B.B.C. BANS JAZZ ON SUNDAYS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

B.B.C. BANS JAZZ ON SUNDAYS

Baptists, beer and the 8.8. U. have been involved in an argument. Beer and the 8.8. U. have won.

For more than a year the Baptist Association has stormed Broadcasting House with complaints. They have told the 8.8. U. that it is sinful to broadcast dance music on Sunday or make references to beer or whisky in the programmes. Several weeks ago it was announced that dance music would be included iu the Sunday programmes, and immediately the 8.8. U. received a deluge of protests, to which they gave way.

Uharles Kunz broadcast the first Sunday programme of dance music, but the 8.8. U. cancelled the programme to be given on the following Sunday, following protests to the Director of Religion. Baptists have now heard from the 8.8. U. in reply to the protests. "It is the 8.8.C.’s aim to maintain the highest standard hoth in weekday and In Sunday programmes, and careful consideration will be given to your comments.”

That is the 8.8. C. way of saying that no dance band will appear again in a Sunday programme. On the “liquor” question, however, the 8.8. C. refuses to give way. "As far as your references to drink are concerned,” the Baptist Association were told, "we should like to assure you that the 8.8. C. exercises a careful watch in this matter. We cannot, however, undertake to exclude all reference to intoxicating liquors.”