Advisers planned for broadcasting

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34133, 21 April 1976, Page 3

Advisers planned for broadcasting

<N.Z. Press Association) j WELLINGTON, April 20. I Moves to establish a permanent advisory 7 staff! for the Minister of. • Broadcasting are being pursued by the Government. The Minister of Broadcasting (Mr Templeton) said ' today that the moves — an- 1 nounced by the Prime Min- ! ister (Mr Muldoon) in Seoul] 1 yesterday — were “under ' consideration” and were be-1 ing discussed with the Broad-I casting Council and the!' State Services Commission. h Mr Templeton said he had,' discussed the need for a per-! 1 manent advisory staff with h Mr Muldoon before he left i on his overseas tour. ‘i

The announcement that Mr Muldoon had spoken with a • top British television executive Sir Geoffrey Cox in London had also come as no surprise, he said. “It’s something I expected him to do. We’ve been in 'touch with Sir Geoffrey for some time,” Mr Tempjeton said. The Minister said he had received a series of reports! on the Government’s restruc-i turing proposals before Mr. Muldoon’s departure and had( discussed the whole situation i with him. Further reports were] awaited but the Cabinet com-' (mittee on broadcasting was I expected to be able to get ' under way in the reasonably (near future. • Mr Templeton said he had 'met the New Zealand-born

■ Sir Geoffrey during a lecture tour here just before last year’s General Election. At that stage Sir Geoffrey's views had been sought on National Party proposals for restructuring broadcasting and since the election this ( had been followed up with an “exchange of correspondence.” But Mr Templeton said the correspondence was private, and it would be “unfair” of 'him to give details of Sir i Geoffrey’s opinions on the Government’s policies. I There was no suggestion {that Sir Geoffrey should come ■lto New Zealand to advise the ' 1 Government on its restrucI luring proposals, he said. I “We’ve got a fairly definite jpolicy that we want to imI plement and around that II we’re taking advice right i through the system. 1