Labour backs public TV ownership

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 4

Labour backs public TV ownership

PA Wellington The Labour Party stood for the continued public ownership of the two television channels and would take back without compensation any part which had been “given away,” said the deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Tizard) yesterday. He was speaking at a news conference after the Labour caucus had discussed the television question. Mr Tizard said it was obvious it was not the cost of broadcasting so much as the expansion programme that was at issue. He said Labour members could not see anything in the proposals being discussed by the Government which would improve the chances of extending the present second channel.

They did not see anj' solution to what he described as television’s "alleged” financial problems in the proposals.

“Which newspaper group has the money to continue the expansion of the second television channel?” he asked. Mr Tizard said a Labour Government would agree to some rationalisation of newsgathering but recognised there were times when two separate approaches were necessary. Some Labour members were suspicious that the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) was keeping the television issue going to divert attention from such questions as overseas borrowing, increased charges and higher interest rates.

On ways of increasing television revenue, Mr Tizard said that if newspapers could get more advertising revenue, television should be able to get more, too. A Labour Government would be prepared to consider the necessity of increasing licence fees, he said, in answer to a question. Television was also discussed at the Government caucus meeting yesterday but no finality was reached, Mr Muldoon said.

“We spent a lot of time on broadcasting and, as usual, ended up in a state of utter confusion,” he said with a chuckle. Mr Muldoon told a news conference that it was a complex subject which would have to go back to next Monday’s Cabinet meet-