Westport objects to TV views

Press, 6 May 1980, Page 2

Westport objects to TV views

Westport reporter The showing of two dilapidated Westport buildings lon television on Friday i evening in a report on the South Island Promotion Association’s conference in the town has annoyed two of the area’s leaders. The Mayor of Westport (Mr J. Dellaca) and the Buller County Chairman (Mr W. Mumm) expressed concern that the views projected an image out of keeping with; the town. Discussions were held with Mr John Bishop, the producer of the programme, who indicated that they had been used to portray the “type of economic decline” which had become associated with the region. He said that the further comment that the proposed sale of Buller coal for export would, it was hoped, rectify the position, and should have placed the pictures in their proper perspective. When asked for his impressions of the town of Westport generally, Mr Bishop acknowledged that he had been impressed by its tidy appearance . . . until he had ventured into the older region. He had agreed also that even large cities contained other than modern and tidy buildings and said that “televison often carried pictures of these.” Mr Dellaca said that discussions would be held locally to decide whether the matte? would be 'taken up with the Broadcasting Corporation.