BROADCASTING CHURCH SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 198, 23 May 1928, Page 7

BROADCASTING CHURCH SERVICES

meeting of committee. A meeting of the 2YA Church Service Committee was held at the studio of ~IA yesterday morning. There were present: The Revs. C. Eaton (Methodist), I’. G. Harry (Baptist), Pastor Carpenter (Church of Christ), C. V. Rooke (Anglican), R. S. Watson (Presbyterian), and E. Weeks (Congregational), and the official representatives of the Radio Broadcasting Co., Ltd, , The Rev. E. Weeks was unanimously elected chairman for the ensuing year. Various matters relative to the broadcasting of Sunday services were discussed, appreciation being expressed of the service rendered by the company in this connection. , .• Some time was devoted to the question of the broadcast rota. The Rev. Watson expressed the view that the proportional system should be adopted, taking the telative strength of the general denominations as disclosed by the national statistics as a basis, and framing the rota in equitable conformity therewith. He had found from experience that this system worked satisfactorily in the appointment of chaplains to military camps, and he had noticed that the broadcast rota foi IYA (Auckland) had been worked out in an agreement founded on tlie proportional system. He did not that the system should be applied at bitrarilj. Indeed, he considered that in the arrangement as made in Auckland his own church had been, if anything, too senerouslv treated. He thought, hop ex er, that in its broader aspect the proportional allocation of dates would prove the more satisfactory. . , ~ This view was endorsed by the Rev.

C. V, Rooke. Other speakers considered tha the efficiency of the broadcast service rendered should be the Primary consffie ation, their chief objective being to gixe the listening public the best effective service possible regardless of de nominational considerations. In substance, their argument was that the rot' should be determined rath f‘ hy ‘.fficuni stances than statistics, and in tins con nection Pastor Carpenter m cd the tact that his was the only chureh of ins c nomination that was hroadcast . either of the four stations, that in.quite n number of eases smaller ‘•'h«Tch® s his denomination scattered 'g the country districts, now inked up p th the

broadcast service from his churcn, a u that consequently a rota ’ nB « l . n n that proportional principle would mean that his church would only be on the air pio bably once a year. After discussion it was unaniinously agreed that the rota ill ,°P® ratI °" H S the opening of 2YA should be coutmue<l for three months, to permit of tpo■ com piete circuits being broadcast before the question of apportioning dates be lui ther considered. It was P 0 •° u n t that there were one or two deno, ”’" a tions who were not yet ready t the company’s invitation, and the post ponement of finalising the 10 , , )t therefore enable the i}} n tt e v t 0 . < with more satisfactorily after the deci sions of these denominations had ueen made knop’n.