TV1 action ‘peculiar’

Press, 7 August 1976, Page 3

TV1 action ‘peculiar’

PA Wellington One of the “controversial” Campaign Half Million advertisements rejected by the two television channels was screened last evening as a news item.

But the Broadcasting Council has viewed the action of “Tonight” in screening the item as “peculiar.” The Campaign Half Million used the former Goon show star, Spike Milligan, to make four 10-second advertisements for television warning against nuclear power stations.

The two television corporations rejected the advertisements on the ground that they came under the Broadcasting Council’s rules against the broadcasting of advertisements on “controversial topics.” Two nights ago, the advertisement was to have been screened on a “Tonight” pro-1

gramme about advertising, but arguments at TVI prevented it from being shown. However, one of the rejected advertisements was screened on “Tonight” on Thursday evening. The programme featured advertisements which “Tonight” suggested also broke Broadcasting Council rules. The head of programme standards at the Broadcasting Council (Mr A. Paterson) was also featured on the show, but yesterday he expressed concern about the way in which the advertisement was screened. “I viewed it as rather peculiar that TV should have screened the advertisement,” Mr Paterson said. The show had attempted to call, into question a ruling of the Broadcasting Council in spite of the fact that the council had made no ruling on the advertisement. I In fact, they have not even I seen the advertisement. It had

been rejected not by the Broadcasting Council but by the two television corporations.

Mr Paterson did not believe that the Broadcasting Council would take any action against “Tonight.” It was largely up to individual members of the board to raise the matter, he said.

Mr Paterson was also concerned about the way several important points about the council’s policy “slipped down the editing drain” at TVI. The rule which was used to reject the advertisements had not represented any change in policy, Mr Paterson said. Although the rule had been changed only on July 28, this had resulted from a great deal of discussion among broadcasters. The rule had only been changed, so that the original intention became clearer. The intention was to prevent advertising in the political, moral, ethical, and religious areas.