RADIO CENSORSHIP

Hokitika Guardian, 30 May 1933, Page 8

RADIO CENSORSHIP

AUSTRALIA ISSUES EDICT. DOROTHY BRUNTON REBELS. SYDNEY, May 26. (An edict issued by the Australian Broadcasting Commission involved’ Miss Dorothy Brunton in an incident which has interested 'thousands of radio listeners throughout Australia, and perhaps- in ’'New Zealand as Well, on Sunday night last.' Miss Bnmton had been advertised to appear ill the romantic musical comedy, “Dearest Enemy,” and- at the last minute- it was announced from the Sydney studios of the national station that “owing to unforeseen circumstances” she would not lie able to do so.

In this play Miss Brunton, who is as popular as ever, takes the part of a lively Irish girl, and her lines were punctuated with small, flippant oaths, but it appears to he the inflexible rule of the Australian Broadcasting Coinmission that the words “hell” or “damn” shall not' reach the ether through the microphone. Miss Brunton iiske'l: “How can Ihe Irish if I cannot say a little ‘damn’ or ‘to hell wid von?’” She annealed to the broadtasting authorities not to censure her lines to the extent proposed, but they merely replied that rules' were rules, so Miss Brunton did not take part in the production. She complains that when she was shown the manusci ipt of the nlay all her best dramatic and comedy scenes had been cut out, and /every * little is wear word’ had been sujOres/'-ed. What was left was hopelessly mediocre, and was no good to her. ; • .

Naturally enough, there have been protests against the action ol the coinmission, which is taken as revealing another form of censorship. Censorships are always unpopular, and it is felt that there is a (huger that long-estab-lished works shall suffer as a result of the prudishness of some obscure official. However, the commission is adamant. Its attitude was exnhincd by the general manager, Mr- W. T. London, who said that the number of listeners approached half a million. It -was important to remember, that the listening set was even .mcr.a intimate than the theatre, more intimate than the •screen,- os it was part ol the family evenings by the fireside. The B Class stations, which are not under the control of the commission, nre.net,so particular, tjiough the neatest care is always exercised in selecting the class of matter, to he broadcast. However, these stations do not object to eecasirinal “damns” and even .‘‘hell” has been heard, over the air from them.