"UNCLE JACK"

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 139, 16 June 1927, Page 14

"UNCLE JACK"

The announcement made last week that Mr. J. M. Prentice, the Broadcasting Company's' chief announcer, whose voice is familiar all over New Zealand, had resigned his position, must have come' as a shock to a great number of people. It was known to a few people for some weeks that his resignation had been sent in as' the result of a disagreement regarding the broadcasting policy, but the matter was kept private, in : the hopeXthat the difficulty couldobe straightened out. The company has,', of course}," the right to manage its -staffing in its own way, whether the public agree or disagree with its methods, and nobody has the right to :dictate as to:whether this or that man shall serve it. At the same time, general regret will be felt if "Uncle' Jack?', severs .his .connection with the New Zealand broadcasting service. He is a very accomplished man, with a remarkable gift for projecting his personality through space by means of broadcasting, great sympathy with those important people, "the kiddies," .and an'astonishing fund of valuable information. . A's-programme organiser he has been responsible,for pulling the standard, of programmes up to what is probably the highest" level .possible within; the : present • limitations of finance, and \he has, by common consent, done more for Broadcasting in New Zealand than any other one man.