RADIO PRIVILEGE.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 20, 16 October 1937, Page 4

RADIO PRIVILEGE.

The reply of the Director of Broadcasting to the protegt of the Auckland Fresbytery ' against the cancellation of its talks from fitation 1ZM avoids the principle that is involved, says the "New Zealand Herald»" 1'rofessor Shelley's reasons are, that it is not possibje for the Government which now owns the station, to accept payment, as was previously done, for the talks delivered, that if the Presbyterian Church were granted the privilege, it would have to he extended to other churches, and that as the main national stations broadcast church ServiceSj it was not considered advisable to duplicate them from other stations. If every religions organisation were treated on terms of equality the only issue would he whether or not adequate time was given to religion, but this is not so. On seven days of the week a generous space of time is allocated in the 1ZB prograrome to the Friendly Road, a religious organisation brought into being by Mr O. G. Scrimgeour, who is now a highly paid broadcasting official. On seven days a week station 2ZB at Wellington devotes a shorter space of time to "Uncle Scrim," the radio title of „the same official. This is proof of discrimination and justifies the protests of the Presbyterian Church, of every other religious body afiected, and of listeners in general. The radio ration of time accorded to various chui^ch services through the ¥A stations is not comparable with that granted to the Friendly Itoad and to Mr Scrimgeour through the two B-stations mentioned. The question that thus confronts all fair-ininded people is whether Mr Scrimgeour's asso'ciation with State broadcasting implies speeial privileges ^ for ihe listenjng fiongregaiigg mmKM iU.d fiimsfil.