LOOK AT IT THIS WAY

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 18

LOOK AT IT THIS WAY

By

WHIM WHAM

... successive Government policies had forced television to be commercial most of the time. Social and cultural needs of minority audiences had suffered accordingly. — Mr lan Cross, retiring broadcasting chief.

Sir, wait for It, I’m afriad It’s going to be controversial — What’s wrong with Television? Do we agree, Too much of It is Commercial? Between the News and the Weather and the Soap, The Cricket and the Rest of It, The Commercials keep Us awake, and isn’t That The ultimate Test of It?

The Petfoods, the Fruit Drinks, the Toothpaste, Insecticides, Shampoos — Funny Men, fabulous Females, Cats, and Dogs, To instruct, and amuse! The serious Problem is filling in all that Time, We can’t sell every Minute Between the commercials, it costs Money to buy The Stuff we put in It.

That Man with a Voice like the Last Trump Or a drowning Trombone Comes on like the Future, which is a new Car I shall never own — 1 Whose Bank is This, like King Solomon’s Boardroom, What does the Man say?

Short of Money? Why don’t You call on Us? We’re giving It away!

One man’s Dreams are another’s Commercial Realities — Or what in the World would we ever do With all these ‘Personalities ? The best of Kiwi Luck to them All — Us Minorities, too, Picking our cultural Teeth, between The Drench and the Shampoo.