USE OF RADIO

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3139, 6 July 1942, Page 5

USE OF RADIO

BROADCASTING DEFENDED

REPLY TO “AWAKE N.Z.”

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER

“The resolution passed by the “Awake New Zealand” campaign was brought to my -notice by Mr J. Thorn, M.P., and as he has informed you, I immediately " • asked for reports from both branches of the broadcasting service as I was of opinion that not only your organisation but the public in genenal also, have little conception of the very great use that is being made of the air in furtherance of the nation s war effort,” states a letter from the Minister in Charge of Broadcasting, the Hon. D. Wilson, to the organiser of the “Awake New Zealand” Campaign. Recently the above organisation made a protest that the broadcasting services were not co-operating as fully as they might in the war effort and asked the various members of Parliament to take the matter. The following letter is ; a result of an inquiry by Mr J. ’

Thorn, M.P. for Thames. The letter reads as under: —

The difficulty in sending you a reply which will give you all the facts is that so much has beep done that it would take weeks, of time and a fair sized staff to collate and analyse all the information. However, I asked that the last three months only should be dealt with and not too much detail ‘Entered into. Nevertheless, I will have to inflict upon you a very* considerable amount of reading matter if you are to get a true picture of what has and is being done. ! ® Details of Service “The following is a portion of the report received from the Director of the National Broadcasting Service: “In accordance with the Honourable the Minister’s instructions, I have had details extracted of the various activities of the service in broadcasts calculated to assist the war effort during the three months, February, March and April, 1942. The following is a detailed report of these activities.: —

“1. Regular features connected with the war. The news from London, seven times daily. Njß'.S. News Reel, daily. 8.8. C. War Commentaries . and “Listening Post” daily- BJB.C. commentator, Wickham Steed, on “World Affairs,” Sundays. Announcements, of vacancies to be filled by State Placement Service, three - times weekly, Silent prayer interval during chiming of Big Ben, nightly. Evening prayer, Wednesday evening. “Hello 'Children,” -being ' greetings from parents in' -Britain to their children in New Zealand, fortnightly. .“With the Boys Overseas” talks, commentaries and personal messages from members of the New Zealand Forces Overseas, twice weekly. Signal preparation for Air Force trainees, daily. “We Work for Victory,” giving the story of New Zealand’s industrial war effort, weekly. First air talks by St. John Ambulance Association and Red Cross Society,, weekly. Pig production talks- arranged for the Provincial Pig Production Councils, monthly., Variety concert from a military camp, monthly programmes -by Trentham Military Band and Band of the R.N.Z.A.F. “Music while you work,” two programmes daily of light music for workers in factories. Talks From BJB.C. “2.8.8. C. talks (These are recordedl regularly and. rebroadcast by the service if considered of sufficient interest to New Zealand.) In the months of February to April, 217 such talks were broadcast from Station 2YA and in many cases over the main national link. Among these were speeches by His Majesty the King, the Right Honourable Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt, Mr W. J. Jordan, Sir' Stafford Cripps, and Mr C/ R. Attlee. “3. Special talks in New Zealand. The following, talks on subjects connected with the war effort were broadcast by the speakers shown: Mr M. Moohan, “Some Observations on Rehabilitation.” Hon. , A, HNordmeyer, ' “Health -Services in Wartime.” Hon. Adam Hamilton, “Morale in Wartime.” A naval office r, “Don’t Write,” a warning to correspondents. Hon. J. G. Barclay, “(Primary .Producers’ Programme for Next Season.” His Excellency the Governor-General, “The Boy Scout Movement.” Hon. P. C. Webb, “A Visit to the Westfield (Continued On Page 7.)