TVNZ apology to Socred

Press, 11 May 1984, Page 2

TVNZ apology to Socred

Television New Zealand will apologise to Social Credit’s leader, Mr Bruce Beetham, for snubbing him in Christchurch. The party’s broadcasting spokesman, Mr Richard

Bach, yesterday rebuked TVNZ for three times denying Mr Beetham the opportunity to comment on Social Credit’s performance in the latest public opinion polls. He said that television

had “exceeded its normal level of partiality” in the omission and accused staff of “arrogant unprofessionalism” and “cavalier treatment of a political personality.” Mr Beetham was in Christchurch on May 8 and May 9 when the results of the poll were released. They showed that Social Credit support stood at 6 per cent and that the party had picked up one percentage point, reversing a downward trend apparent since last September. Social Credit has complained before about its television coverage with little effect but this time the complaint has been accepted as justified. TVNZ’s controller of news, current affairs and sport, Mr Bruce Crossan, said in Auckland yesterday that he would write to Mr Beetham expressing his regret at what had happened. “We have made an honest error of judgment and I have taken steps to ensure that it will not happen again,” he said.

Mr Crossan would not comment on the party’s wider dissatisfaction with television. He said that his statement applied only to the matter of seeking Mr Beetham’s response to the opinion poll. Mr Bach said that Social Credit’s president, Mr Stefan Lipa, had also sent a letter of complaint on Mr Beetham’s behalf to the chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation, Mr lan Cross.