Salacious Jokes On Air Checked By Women Listeners

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1942, Page 5

Salacious Jokes On Air Checked By Women Listeners

Sydney, Aug. 15. With notebooks and pencils, squads of women shorthand writers listen to broadcasts from all Australian stations for suggestive or risque jokes, which are taken down verbatim. The women are members of the Good Film and Radio Vigilance League, who have pledged themselves to purge the air of "immoral" talk. The shorthand writers submit their notes to the league committee. which scrutinises them and decides what action to take. Mostly a report is forwarded to the post-master-General with a complaint. The secretary of the league, Mrs. L. (Isherwood Wilson, told the Federal Parliament Committee on Broadcasting last week that stories and jokes being put over the air bordered on the indecent. She quoted samples. "Thousands of members of organisations associated with the league," said Mrs Wilson, "listen for indecent or suggestive remarks on the talkies or radio. They include members of church committees, the Women Teachers' Union, Girl Mistresses' Association, and the Parents and Citizen's Association. Infant mistresses are particularly alert. It's remarkable the interest people take in picking up salacious matter broadcast. It's surprising the people who phone us." Mrs. Wilson said note-taking squads had been put on recently to listen to certain midday broadcasts from a B class station which were absolutely objectionable. "We formed this league years ago when frightful things were being done on the; moving pictures," she added. "When films improved we turned our attention to offensive radio announcers. Now they are much better too." Listeners knew immediately the B class station announcer to whom Mrs. Wilson referred. He himself had no illusions, and openly criticised the league last Monday with dry humour through the Press. He is Mr. Arundel Nixon, self-styled "King of the Cads." The following day, the "King" was suspended by the management of the station. On Wednesday he was asked to give an undertaking not to give interviews to the Press without permission. "I said I could not give such an undertaking, and resigned," -said Mr. Nixon. He has been offered a position with another station.