Advertising on Sunday ‘irresponsible’

Press, 22 February 1980, Page 4

Advertising on Sunday ‘irresponsible’

PA Wellington The application by private radio stations to broadcast commercials on Sundays was yesterday branded as “irresponsible" by the Labour Party’s spokesman on broadcasting (Mr J. J. Terris). “Sunday is a day of rest and recreation, a precious part of the New Zealand lifestyle,” he said. “Scheduling advertising on Sundays will allow the clamour of competing commercial radio voices to invade our leisure and this should be resisted vigorously.’ Mr Terris, an ordained Anglican minister and former television producer, said: “The Christian community in New Zealand has fought for years to keep Sunday free for worship and for the family. In this they have succeeded moderately well. We should not throw that legacy away.” A private broadcaster’s application to have advertising on Sundays was not prompted by financial reasons, according to the general manager of Radio I (Mr G. Edwin). Mr Edwin said he “wholeheartedly supported” the application by the Independent Broadcasters’ Association to the Broadcasting Tribunal for the lifting of restrictions on Sunday commercials.

He said restrictions on Sunday sport and cinemas had been lifted years ago and

the restrictions on radio ad-U vertising were equally out-, moded. The general secretary ofbthe National Council or Churches (the Rev. A. H. Mei I Leod) said that about a year ago when it was first mooted] that commercial advertising] be allowed on Sundays, the’’ public questions committees'of several churches were un- ! animously opposed to the idea. He did not think thatl opinion would have changed: < since then. t.. He hoped that the churches and the public in general would have the chance to S present submissions on thej application. The Roman Catholic Bishop J. Mackey) felt that the move Mackey) felt that the move to Sunday advertising would be retrograde. , “One of the nicest things about Sunday is that there is no advertising,” he said. ; i A former director of com- . mercial broadcasting, Mr C<G. Scrimgeour (“Uncle i; Scrim”), said that the intro-. ■ duction of Sunday advertise ;■ ing would be an invasion. There was no excuse for it.-' He said Supday should be the day a family could spend together without someone . wanting to turn on the television. Once advertising was ah lowed on Sundays, he said, the two channels would start I to put their best programmes j : on that day because it ah t lowed a‘maximum audience./