DIVIDED CONTROL OF RADIO

Southland Times, Issue 23335, 20 October 1937, Page 6

DIVIDED CONTROL OF RADIO

TWO BRANCHES TO BE SEPARATED LEGISLATION EXPECTED TODAY (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, October 19. The administration of the Commercial Broadcasting Service is to be separated from that of the National Broadcasting Service by amending legislation which is expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives tomorrow. An announcement on these lines was made by the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) in an interview this evening. “The new legislation, which is largely of a machinery nature, was discussed at a caucus of the Government Party this morning,” Mr Savage said. ‘ ‘The principal objective is to separate the administration of the two branches of the broadcasting service. The Director of Broadcasting (Professor J. Shelley) will retain his position in control of the National Broadcasting Service, but the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting (Mr C. G. Scrimgeour) will be the chief administrative officer for the commercial service.”

The Prime Minister added that in certain respects the Bill would be retrospective in its application. For instance, it would provide that the term of appointment of the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting would be for three years and in Mr Scrimgeour’s case that would date from his assumption of the position towards the end of last year. “The Bill is a very short measure,” said Mr Savage. “There is no provision in it for the erection of additional commercial stations.”