COMMERCIAL RADIO

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIV, Issue 22671, 26 August 1943, Page 4

COMMERCIAL RADIO

Criticism In Upper House (F.0.P.R.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 25. “I have never seen a reason for the Commercial Broadcasting Service. I cannot see that it has ever conferred one pennyworth of benefit upon anybody in this country.” said the Hon. T. Bloodworth (Auckland) in the Legislative Council this afternoon, speaking in the second reading debate of the Statutes Amendment Bill which provides for the continuation of the Commercial Broadcasting Service as a division of the National Broadcasting Service. Mr Bloodworth suggested that the Commercial Broadcasting Service should be abolished. None of the commodities advertised by the Commercial Broadcasting Service had been made any cheaper to consumers, and he was confident that a lot of things advertised over the air should never have been advertised. He referred to the considerable amount of money spent on the elaborate Commercial Broadcasting Station building in Auckland. He said he sometimes listened to commercial broadcasts from Australia and America, and was of the same opinion about them. They were “infernal nuisances.” Good music was interrupted to advise listeners to buy pills and hair oils. Tlie Leader of the Council, the Hon. D. Wilson, who is also Minister in Charge of Broadcasting, said it was intended to continue the two broadcasting services in New Zealand each with its awn distinctive type of programme, Msut he would like to see a raising of the level of the programmes from the commercial stations.