Broadcasters want appeal

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 7

Broadcasters want appeal

PA Wellington Television and radio journalists have given the Broadcasting Corporation a week to decide about appealing against New Zealand’s biggest award for defamation. About 60 broadcasters from the corporation’s Wellington newsrooms met yesterday morning and later demanded a public apology from the chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation, Mr lan Cross, plus answers to a long list of questions about checks within the corporation on news items. They also want the corporation to appeal against last week’s jury verdict in the High Court at Auckland

that awarded $lBO,OOO damages to the Minister of Energy, Mr Birch. Mr Francis Wevers, secretary of the Public Service Association, said that yesterday’s meeting was angry about the corporation’s handling of the case, a mood matched by Auckland broadcasters on Friday last week who also want the decision appealed against. Another special stop-work meeting was timed for next week to hear corporation reactions, Mr Wevers said. The corporation’s public affairs manager, Mr Charles Martin, said yesterday that no public announcements were likely before then.