TV charges fair — M.P.

Press, 19 July 1983, Page 2

TV charges fair — M.P.

PA Wellington Labour’s spokesman on the media, Mr J. L. Hunt, does not want the Broadcasting Corportation to lower the fees it charges for use of facilities. Last week two companies, Northern Television and City Television, pulled out of bidding for morning television time because the

B.C.N.Z. wanted to charge them $5.75 million for the first year, and $2.75 million a year thereafter. Mr Hunt said yesterday that he wanted an assurance from the Minister of Broadcasting, Dr Shearer, that he “will not succumb to pressure from the privatelyowned television companies or his Cabinet colleagues” and instruct the corporation to lower its fees. He said the television facilities were a publicly-

owned asset worth about $2OO million which had been paid for by the taxpayer. “It has -always been Labour Party policy that existing channels should not be sold or leased to private enterprise who could get the advantage of the use of existing facilities at an unfair price.” Dr Shearer intends to meet both the companies and the corporation to discuss the scale of charges.