BROADCASTING CONTROL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 June 1936, Page 7

BROADCASTING CONTROL

(By Telegraph— WELLINGTON, Last Night. Resuming the uebate on the Broadcasting Bill in the House this afternoon Mr. R. A. Wright said newspaper re-, porters had always treated members fairly and often had knocked their speeches into shape.

Mr. Forbes said it was significant that there was no expression of opinion from members on the Government side of the House. He said taking over the control of wireless was bound to affect its progress and the change would not bring about any greater satisfaction than there had been in the past. Complete control was being given to the Government and when it was learned how the Government intended to use it, it gave cause for apprehension. It was the case of a new broom sweeping clean and some useful furniture might be swept away in the process. Regarding treatment by the newspapers, Mr. Forbes said the Opposition's remarks were published in tabloid form, but everything the Prime Minister said Avas published in full. He added that the past Government had tried to establish a service that was free and unfettered, leaving the Minister power to veto and it had worked well. He thought commercial advertising over the air was a retrograde step and said that the power had been taken entirely as a weapon against the newspapers. He objected to the State going into the market to -sell advertising over the air and said it was opening up a new avenue. It would mean additional cost to the people as one advertiser would be forced to take •advantage of the wireless if his competitor did. He felt that the Labour Party on getting "into office had lowered their standard and the fact that they were going to have advertising over the air was a great fall from the standard sot by the Labour Party.

Mr. F. Schramm said Mr. Forbes had said the Bill established tyranny and he asked the House to compare it with some of the measures passed b}' the previous Government. He instanced the threat of dismissal of civil servants if they criticised the then Government. He agreed that the Minister should have control and the talk of political control was only a bogey. After all, all control was political. The party in power were the appointed persons to the positions they occupied. He thought the establishment of C stations and giving them advertising was very necessary. He also agreed with subsidising B stations.

Mr. S. G. Smith contended that political control could not possibly lead to fairness of thought. New Zealand should follow the British system which met with the approval of the people. The Government were changing the system without consulting listeners and many of the listeners who were opposed to the Government would be used to spread Government propaganda and the House was told that was fair and just. The Bill, which seemed a simple one, ■was setting up a dictatorship in the hands of the Government and he thought the Prime Minister would in time regret it. Broadcasting should be used in the national interest and as a national service, but in future it would be used to bolster up the Government. The Minister was just taking power to set up an advisory council. He might not set one up, but if he did establish a council the Minister need not consult it. The Broadcasting Board had improved the fiorfition in New Zealand and had done extremely good work, yet it was to be abolished. He had always thought B stations should be encouraged and he congratulated the Minister on th 6 provision to help them. Hon. F. Jones, .in reply, said the •opposition to the'measure came under four heads: The abolition of the Broadcasting Board, granting of subsidies to B stations, use of license fees and commercial; stations. The board had refused to. allow vontrnvorsal subjects to be discussed over the air despite past Ministers' permission. He claimed that Ministerial control was a "stop forward and. said Ministerial control had existed, under the hist Govern-, ment. Regarding Mr. Ooates' state-' Hient that .the Government had an agreement with B stations, Mr. Jones said all the time he was in the House the question of support for B stations was repeatedly raised. He mentioned stations that had been bought out by the past government and other B station proprietors were concerned lest they would be forced oft' the air. At the present time license fees were being used to subsidise stations. The Gov''JShmebt spent more than £20,000 on ad- , vertising. Why should some of that not be used for advertising over the air? It seemed that the only fear of members was that advertising would be lost to the newspapers. He said Mr. 'Coatea' statement that the newspapers supported the Government was laughaye and, said if the day came when the newspapers did come over to the Government's side the Government would have to look to itself to see what was frong. The Government did not beeve in dictatorships, nor did it agree

Vigorous Opposition to Bill.

Late Sitting of House.

•Press Association). with what whs taking place in Germany, but references had been made to what was being done in that country regarding the manufacture of cheap sets. Parliamentary broadcasts had assisted to popularise broadcasting and he predicted that the number of licenses would show an increaes during the present year. Regarding the rents that were paid for premises, Mr. Jones said in Wellington in all for three buildings £1973 per year was paid. He did not say there was anything wrong in that. ' It might be necessary. In Christchurch £BSO was paid. j Rev. Clyde Carr: Too much! Mr. Jones: I do not know. lam not I a judge of that. ! In Dunedin a portion of the Evening Star building was used, the amount paid being £670.

Mr. W. T. Anderton: Scandalous! The second reading was challenged but was passed at 4.20 by 49 to 19.

The House went into Committee to consider the Bill.

Speaking on the short title, Hon. A. Hamilton said most of the B stations bought out by tJie last Government were poor insignificant stations except two.

Mr. W. J. Broadt'oot asked what stations were to be subsidised. There were 21 of them and the House was entitled to that information. What kind of information was to be permitted and what were the rates to be. Mr. E. A. Wright sought information

as to what was to be broadcast in the way of political matter. The Prime Minister had said Government speakers would say something that would help the country along. What did he mean by that? Mr. Savage: I can tell you in a minute. Nothing is reported from this side of the House because we want legislation to go through, but it is reasonable to think something is being done to support 'our legislation, but that seldom appears in the newspapers.

Mr. W. P. Endean said no one would say the board would not produce a better programme than the Minister and an advisory council. The principle governing the judiciary was that it should be free from political control and the same principle should apply to broadcasting.

Rev. Clyde Carr asked if some arrangement were not entered into between the newspapers and the broadcasting authorities that the newspapers would not use news picked up by shortwave from Continental and American stations if the broadcasting authorities did not advertise. He realised that there was nothing on the department's files regarding the arrangement. The second reading division list was as follows: For the Bill (48) Anderton, Atmore, Barclay, Barnes, Barrell, C. H. Burnett, Campbell, Carr, Chapman, Christie, Coleman, Cotterill, CuUen, Denham, Eraser, Herring, Hodgens, Howard, Hunter, Jones, Jordan, Langstone, Lee, Lowry, Lyon, McDougalJ, McMillan, Mason, Meachen, Moucur, Munro, Nash, Neilsen, Nordmeyer, O'Brien, Parry, Petrie, Ratana, Richards, Roberts, Robertson, Savage, Schramm, Semple, Sullivan, Thorn, Webb, Wilson.

Against the Bill (19): Bodkin, Broadfoot, T. D. Burnett, Coates, Cobbe, Dickie, Endean, Forbes, Hamilton, Hargest, Holland, Holyoake, Kyle, Polson, Ransom, Roy, Smith, Wilkinson, Wright. Pairs: For the Bill: Coulter, McCombs. Against the Bill: Ngata, Henare.

When the House resumed to-nighi Hon. V. Jones said there would be a department of broadcasting under the control of the Minister who could delegate some of his powers to the DirectorGeneral who would .see that the Government's policy was carried out. He assured the House that nothing would be put over the air from the Government commercial station that was not decent. The station would be run on business lines. No advertising rates had yet been determined and would not be fixed till the station was established. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle said the Broadcasting Board was being wiped out, but an advisory council would be established in its place. What was the dill'erence? Mr. K. J. Holyoake asked on what basis were B stations to be subsidised? Mr. Jones said a survey would be made. Mr. Savage moved the closure at 8.10 p.m. and this was carried after a division by 43 votes to 15. The short title was then passed by 43 votes to 16. Replying to further questions Mr. Jones said it was not intended by the Government to appoint a direct listeners' representative on the advisory council. The Government contended that members of Parliament would be able to represent the listeners very well. The Minister might suggest to the council that it should go into the question of staffing or into new buildings, but in the main its work would be to deal with programmes. Dealing with the duties of the Mini;er, Mr. Jones said he visualised the

t'imo when the Postmaster-General would still carry on the work of supervising the technical side of broadcasting and, the new Minister of Broadcasting v would look after the cultural side. If at any time the Government were of opinion that a senior Minister or a Minister better qualified should fill the important position of broadcasting it would be easy to make an appointment. All that had been done was to provide tor the position. Mr. Jones thought they would be able to secure a man with the necessary Qualifications for director in New Zealand. The Government visualised the time when they would have one Minister supervising the technical side and another administering the cultural side. Mr. Wright said he was sure there would be a great deal of dissatisfaction among listeners when they learned that a listeners' representative was not to be appointed to represent them.

The Minister said it was not a question of appointing a board. Jt was appointing people to advise the Minister. The members of the Council would be appointed because of what they knew of broadcasting, not because they happened to be listeners nor because they happened to be organisers of the Reform Party or of the Labour Party or any other party. The Government's job would be to get hold of those men or women and'appoint them as advisers to the Minister or his subordinates. He had told people all over the country that as long as there was a board listeners were entitled to be represented on it, but when this Bill was passed the board would be past and the advisory council would be substituted. The council would be composed of persons to advise not because they were listeners but because of their knowledge, and the Government's job would be to get people with that knowledge. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot said the people who paid the price were entitled to construct the tune at which they were to be taxed.' Mr. W. J. Poison said farmers had certain views on the question of broadcasting and they were of opinion that some representative of their interests should be on the advisory council. Mr. Poison said the Minister had said one Minister would look after the cultural side.

A voice: The agricultural side? Mr. Poison: No! The Minister does not know anything about agricultuib. Mr. Poison went on to say the side the Minister would look after would be that of kultur. Hon. Walter Nash said there was a tendency to make Parliament a farce.

The Chairman of Committees: The hon. Alinister must not reflect on the chair.

Air. Nash: I am not reflecting on the chair.

He went on to say that already there were departments such as the Pensions Department that were controlled by two Alinisters and that might be the same in regard to broadcasting, but there was no reason why one Alinister should not carry out the two functions. The Bill provided an easy transfer should the need arise. The technical side of broadcasting was associated with the Post and Telegraph Department and the Postmaster-General was in charge of the scientific side. Then there was the other side which was totally different. There was a splendid case for listeners being represented on the advisory council, but there was no reason why every member of the advisory council should not be a listeners' representative. The council was charged with one thing only: To satisfy the demands of listeners. Mr. Broadfoot: Will the Alinister have a veto?

Mr. Nash: It is not a case of a veto. It is a case of the Minister being in charge of the department. The Minister has the iast word. That is all the Bill says.

Mr. Coates moved an amendment to clause ,i providing that the Broadcasting Corporation should consist of a Minister and three members elected by listeners and two members appointed by the Governor-General. Hon. D. G. Sullivan described the amendment as a political stunt. Listeners would not be deceived by the tactics cf that kind. It was unadulterated humbug and miserable hypocrisy as when Mr. Coates had power to give tlw listeners representation he refused tc do it.

The amendment was lost bv 4'.i votes to 18.

Opposition members protested against the abolition of the board, but the clause was retained by 4:5 votes to IS.

Mr Poison moved an amendment to the next clause to provide that the Minister should act only after consulting the Advisory Council. The amendment was lost by Hi to 17. The clause was challenged, but was retained by 43 to 18. Mr Broadfoot moved an amendment to clause o, dealing with the appointment of a Director of Broadcasting, deleting the provision that the Director shall hold ottico during -he pleasure of the Governor-General-in-Council. He said as the clause read at present, the Director could bo dismissed at a moment's notice and he wondered what sort of a man would accept office under such conditions. The amendment was lost on the voices.

A division was called for on clause 6, dealing with the appointment of officers other than directors, but the clause was retained by 43 to 18. A further amendment, that the Advisory Council should consist of a Minister and three members elected by listeners and two others appointed by the Governor-General, was lost by 47 to 18.

Mr Kyle moved an amendment pro-

viding that the Advisory Council should meet as the Council itself decided, not as the Minister decided, but the amendment was lost on the voices.

An amendment was moved by Air Forbes to clause 12, to delete the subclause providing that moneys derived from the operation of commercial stations should be paid into the broadcasting account. Mr Poison said the clause was an attack on newspapers. The amendment was defeated by 48 to IS. '

Coming' to clause 14, Mr Forbes moved an amendment to delete the subclause giving the Governmen. power to advertise from commercial stations. After some discussion on the lines ot earlier remarks, the amendment was defeated by 48 to 18 and the clause was retained by 48 to 8.

Amendments to Fair Rents Bill

In the House this afternoon the Fair Kents Bill was received back from the Legislative Council with amendments. Hon. H. G. 11. Mason explained that most of* the amendments were those he had indicated while the Bill was before the House, but he moved that the House disagree with an amendment not permitting a landlord to distrain for any rent due without the consent of a Magistrate, Mr Mason explained that it was largely a matter of expression and managers were set up to confer with managers from the Legislative Council.