Storm over delay in screening sex series

Press, 2 July 1985, Page 15

Storm over delay in screening sex series

PA Wellington Concern over the homosexual law reform issue has apparently prompted Television New Zealand to delay screening a documentary series on sexuality. While officially TVNZ denies this, the “Evening Post” said it had been told that debate over the bill had been a factor in the delay. The producer of “Expressions of Sexuality,” Allison Webber, understood her seven-part series was to screen in August. The TVNZ controller of programme planning and development, Mr Rod Cornelius, says it will not be seen until the summer at the earliest. This was not because of concern about the Homosexual Law Reform Bill debate, he said, but because of to the programme’s frank and explicit nature, which made it difficult to schedule.

The series was stronger than TVNZ executives had expected, “and is really three years ahead of its time in the way things are openly discussed.” Mr Paul Bradwell, of Reed Methuen Publishers in Auckland, says he was told by a television executive that the programme screening delay was because of the pending vote on the bill in Parliament.

His company is publishing a book on the series, and has 5000 copies, with a total retail value of almost $lOO,OOO, ready to go on sale. He said the book is a joint venture between Reed Methuen and BCNZ Enterprises, which had said the programme would play in May. It was then put back to August. Mr Bradwell said his company will make strong representations to TVNZ about the matter because it has been “extremely inconvenienced and frustrated” by the lack of co-ordination between Enterprises and programming. The publications execu-

tive for BCNZ Enterprises, Miss Marian Harkness, emphasised that Reed Methuen had been told any scheduling dates were only tentative. “One reason for the delay is that one of the programmes needs editing,” she said. “TV is also obviously well aware of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, and I understand that it was felt not advisable to get the programme out until the bill had been resolved either way.” Ms Webber said she was “extremely annoyed and disappointed” by TVNZ’s attitude and believed it has been “gutless.” She had not been formally told the reason for the delay. “But if it is because of the homosexual law reform debate, I also think I have never seen a better time for the screening of the series, which is an intelligent and reasonably honest discussion of sexuality that isn’t caught up in bigotry and commercialism.”