BROADCASTING BILL

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21414, 5 March 1935, Page 10

BROADCASTING BILL

<» POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S VIEWS OBJECTION TO ADVERTISING OVER THE AIR [From Our Parliamentary reporter.! WELLINGTON. March 4. The hope that, the Broadcasting Amendment Bill, which has been introduced in the House of Representatives, will satisfy the most responsible critics of the New Zealand broadcasting service, was expressed by the Postmaster-General (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) on his return from Australia to-day. Mr Hamilton said he considered that the provision for increasing the personnel of the Broadcasting Board would make it possible to make the board as representative as possible, and that this should ensure a service acceptable to all sections of the community.

Replying to a suggestion that a board of five might be able to work more smoothly and, in greater junity, Mr Hamilton said that he himself would have no objections to a personnel of five. Reasonable suggestions from the press and from members of the House of Representatives would certainly be considered, and there would be no refusal on the part of the Government to consider amendments if they were desirable. A board of seven, however, would allow of a greater division of functions, and the Minister hoped that every taste would be catered for in the appointment of board members. On the other hand, it might be said that a slightly smaller board would find it easier to decide on policy matters, and to work as a unit. The transference to the board ol the responsibility for permitting the broadcasting of controversial talks was referred to by Mr Hamilton as the most important intention of the bill. He said he had no fear of meeting the objections to the provision in the bill forbidding the broadcasting of advertising. He himself objected to advertising over the air. Advertisements had spoiled programmes broadcast from many American stations, and had not improved some of the Australian broadcasts. Britain did not allow advertising over the radio, and New Zealand would be wise to follow that example.