Olympics television decision next year

Press, 15 December 1979, Page 3

Olympics television decision next year

PA Wellington. A decision on Radio Haur-' aki’s proposal to provide New Zealand television cov-| erag of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow will not be made until early next year.

Under section 70 of the Broadcasting Act, 1976, Ministerial approval is needed before any television-broad-1 castin.” warrant can be given[ to anvone other than TVI or! TV2. ’

The Minister of Broad-; ■ casting (Mr Templeton) would not make a decision; until he had had official reaction from the Broadcastingj Corporation, said a spokesman for him yesterday. The chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation! (Mr I. Cross) said he had made a preliminary report: to Mr Templeton, along the lines that Hauraki’s proposal did not begin to match Television New Zealand’s, but a full report would not be made until early next year.

“What I can say is that New Zealanders are going to be assured of 1980 Olympic! Games coverage equal to the; high standards New Zealand; television has established for; past Games and All Black! tour coverage,” he said. I

“We have got a track! record that is superlative.”; Mr Cross said New Zealand; television was strongest in I its sports experience and coverage.

Radio Hauraki’s proposal: is to provide saturation coverage in TVl’s prime time with an edited version of O.ympic reporting by Australia’s Channel 7. Television New Zealand’s plans are to give live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies and the finals of five track events and two swimming finals, and a daily 60-minute roundup. The president of the Public Service Association (Mr D. H. Thorp) said yesterday that the attitude of the! Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) on the issue was cynical and destructive. The last few years had seen a progressive rundown of broadcasting and attacks on its financial base. “These attempts have been characterised by attempts by the private sector to skim of f the financial cream of the advertising revenue and the matter of the Olympics coverage is only the latest and the most blatant yet to use the public broadcasting system of this country, which belongs to and was paid for by the taxpayer, to make private profits at lucrative viewing times for a few individuals,” Mr Thorp said.