Security to be stepped up

Press, 13 August 1976, Page 1

Security to be stepped up

PA Wellington Security at microwave repeater stations will be stepped up this week-end in case of a second attempt to sabotage television coverage of the second rugby test in South Africa.

The guarding of the stations is the responsibility of the Post Office and the Broadcasting Council, which run them.

Neither will say what will be done to prevent a repeat of the cutting of wave-guide cables at the Makara Hill station above Wellington just before the start of the first test on July 25.

Seven of the eight cables were cut with a hacksaw but the damage did not disrupt the test coverage, as did an unrelated breakdown at the repeater station on Mount Te Aroha in Waikato 15 minutes before full-time.

Most of the repeater stations are run separately but Makara, the last link between the Avalon tele-

vision centre and the Warkworth satellite station, is jointly run by the Broadcasting Council and the Post Office.

The Broadcasting Council engineer responsible for operational standards and services (Mr K. C. Sharp) said that the council had reviewed its side of security responsibility.

“We have been into this closely and we think we have the matter in hand,” he said. “I wouldn’t like to say anything more than that, but we hope the steps we have taken will be adequate.” The Post Office supervising engineer (Mr R. F. Crimp) said there had been a national examination of security arrangements at the stations. “Other than that, I would not like to say anything,” he said. The police, who are still looking for whoever cut the cables at Makara, say the security at the stations is not their responsibility but say they are “taking cognisance of recent events.”