Dr Shearer a ‘sad’ figure

Press, 5 November 1983, Page 14

Dr Shearer a ‘sad’ figure

PA Wellington The Minister of Broadcasting, Dr Shearer, has been described in Parliament as one of the saddest figures in New Zealand politics.

The Opposition broadcasting spokesman, Mr J. L. Hunt (New Lynn), said that Dr Shearer had lost every battle he had engaged in with his Cabinet and caucus collegues.

Mr Hunt said there were many thousands of New Zealanders who believed there should not be advertising on the Concert Programme, and he fully supported their cause. There was no need to have commercials on the Concert Programme. “After all, this is the B.C.N.Z. that the taxpayers have paid over $2OO million for,” he said. During debate of the Broadcasting Corporation estimates, Mr Hunt said Dr Shearer had been beaten back on any move to

raise the licence fee to a realistic level.

“Second, he’s been knocked back on the ‘Listener’ copyright over programme information. “He’s been defeated twice on the introduction of a regionally based television channel.” Mr Hunt said Dr Shearer’s Cabinet colleagues had forced him to eat humble pie — “no wonder he’s looking so malnourished.”

“Every decision that’s been made on broadcasting has one man’s stamp, not the Minister of Broadcasting but the Prime Minister, the real Minister of Broadcasting.” But Mr T. de V. Hunt (Nat., Pakuranga) said the Government had decided to allow limited and tasteful advertising on the Concert Programme. If the Government did not it would mean that other centres outside the four

main centres would not be able to receive YC programmes and that the four main centres would not have seen the YC programmes change from AM to FM (frequency modulation).

“The alternative is an increase in licence fee,” he said. “This Government is not prepared to do that We believe that limited advertising will allow extension of that programme and cover the very large capital costs that are involved.”

Mr J. J. Terris (Lab., Western Hutt) said morale in the Broadcasting Corporation was at an all-time low as a result of attacks made on it by the Minister and members such as Mr T. de V. Hunt. Mr Terris asked what the Minister would do to ensure New Zealanders watched television programmes that were discernible from those in the United States, Britain or Timbuktu.

“We want programmes on our screens which are of contemporary relevance to New Zealanders.” Dr Shearer said that 32 per cent of all programmes on television were New Zealand-produced. The way Mr Terris had spoken one would think there was a very small percentage of local programmes on television.

Mrs Ann Hercus (Lab., Lyttelton) said the positions of chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation and chief executive of broadcasting should not be held by the same person. Referring to the internal inquiry into broadcasting last year, she said she had asked at the public expenditure committee who set up the inquiry. “The answer, fascinatingly, was not the board but one man — lan Cross (the chairman of the corporation). “He chose the members

of the committee, he set up the terms of reference and the board presumably rubber-stamped that,” Mrs Hercus said.

Mr Cross did not give the board a full report but his own synopsis of the findings. “I am certainly not convinced that the position of both chairman of the board and chief executive in broadcasting should be held by the same person.” Mr lan McLean (Nat., Tarawera) praised the work of Mr Cross and other broadcasting executives, saying the quality of New Zealand television ranked among the best in the world.

But, he said: “I believe the already high quality of B.C.N.Z. television would be enhanced by a third channel.”

An extra channel could enrich the lives of New Zealanders as well as create jobs and encourage diversity, he said.