DIRECTOR OF BROADCASTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 January 1944, Page 3

DIRECTOR OF BROADCASTING

- ~' a — \ ’ DEFENDS PROGRAMMES > 1 : Asked by a questioner at the close . of an address in the Sarjeant Gallery, 1 ; Wanganui, on "Art and Life’' how he i could reconcile the sentiments he had -j expressed so eloquently with the ■ ••rubbish which came over the air,” ■ 'the Director of Broadcasting. Prol'es- : sor Shelley, replied: “Who am I to be i the judge of what the people should ■ have?” li was his job, he said, to ! cater for everybody. For example, •' shopkeepers were not instructed what ito put in their display windows, eyen i though much was on public view ■ which some people would object to. ,• Recalling what Dicken? had said of .■ Mdlais’ "Madonna” and how the I highbrows of his time had scorned i the writings of Shakespeare, Profes--1 sor Shelley said he could not have • the temerity to set himself up as a ' judge of what was good or not good : in music. He knew what he liked, but i some music in the category of “high- ! brow” he could, not understand, i though he had a taste for the classics, j “'Everyone to his taste.” he said, add- ; ing that it was the duty of the broadi casting service to cater as far as posi sible for all tastes. ; Incidentally, he added, letters of j appreciation for classical programmes i and celebrity concerts were the ex- : cent ion, whereas hundreds were received about popular and swing proi grammes. As it happened. New Zealand broadcasts included a higher ;proportion of “good” music than any ; overseas. and special broadcasts to ' schools in the educational sessions , included musical appreciation.