CONTROVERSIAL BROADCASTS

Evening Star, Issue 22362, 11 June 1936, Page 7

CONTROVERSIAL BROADCASTS

N.Z. BOARD HAD PERMISSIVE AUTHORITY TIMID ADMINISTRATORS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, June 10. That New Zealand’s broadcasting policy has been closely following that of the British Broadcasting Board was declared by the Postmaster-General (Mr Jones) to be a pretence. He told the House, when replying on the second reading of tho Broadcasting Bill that the Broadcasting Board had certainly followed the 8.8. C. in its most conservative features, but it had never given the same right in New Zealand to discuss controversial subjects as was enjoyed in,- Britain. It had never allowed the unemployed to present their point of view over the air, nor had it arranged for tho discussion of comparative religion, and many other important social and political topics on which people should be informed. Ho knew that the ex-Post-master-Gcneral instructed tho board that it could permit controversial subjects to be discussed, but it seemed either to be frightened by Parliament, or it never had the courage to follow the example of the 8.8. C. Therefore, it did not take full advantage of his predecessor’s authority.