RACING AND RADIO

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 August 1928, Page 7

RACING AND RADIO

BAN ON BROADCASTING.

A DOMESTIC MATTER. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. (By Telegraph —Si)ee.ial to The Shir.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 14. Is the Racing Conference of New Zeltlancl superior to Parliament ? There have Been occasions; wihen this point lias been criticaly made by memt,er& of the House of Representatives;, ana it was repeated to-day by the leader of the Opposition Mr H. E. Holland, in dealing with the, ban on broadcasting of races imposed by the ra cine/ authority. When the Post and Telegraph Department's report was presented, Mr Holland inquired, if tbs Department had taken action in this matter. “The Racing, Conference,” he said, “seems to be taking on itself powems. which belong to Parliament on the one hand and the courts on the other, and it seems to be adopting an attitude which would lead people to believe it regards itself as superior to either Parliament on- t-iie .Supreme Court.” lie had noticed. that tne broadcasting people announced that tney would, continue to broadcast racing results irrespective ot what the Racing Conference had done. Tins company received assistance irom the Postal Department and toe wno.e matter or communication was witnmi its sphere, so that rt would be interesting to pee wn,at the Department was tiding. .broadcasting arrangements had given members an opportunity or following in detail tne rxceney-i umicy ligat, and lie, could not see tne difference between listening to a pugilistic encounter and to listening in to the description of a 2 a.e. it was hard to understand how uroadcasting would lead to an increase in gambling, but in any case, addled Air Holland, if the veto was to' operate it should, be through Parliament, not through the Racing Conference. “ft seems to me that this question of broadcasting races is a- domestic one as between the 1 facing Gonierencu and tne broadcasting company,” sa«l the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates;, when replying to Mr itot land in the course ot a long speech, in un.cn n.e was continually deflected from ito, main points bv Opposition interjections. Mr Ooates explained that ne thought the whoie question should ho settled between tire two bodies, and that Parliament should, not interfere. The Racing Conference was rightly responsible dor the conduct of hoiwe racing, and. it was safer and better to have it so at least in so far as detail was concerned. Parliament was concerned only when questions of policy’ involving interest came into the foreground!. It was not a question whether Parliament should stop in and order the Racing Conference and the broadcasting company to broadcast races. It seemed to Mr Coates that it .was an entirely domestic affair and not one in which Parliament should interfere. In event of it being generally felt that this or that section was being given an undue advantage as against the public interest it would be different.

The Leader of the Opposition: “Isn’t this in the nature of information being withheld that the broadcasting company wishes to broadcast ?’ ’ Mr Coates said that there might possibly be another side to it; he did not know. It might be said l that the broadcasting company was getting something which was worth consideration. The Raoin-T, Conference might sav to the broadcasting company: “You are getting your programmes filled up very easily and for very little expenditure. This privilege is worth something to you.” Mr J. Horn (Wakatipu): “That’s the point.” Mr Coates: “If there is something in it the Racing Conference or the broadcasting company could 1 make their own arrangements. Mr V. H. Potter (Roskiill) : “And in the meantime the poor old oublic suffers between the two.” Mr Coates: “That is so. It would be for the Racing Conference to throw their course open for broadcasting, but is it wise? Is it in the public interest? Is there a demand for ,it? As far as my information gives me to understand, I don’t think that public opinion i s , in that direction.” Mr E. J. Howard contended that the only function of the Post Office in association with broadcasting was as a debt collector. The difficulty between the Racing Conference and the broadcasting company was a, domestic one. It. w no more possible to, force the racing fraternity to broadcast its entertainment than to direct the Italian Opern, Company to go on the air.