “Are we to remain isolated, or get out and take a look for ourselves?” he asks. “We do not have three camera teams in Africa — we have one and we are sending three separate re- I porters to cover various assignments.

| “lan Fraser returned from! Rhodesia after an exhaustive: ' assignment. This is no junket — it is no easy task to; ; find out what is going on in I [such a country. I “By sending someone else, to the African countries we have been able to show the Rhodesian programme without delay and before, events change, and not load an allready jaded reporter with [other tough assignments.” j Mr Munro expresses I amazement that crticis have not acknowledged that “public is being educated to the positive side of restructuring by example. “No amount of fuss or political comment can dis-1 guise the fact that New Zea-i landers are getting a better; deal in just about every area: of TV and radio,” he maintains. Bill Munro is emphatic; .that more money was not) the reason for his decision' to return to Australia. He has a family of a girl and two boys all of school age, and family reasons played a large part in his resignation from TV1 ._ __