B STATIONS’ PLEA

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1935, Page 5

B STATIONS’ PLEA

FREEDOM OF THE AIR. ADVERTISING RIGHTS SOUGHT. (By Telegraph—Special Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. Freedom of the air with the .right to earn revenue by unrestricted advertising was sought for B class stations by a deputation representing the New Zealand federation of B station owners which waited on the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G, W- Forbes, to-day- The deputation, which was described as representing all except ope of the independent B station, was headed by the Rev. C. .G, Scrirpgcour, of the Friepdly Road Statjop, Auckland. The Prjme Minister promised to give consideration to the deputations request. Mr. Scrimleour said B station owners felt that the Government must be asked to protect the independent broadcasting service of the Dominion. In. the past a great deal had been heard about following the example of the 8.8. C. but New Zealand and Britain were hardly comparable, as listeners in Britain had a great choice of alternative programmes from the Continent. In New Zealand the only alternative to the programmes under the control of the Broadcasting' Board was those supplied by the B stations. These had given good service in the past and it was felt that they had assisted greatly in the development of radio broadcasting, but they now found they could no longer carry °n. , . , At the conference held that day tjifc foltowing resolution had been carried: That this conference of B station owners. regards it as imperative that B stations should have complete freedom of the air; that the ban on controversial matter should be removed; that they should be permitted to earn revenue by way of unrestricted advertising; and that the Government should be requested to pass immediately the necessary legislation to give effect to this resolution. Mr. Scrimgeour said that in asking for the freedom of the air the B station owners were asking no more than had been granted to newspapers when they secured freedom of the printed word. “The board’s policy that there should be no advertising on the air has been made verv clear,” stated the Prime Minister, in reply. “In the absence of any experience of running a service of this sort in New Zealand the regulations and methods of the 8.8. C. were adopted to as great an extent as possible. It is fop the board to determine what should be done with the B stations and what its policy will be I do not know. The resolution, however, will be given consideration.