‘Uncle Scrim’ to return to radio

Press, 27 January 1979, Page 11

‘Uncle Scrim’ to return to radio

PA Auckland One of the most controver-) sial broadcasters in the his-; tory of New Zealand radio will return to the air on Mon-; day on the Government radio networ.k that 10 years ago refused to let him broadcast. Mr Colin Scrimgeour, or “Uncle Scrim," the one-time Methodist City Missioner, a voice heard by tens of thousands of people on the “Friendly Road” radio programme in the 19305, will be the guest on the National Programme “Morning Comment” at 6.50 a.m. for three mornings. But the social commentator who helped spark Labour’s 1935 landslide win before his hard-hitting programme was jammed by the then Government, is unlikely to be as controversial.

“How can anyone say anything in two minutes except that it is a good idea to have a Year Of The Child, for example,” said Mr Scrimgeour, [who is 76, and now living in iTitirangi. ! He thinks he will "robably [comment on what he saw in China when he helped to establish that country’s television services in 1958. “I never saw a neglected child, and there was no need

[for any centre to treat drug [addicts or alcoholics,” he ‘said. i While the fiery ‘‘Uncle Scrim” of youth may have mellowed, Radio New Zealand has anticipated the popularity of his broadcasts! by already contracting him to! a second series before the! first has been aired. Yet, when Mr Scrimgeour, returned from China in 1968,' and the late Sir James Wat-' tie said he was prepared to! back a programme by theseasoned broadcaster three! times a week to the extent of I $20,000, the N.Z.B.C. declined 1 the offer. Mr Scrimgeour says the “reconciliation” now cannot! fairly be called a change of mind by the Broadcasting; Corporation. "It was the Broadcasting Board, chaired bv a retired general, which did not give me permission to broadcast then. That no longer exists. The Broadcasting Council has a much wider range of people.” Mr Scrimgeour is most im-i pressed with the whole tenor! of radio today, and the excel-! lent balance of programmes, and looks forward to broadcasting again. “You never lose interest in [a thing you helped to create, [and which has grown pretty gracefully over the years,” he said.