BROADCASTING POLICY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18760, 17 July 1935, Page 5

BROADCASTING POLICY

CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS

RESTRICTION OF POLITICS

CANDIDATES BARRE D

(Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day

Working under the powers of a new statute which has given it almost complete control ovor all the. radio broadcasting in the Dominion, the newlyconstituted Broadcasting Board has been three months in office. As the board was entrusted with supervision over the B broadcasting stations there was a good deal of concern among listeners and the station controllers as to the limitations which the national system would place on the subsidiary radio services. .. . .

However,' the absence of public protest during the last three months corroborates the impression gained by your correspondent from inquiries into the' matter, that the Broadcasting Board is not asserting its new powers in anv irritating or unjust manner. It seems' to be content to let the B stations carry on their former programme plans, though its .first move was to secure from them complete details of rthei.r policy in this respect. '■■ Some general instructions have been circulated as to the nature of the radio programmes permissible, and the keen edge of possible criticism for inter ference by 'he board 'has been con -■vifMT.bly ' dulled by the knowledge itmt the same instructions apply to rbo-ic in charge of the four national stations.

- One instruction, which applies all round, is of special interest in view in' tiie approaching general elections. [The Broadcasting Board has laid down •a rule that until the elections are over, no candidate for Parliament is to be given opportunities before the radio microphone at any station, national or B class. This does not merely exclude them from expressing political opinions, for the intention is that they shall not appear in the programmes in any capacity whatever. PERSONAL GOODWILL While some aspirants to political fame may criticise this decision, the great majoritv will recognise its wisdom, for radio, broadcasting gives an attractive publicity chance in the personal sense, and no matter what the subject dealt with, a speaker with political aspirations could create some "goodwill" which would give him an advantage over his rivals. As for the old subject of controversial matter on the air, inquiries suggest that the new board is making extromelv little use of its widened powers, "Controllers of B stations are still officially reminded that programme items must foe confined to matter ot an educative, informative or enter taining character. There is to foe noticed some widening of the scope of questions dealt with in the national programmes, and similar liberty is being given to the B stations (with due regard to the overriding instruction already quoted). When it is proposed to broadcast matter which may take on tho controversial tinge, B station controllers are required to submit it for scrutiny by the Broadcasting Board's officials, who carry out this procedure in'connection with their own programmes. That tho, board is inclined to widen the track a little is shown by the fact that it has arranged for a talk on a topical political subject, as it has engaged a speaker who will discuss foefore the microphone the coming session, which is of special interest, seeing that it immediately precedes an appeal to the electors.