RADIO PURITY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 121, 25 May 1933, Page 21

RADIO PURITY

AN AUSTRALIAN EDICT

MISS DOROTHY BRUNTON REBELS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, May 18. The air must be pure. That at least is tlie edict of the Australian Broadcasting Commission—an edict which involved Miss Dorothy Brunton in an incident which intrigued thousands of radio listeners throughout Australia, and perhaps in New Zealand as well, on Sunday night last. Miss Brunton had been advertised to appear in the romantic musical comedy, "Dearest Enemy," and at the last minute it was announced from the Sydney studios of the national station that "owing to unforeseen circumstances" she would not be able to do so. In this play Miss Bruutou, who is as popular as ever, takes the part of a lively Irish girl, and her lines were punctuated with, small, .flippant oaths, but it appears to be the inflexible rule of the Australian Broadcasting Commission that the words* "hell" or "damn" shall not reach the ether through the microphone. Miss Brunton asked: "How can I be Irish if I cannot say a little 'damn'-or 'to hell wid you'?" She appealed to the broadcasting authorities not to censure her lines to the extent proposed, but they merely replied • that • rules ,were rules, so Miss Brunton did not take part in the .production. Miss Brunton complains that' when she was shown the manuscript of the play all her b/est dramatic arid comedy scenes had been cut out, and every little swear word had been suppressed. What was left was hopelessly mediocre, and was-no-good to her. JSTaturally enough, there have been protests agaiiist the action of the Commission which is' taken as revealing another form of censorship. Censorships arc always unpopular, aud it is felt that there is a danger that longestablished works will suffer as a result of tho prudishness of some obscure official. However, the Commission is adamant.. . Its attitude was explained by the general manager (Mr. \V. T. Condor)' who said that tlie number, of listeners approached half a million. The Commission was determined that i art, comedy and literature would go j over the air free of. all suggestiveness and blasphemy. It was important to remember that the listening' set was even more intimate-than-'the theatre,, more.intimate than" "the screen, as' it; was part of -the' family .evenings by the fireside. The B class stations, which are under the'control of the Commission are not so particular, though, it must be admitted that the greatest care is .always exercised in selecting the class of matter to bo broadcast. "However, these stations do not object to an occasional "damn," and eve'n~"hell" has been heard over the air from them. Plays and sketches form an important part of the current broadcasts, and it is essential that the players should be properly in character. The B stations regard the attitude of the national station as rather ridiculous, and it would be safe to.say that the general public does also. It is not satisfying [to hear a man say. "Dash it" -when you know from his general demeanour that he' meant to say something a great j deal stronger. .