BROADCASTING SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22904, 11 June 1936, Page 7

BROADCASTING SERVICE

CONTROL BY GOVERNMENT

MR POISON’S SEVERE CRITICISM

A POLITICAL FROG POND

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, June 10

The contention that the Government intended to use the broadcasting system as an instrument for purely Government propaganda was made by Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition, Stratford) during the second reading debate on the Broadcasting Bill in the House of Representatives to-dny.

“ The speech made last night by the Minister of Education (Mr P. Fraser) was nothing but camouflage,” Mr Poison said. “He tried to remove the impression created by the Prime Minister, who has stated in the Government’s own paper that the new broadcasting station at Titahi Bay is to be used for Government propaganda, and further that Government members who do not have an opportunity to speak in the debates will be allowed to speak over the air. It is said that the Opposition will get a fair run, but we can imagine what will happen when feeling runs high and the Minister in charge of broadcasting has to say what will be permitted. We know the attitude of the Government towards criticism. Because 1 ventured to go round the country speaking to farmers’ organisations and criticising Government policy, which runs contrary to the interests of the farmer, the Government made a noise which might have put me oif the platforms of the country.” The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. E. Parry) : What about the farmers themselves f

“Now we hear that Ministers are going to make gramophone records,” Mr Poison continued. “ There arc to he records of all Ministerial statements, and I suggest we shall have to listen to a chorus such as has never been equalled by any body of frogs from any pond in any part of the globe.” Mr' Poison said that reference had been made to an attempt by a farming journal to obtain a broadcasting licence. It was proposed to broadcast only lectures by experts and news and information on farming topics. The Labour Party apparently saw danger in that, but saw no danger in putting its own propaganda over from the national stations. There would be control of broadcasting by a party for a party in the interests of a party. Mr Fraser had misrepresented the position he said that advertising could be permitted by the British Broadcasting Corporation, Advertising had been rejected, and it was excluded expressly in the terms of the corporation’s charter. The only provision was that, sponsored items might be permitted in the initial stages of television. The New Zealand Government apparently did not share the views of its colleagues in England. The leader of the British Labour Party, Major Attlee, had stated that there should be Government control of broadcasting only in a position of great emergency. When the Speaker’s bell rang announcing that Mr Poison had only five minutes before the expiry of his time. Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton) rose to move an extension. The matter was referred to the House by Mr Speaker, and Mr J. O’Brien (Govt., Westland) promptly objected to an extension of time. “ I expected there would be an objection,” Mr Poison said. “When you begin to get under the skin of the Government there is bound to bo an objection.” The broadcasting system outlined in the Bill, Mr Poison concluded, was absolutely in line with the system operating in Germany. It looked as if the Labour Government in New Zealand had gone to the Hitler Government in Germany for its ideas.