An idea to copy?

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 19

An idea to copy?

from

KEN COATES

in London The British Broadcasting Corporation will do something next week that the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand might well consider emulating. The 8.8. C. will examine itself in a “Man Alive” documentary called “What Price the 8.8. C.?” New Zealand broadcasting has been repeatedly shaken up and is in financial crisis, but so far, as with the 8.8. C., the tradition of not examining internal affairs in public has precluded any such indepth inquiry. Now the 8.8. C. is facing the worst crisis in its history, While it cuts back programmes, makes do with old equipment, lays off staff, and reduces much of . its . support for cultural groups such as its renowned orchestras, the independent companies are making more money than ever. In the “Man Alive” programme Jeremy James will interview a Conservative member of Parliament, Mr Paul Dean, and a Labour member, Mr Joe Ashton, about their ideas for raising 8.8. C. revenue. Mr Ashton favours adding national insurance; Mr Dean maintains that advertising is the answer.

Our language A further series of the programme entitled “Our Living Language” will start on the Concert Programme tonight The speaker for this series is A, J. Deverson, senior lec- - turer in English at Canterbury University, He talks about aspects of the development of .the English tongue. Last minute The final episode of the> present series' of - - the B. comedy series,’ “Just a Minute,” can be heard from the National Programme tonight. The contestants are four regulars — Kenneth Williams, Clement Freud, Peter Jones, and Sheila Hancock. The panel will again try to talk for 60 seconds on a set subject, despite •“help” from their fellow contestants, without hesitation, deviation, or repetition. Intolerant time In the first of two concert programme talks tomorrow evening, Dr Lauri Barber, senior lecturer in history at Waikato University, will talk about legislation and methods designed to re-, press expression of opinion during the Great Depression of the 19305, "Times of Intolerance.”

Queen of jazz Whitney Balliett, of the “New Yorker” magazine, is one of the world’s most eminent jazz critics. He once described Mary Lou Williams as the only firstrate female musician in an unsentimental and peculiarly male music. That 1964 statement is almost as true today. Tomorrow f ‘Jazz Scene” will mark Miss Williams’s 70th birthday, which comes after a long and distinguished career begun l as far back as 1925, The pro-; gramme features a recent Mary Lou Williams recording, her solo recital ; iat the 1978 Montreaux •Jazz Festival. National: programme, tomorrow evening. Marlowe’s world Four of Raymond Chan-, dler’s best-known detective novels have been dramatised in 11 episodes for radio by the 8.8. C- . first will be broadcast tomorrow evening as “The World of Philip Marlowe,’-’ on the National . programme. The world is that of California in the 19405, the world of Hollywood gangsters, pornographers, blackmailers,, and dope pedlars. In a world where the cop is likely to. be as corrupt as the criminal, the private detective on $25 a day plus expenses is ■ likely to be a lonely man. Such a man is Philip Marlowe, and the first radio story is ‘The Big Sleep,” which has been dramatised in three episodes.

Listening