USE OF RADIO FOR POLITICS AND SPORTS

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1949, Page 5

USE OF RADIO FOR POLITICS AND SPORTS

Election And Football Broadcasts

P.A. WELLINGTON, October 5. In the House of Representatives tonight, the vote on the estimates for broadcasting was under consideration.

Earlier, Mr. T. L. Macdonald (Nat., Wallace) gave notice of a question as to whether the Prime Minister intended to reserve the final night’s broadcast in the election campaign entirely for himself, or would he revert to a practice of 1938 and 1943, when the final broadcast consisted of a short message only, from each of two Party leaders. He said Mr W. M. C. Denham, Labour candidate for Invercargill, was reported last week as saying that radio would play a greater part than meetings in the coming campaign, particularly on the vital night before the country goes to the polls.

Mr M. Oram (Nat., Manawatu) said that although no final decision had been reached, he understood that the same procedure would be followed as at the last election. The Prime Minister would use the broadcast network himself on the final night. Public expenditure was involved. Parliament should see that there was no abuse- involved. The fact that at the last election the Prime Minister took up the whole of the last night for himself was an abuse of the right of the Government to use the broadcasting service.

Mr M. Moohan (Govt., Petone) said that Mr Oram had changed his mind considerably, because the Member for Manawatu had, earlier, advanced the idea that there should be no election broadcasts after the last Friday before voting day. That suggestion would mean that the Government could be subjected to abuse by the press throughout the country without the right of reply. Yet Mr Oram now said the Government should not have the use of the broadcasting service for the final night. But why not? The Government was responsible to the people. The debate on whether the Government should be retained was opened by the Prime Minister, and, under any rules of debate, he should have the right to close it. Mr W. Sullivan (Nat., Bay of Plenty): What rot! Mr F. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga) offered, as a practical suggestion, a proposal that on the final night, stations in Wellington and Dunedin should give listeners a choice between “the Prime Minister singing his grave digger’s dirge, and the Leader of the Opposition singing his victory song”.

Mr T. E. Skinner (Govt., Tamaki) asked why more broadcasting time should not be given to league, soccer, hockey, and other codes, in addition to the Rugby Union. He suggested th e sports broadcasts of the YA stations should be shared equitably between these sports. Mr A. Baxter (Govt., Raglan) speaking as a former Rugby Union player, said he supported Mr Skinner’s plea for more broadcasts of the games in the other codes. Rugby had become almost a vested interest in New Zealand, and was now reaping some of the results of its own maladministration. The Rugby Union had for years been more concerned with improving the capital value of the grounds it controlled than with amenities for the players. Rugby administrators seldom thought of those who made the game—the players and the spectators, but had gone all out for capital improvements and for building up their capital assets. The broadcasting services should give the public a reasonable understanding of the other codes. Mr Jones said that New Zealanders were a sport-loving people, and the best arrangements possible were made for the broadcasting of various forms of sport. The Members for Tamaki and Raglan would perhaps be satisfied that next Saturday’s League match would be broadcast from Auckland, Wellington, and Greymouth.

Hon. F. Hackett: Tpjere will be a dual broadcast—playing" and fighting! Mr Jones said that £265,000 was provided in the estimates for programmes this year. Two officers from the service had been overseas and had investigated television, which would be very costly to provide in New Zealand. It was realised that, teleision must come to New Zealand, but television would b e costly because the installation of transmitters would be a great expense, and the programmes could be sent to only a