More commercials on TV from end of month

Press, 3 July 1985, Page 1

More commercials on TV from end of month

PA Wellington The Broadcasting Corporation wants to run advertisements six days a week on both television channels because it sees no prospect of a rise in the licence fee. The corporation’s board decided yesterday to extend advertising to every day of the week except Sunday on both channels from the open to close of transmission. This would start at the end of the month. The extra advertising slots would run for 12 months with the decision to be reviewed at the end of the year, it said. The increase was needed to boost television funding,

it said, because no licence fee increase had been obtained or was likely. The Minister of Broadcasting, Mr Hunt, said last evening that under the Broadcasting Amendment Act passed this year, extension of advertising was purely a matter for the corporation to decide. Mr Hunt said the corporation would “shortly” make its yearly request for a review of the licence fee, as required under the Broadcasting Act. “That is something it is coming to us about. Until I see what the figure is I will not be in a position to see whether it is justified,” he said.