DANCE BROADCASTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 August 1939, Page 7

DANCE BROADCASTS

COMMERCIAL SERVICE HOURS. MINISTER ORDERS RETURN .TO NORMAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The statement that the recent action of the National Commercial Broadcasting Service in broadcasting dance music till 1 o’clock on Sunday morning had been made without his authority and that he had given instructions to restore the stations to their normal hours of transmission, was made by the Acting-Minister in Charge .of Broadcasting Mr Jones, when replying to a question by Mr Roy (Opposition, Clutha) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Roy asked the Minister ‘■(1) Whether his attention has been drawn to a letter, dated July 31. appearing in the ‘Otago Daily Times’ and signed ’Disgusted.’ in which the writer draws attention to the fact that the commercial broaflc..sting-station would continue to broadcast dance music till 1 o'clock on Sunday morning' for the convenience of those holding parties? •‘(2) Whether he knows that the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting. Mr C. G. Scrimgeour. has stated over the air that ‘if the policy of the Carpenter of Nazareth failed he would try something else..; and., if so, whether we are to understand that this new policy has the approval of the Government?" |

Mr Jones replied: “(1) It was considered that the mar jority of listeners would appreciate the session referred to in preference to the hour between 11 and 12 o'clock on Sunday nights, and the entertainment provided during that session was inoffensive in character. The change was made without my authority, and as soon as it came to my knowledge instructions were immediately given to restore the stations to their normal hours of transmission. "(2) The Controller of Commercial Broadcasting denies making any such statement.”