B RADIO STATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22904, 11 June 1936, Page 10

B RADIO STATIONS

LABOUR PARTY’S SUPPORT

A PRE-ELECTION PROMISE

FIRST TACTICAL BLUNDER

fFncii Ouk Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 10. “ The promise made by the Labour Party prior to the election to give unqualified support to B stations is the Labour Government’s first tactical blunder.” said Mr J. G. Coates (Opposition, Kaipara) during the second reading debate on the Broadcasting Bill in the House of Representatives to-day. The Government, he added, could not logically or conscientiously support a private station, but it was compelled to do so because of an arrangement made between the B stations and the Government before it took office. Mr Coates said that the Postmastergeneral. Mr F. Jones, had stated enough on the introduction of the Bill to indicate clearly that a commitment had been entered into between the Labour Party and the B broadcasting stations. Mr Jones; That is not true.

Mr Coates: It is clear enough from the Postmaster-general’s statement that B stations were promised help if the Labour Party were returned to office. A Government member: The promise was to the people. Thu Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage): I said on every public platform from one end of the country to the other that I was talking to the people and not to the B stations.

Mr Coates said there was an arrangement between the “Friendly Road” station and the Labour Party. Mr Savage: None whatever. Mr Coates: Well, it is up to the Prime Minister to clear up the matter. Mr Savage: I am telling you now. Mr Coates said the objective of the Labour Party was to nationalise the stations and not to assist or retain an element of private enterprise in broadcasting. _ . , , , Mr F. W. Schramm (Govt., Auckland East): Broadcasting is only in its infancy. Mr Coates: That may be so. these B stations are private stations, and it is proposed to subsidise them. Up to a point that may be satisfactory, but the Labour Party cannot logically or conscientiously support a private station. A promise or an undertaking was definitely given B stations before the Government took office. Government members: No arrangement was made. Mr Savage: Did you not open a B station? „ Mr Coates: That is a different matter. If it were not for a promise given by the Labour Party we would not sec legislation of this kind which perpetuates the B stations. Because of this understanding wc find the Goverrnnen in the position of having to go dead against its wishes. Mr Schramm: What is the difference between subsidising B stations and subsidising industry? . Mr Coates: It is a question whether the subsidy is essential or not. It is quite obvious that the Government lias been caught by an ill-considered promise. B stations will insist on the promise being kept and that will lead us into all sorts of avenues. Mr Schramm: Are you against the B stations ? Mr Coates: That is not my point and you know it. I have consistently supported the view that competition in programmes is healthy, but from a different point of view to the Government. Having made ft pledge the Government will have to meet the demands of the B stations.

The present Government, Mr Coates said, was going far beyond the unwritten and traditional laws of democracy. The proposals in the Bill would far from satisfy the country. The Prime Ministei had said the press had not given his partv a fair spin, but he (Mr Coates) had" never known a Government that had had more fulsome reports than the present one. Advertising should never be allowed over the air, for it was neither necessary nor required. He did not think the press would have the slightest objection to radio advertising, for in other countries where there was advertising over the air the newspapers advertisements seemed bigger than ever. “The Government has been caught by an ill-considered promise and its ultimate desire is to control broadcasting for political purposes,” concluded Mr Coates.