Chile film not shown ‘by order’

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 23

Chile film not shown ‘by order’

Parliamentary reporter I The decision to cancel two television programmes which were critical of the military junta in Chile must have been more than coincidental said the member of Parliament for Papanui (Mr M. K. Moore) .on Monday. A programme made for the series, “Access,” by Chilean refugees had been cancelled “by orders from on; high,” together with an; interview planned for the; “News at Ten” programme in which the Chilean Ambassador (Mr Ernesto - Jdbet) was interviewed with refugees, he said. •“■fiie reasons given were : ones of balance, but this is absolute nonsense when one’ considers that a programme on ‘Dateline Monday’ was televised in which a biased position was shown in relation to the trade ban,” Mr Moore said, referring to the Federation of Labour’s ban on trade with Chile. “Of course programmes will be biased one way or; the other, but I feel it is most important that both aides of an issue are put to; the people so that they can; decide on its merits,” he; said. The decision to cancel! the programme could only be a political decision and* ahould be viewed with sus-j picion.

• “I want to know who made this decision and intend to raise the matter in Parliament. I do not claim; to be unbiased. I abhor tile violent regime in Chile and! despair at the apathy of the New Zealand people to the! suffering of the people in I Chile, and I am angry at what apears to be a ‘projunta’ line now being taken by the New Zealand news i media,” he said. “To ask for both sides of an issue to be shown is not asking too much. We must jealously guard what is left of the integrity of the New Zealand broadcasting system, especially in light of the National Party’s moves to bring the news media to heel.”