BROADCASTING.

Evening Star, Issue 22797, 4 November 1937, Page 10

BROADCASTING.

Not much that was new, or could he new, was said in yesterday’s debate on the Government’s Bill mating separate control for the general and commercial wireless services. The dual system that is now established carries its own irrisistible comment. It is well‘remembered how, when Professor Shelley gave up his university position a year ago to become Director of Broadcasting, the appointment was hailed as an enlightened attempt to give a new cultural value to radio. The popular taste was to be raised. Professor Shelley made it clear that that was his conception of'the role he was to fill, though he admitted that the pace at which he could go must be set for him to a considerable extent by listeners. Presumably he did not dream that, before he had well begun to face •the natural difficulties of his high calling, another controller of broadcasting would be appointed not, it might be concluded from some programmes, to raise the standard of public taste, but to lower it. Now these two positions have been made independent of each other, which at least relieves Professor Shelley of some most invidious responsibilities. A great deal has been written about the new commercial service under Mr Scrinigeour’s control, but no one has claimed yet that it conduces to “ the encouragement and training of New Zealand’s own people in the arts of music and speech.” Mr Hamilton had a good deal to say about it in yesterday’s debate, and a further inconsistency -was pointed out by him in saying that “ the present Government was fond of discussing the virtues of amalgamation, but here it was dividing a- house against itself.’’ It is not clear why Mr J. A. Lee should have thought it profitable to dig up again the ancient story of IZB’s jamming before last election, unless he thought that something had to be said following the Leader of the Opposition’s criticisms and that anything was easier than a reply. In his speech in moving the second reading of the Bill the Post-master-General (Hon. F. Jones) referred to the large increase in the number of radio licenses, which he had most cause to attribute to improved prosperity, and which adds to the responsibility of those in charge of services. The Government may believe that Government control of radio is better than board control, but the fact is incontestable that Government control has many more dangers than board control. It is the dictator Governments, those of Russia, Germany, and Italy, which have set most store by the control of broadcasting, valued as the chief power for the continuance of their regimes. Broadcasts of Parliament, also referred to by Mr Jones, form a natural enough development that "would have more .promise of usefulness if a system could be devised by which members of the House themselves could listen in to them by relays. The system will be truly justified in so much as it increases, not diminishes, general respect for Parliament. Of the commercial service Mr Jones had apparently little more to say than that its programmes were “ not obnoxious ” and that it was “ dissimilar to the other two examples at least of words very carefully chosen. They left the least room for Dr M'Millan’s bold claim of advantage to be found in competition in State services, 11 because it resulted in better programmes.” As to Mr Jones’s claim that the Government had carried out its promises to (B stations, presumably he did not refer to the promises given in answer to a questionnaire before the elections, and published at the time by those bodies. They will satisfy any description of mind upon the question.