Satellite TV irks

Press, 23 October 1978, Page 7

Satellite TV irks

NZPA-Reuter New York Governments of various communist and developing nations have called for United Nations action to control international television broadcasting by satellite. Speeches by delegates of communist and other authoritarian regimes during the last two days in the United Nations Special Political Committee have demanded new guarantees of national sovereignty to curb such broadcasts.

Among Governments that strictly control their domestic television broadcasts there is growing apprehension that political censorship will become ineffective if local residents can easily receive foreign broadcasts on home television sets.

In principle, television broadcasts transmitted by satellite could be received by all television sets in a target region without need for local relay stations. The Soviet bloc charges that such broadcasting could violate national sovereignty, and it seeks controls under international treaty. Speeches denouncing uncontrolled satellite television broadcasts were made by delegates from Yugoslavia, Hungary, the Ukraine, Cuba, and Rumania.

The United States was not directly named in any of these speeches; but it was clear from the speeches that America was the principal target.