“MUST BE ALIVE"

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 4

“MUST BE ALIVE"

NEW DIRECTOR’S OBSERVATIONS Further observations on his policy as Director of Broadcasting have _ been made by Professor J. Shelley in an interview* .published in ‘ Canta/ b the Canterbury College journal. In this he touches on propaganda, controversy, and the problem of satisfying differing tastes. Asked whether ho believed that the Government should .'have- access to the microphone for propaganda purposes; Professor Shelley said he did not think that any Prime Minister of New Zealand would wish it. But controversy would be allowed. “All questions in which people are interested are controversial, and radio must be alive if it is to. be worth while,” he added. “The Government has access to the microphone, but the Opposition are given the same opportunity of airing their opinions. 1 am to present all points of view, and allow people to decide for themselves.”

People were interested in questions that vitally concerned them, he maintained, and he suggested that through this healthy spirit of controversy fostered by the radio, discussion groups would perhaps be formed, and he visualised the working man discussing the latest radio talks over the bar of his pub.

“ This is my theory,” he said l . “Up till now democracy has been only a conception, but the nations have lacked machinery to put it into practice. The invention of wireless can contribute to the evolution of that machinery, and if it can bo properly used I consider that true democracy is both possible and practicable.” Questioned about his policy in relation to listeners’ tastes, he said; “ I’m not going to pander to any tastes, but I intend to satisfy as many as possible.” He realised that there were many pitfalls,, and illustrated them by reading from a letter written to him beseeching him not to take away 1 Eb and Zeb,’ and expressing a strong desire that the air should be purged of the “ vulgar Cockney humour ” of Gracie Fields. Though he made no mention of jazz, his attitude was much more broadminded than one would have expected from some of his remarks in former interviews. However, ho dod(/finitely disliked the abuse of radio which some people committed by passing most of then- waking hours to the hypnotic of whatever happened to be on the air. He then discussed the possibilities of radio as an agent for standardising and at the same time raising the general quality of speech. “ Here is one of the main channels through which class distinctions can be abolished by means of radio. In England one of. tho real barriers between the classes is that of speech. We can’t realise, that in Now Zealand, but the barriers of speech do exist here to some extent, and the radio can be used to break them down.”