LABOUR RADIO STATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 150, 22 December 1938, Page 9

LABOUR RADIO STATION

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTS

WARNING IGNORED

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received December 22, 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, December 21. The Labour broadcasting station, 2KY, was suddenly put off the air this afternoon by order of the Post-master-General (Mr. Cameron). It is understood that this arises out of the dispute between the Minister of Defence (Mr. Thorby) and the Opposition Leader (Mr. Curtin). In an interview in Melbourne tonight on his way to Adelaide, the PostmasterGeneral, Mr. Cameron, said that he accepted full responsibility for the withdrawal of the 2KY licence. At 4 p.m. today he had given a personal warning that action would be taken if thai; broadcasting station failed to conform with the requirements of his Department. He added: "We expect from the commercial broadcasting stations the same standard of ethics as is demanded from the newspapers." It is understood that correspondence between the Postmaster-General's Department and 2KY has been going on for two years Concerning the transmission of statements which were regarded as objectionable by the Federal Government, particularly upon international affairs. Officials of 2KY expressed amazement at the suddenness of the Post-master-General's action, which is attributed to views and statements emanating from their news commentator upon the pig-iron dispute at Port Kembla and the controversy between Mr. Thorby and Mr. Curtin, one remark picturing Mr. Thorby as trying to run Australia with a spittoon in one hand and a smoking gun in the other. The Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons, stated he does not propose to take any further action at present in regard to the dispute between Mr. Thorby and Mr. Curtin in view of Mr. Curtin's acceptance of Mr. Thorby's explanation.