‘Pom’ ban upsets broadcasters

Press, 1 May 1984, Page 15

‘Pom’ ban upsets broadcasters

PA Wellington A former head of Radio New Zealand, Mr Geoffrey Whitehead, has alarmed Australian broadcasters by banning use of the word “Pom” to describe English people. English-born Mr Whitehead, a naturalised New Zealander, and now managing-director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, recently asked staff to drop such ethnic descriptions from A.B.C. services. According to the “Sydney Morning Herald,” A.B.C. • staff believe the move also effectively bans words like Kiwi, Yank, and perhaps even Aussie. They say it arose from a single complaint from a listener. Mr Whitehead, in answer to the listener’s complaint,

wrote to South Australia’s Ethnic Affairs Minister, Mr Greg Crafter, saying: “While I believe that this word is used more often with affectionate familiarity than a perjorative sense, I have already given instructions that no ethnic descriptions which could be interpreted as a bias by the A.B.C. against any minority group, should be used.” The newspaper said the matter had not been referred to the A.B.C.’s committee on language use. The chairman of the committee, Professor Arthur Delbridge, commented: “While Pom is one of many words that may be used with an aggressive edge, as in ‘whingeing Pom’, the tone and context in which they are used should be taken into account.”