Diet of ‘junk food’ predicted from broadcasting changes

Press, 15 September 1988, Page 12

Diet of ‘junk food’ predicted from broadcasting changes

By

NIGEL MALTHUS

The proposed changes to broadcasting threaten a loss of regional programming, excessive commercialisation, a . television diet of “junk food” and a loss of national identity, according to a former chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation, Mr lan Cross. Mr Cross, addressing a Christchurch Rotary Club luncheon, said that he saw little point in speaking in Auckland and Wellington, since Wellington was “in the grip of a bunch of text-book terriers” who listened only to views confirming their theories, and Auckland was too busy with itself. Yet New Zealand, and broadcasting in particular, gained its strength from regionalism, he said. Mr Cross, chairman of the corporation from 1977 to 1986, said that the best thing to happen to television in that time was the restoration of regional programming. “It took some battling to get even 15 to 20 minutes of such programming on air and keep it there in the face of considerable scepticism within television up north, and even political criticism,” he said. It was the South Island’s response to the regional programmes which won the day, but Mr Cross said he had no doubt that there were still forces within TVNZ which wanted to get rid of them. Now, with broadcasting about to be restructured,

television was to become commercial seven days a week, on all three channels and any future channels. Now, television retained some balance, but when competitive commercial programming began, American and Australian experience showed that the result would be the inevitable degradation of programming, said Mr Cross. “Television, the most pervasive and, in some respects, most potent communication medium — which can do much for our education and information, for our city and regional lives — is being told by current policy that it must live only by selling itself in the marketplace. Frankly I think that is prostitution,” he said. Commercial television could be a lot of fun, and provide a superlative marketing service, but that was only one half of what a country should get from television, he said. “We have schools, universities, live theatre, libraries, books, music, churches, art galleries, museums. How is television to reflect their values — values on which our civilisation and culture are based?” Mr Cross said that young peole averaged 20 hours a week of television and if commercial television was all they were to get, they would have malnourished minds. “Junk food is all right in its place but it is insulting the country to suggest that this should

comprise most of its television diet,” he said. The Government was setting up a body to administer licence-fee funds for' non-commercial programming but had not yet said whether the funds would be available to television as well as radio. Mr Cross also called for at least 40 per cent local programming to reflect New Zealand’s national and regional identities. Already, New Zealand content was only about 20 per cent, which Australia, Canada and Britain would never allow and would see as a disgrace. Radio was on firmer ground under the restructuring proposals, but still risked commercialisation, the suggested sponsorship of its non-commercial programmes being the thin end of the wedge, he said. There were some good aspects to the changes, such as the separation of radio and television. Mr Cross said, however, that South Islanders must insist on representation on the boards of the two new State-owned Enterprises to be formed out of the Broadcasting Corporation, and also on the new Broadcasting Commission to be set up to administer licence-fee funds. If some of Radio New Zealand’s South Island commercial stations were to be sold, South Islanders should ensure they went to local interests. They should also insist on balanced television fare, and the only way to do that was to ensure that one channel was non-com-mercial.