‘Political interference’ alleged

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 2

‘Political interference’ alleged

Parliamentary reporter The Government's direction to the Broadcasting Corporation to make way for private-sector television was "an extraordinary piece of political interference." said the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Lange, yesterday at a post-caucus press conference. The Labour caucus at its first meeting of the year vesterday discussed the Government's instruction on Wednesday to the Broadcasting Tribunal for it to call for private-sector tenders for up to 37 morning hours a week on Television One. The Government should not be telling the tribunal what to do. Mr Lange said.

The Labour Party believed that the fee the private sector would pay for time would not be economic for the corporation. The Government was proposing to make public assets available to the private sector so that it could make money at a fee which is so obviously attractive to the private sector that there was no way that they would venture to put their risk capital up to procure the facilities for themselves. Mr Lange said. “Private enterprise should be private enterprise putting up its own money to make a

bob. but it should not pretend to be free marketeers and then ask for a handout from the State."-

Mr Lange said that "Good Morning New Zealand." the Northern Television morning show, would not pay if it were charged the “right" fee. A Labour government would make private enterprise pay a fee that did not contain the hidden subsidy of use of the taxpayers' assets. “Those who are talking about making applications have no intention at all of paying an economic fee for the service because they do not consider the time that thev are being offered is profitable." Mr Lange said. The Press Association reported that Mr Lange was asked what he would do if, as Prime Minister, he found that the private operators were paying fees less than those which would be in the taxpayers' interest. “We would make them pay the taxpayer, and then they could take themselves off the air." he said. “I don’t intend to take private enterprise off the air bv some great Machiavellian direction, but let them pay. “Sometimes, you know, there is a bit of strength in the user-pays principle." If Mr Lange wanted to raise the fees of private broadcasters using public facilities should he become Prime Minister, he would apparently have to legislate to do so. The present law gives the government of the day no power of direction over the rates of hire of broadcasting equipment.