RADIO POLICY.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20271, 13 August 1937, Page 10

RADIO POLICY.

PARLIAMENT ON AIR. GREATER USE PLANNED. “TRUTH. NOT PROPAGANDA.” (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Greater use of the radio service in broadcasting the activities of Parliament, as well as Information of an administrative character, is contemplated by the Government in future. The opening of Parliament, the presentation of the Financial Statement and several of the more important debates in the House of Representatives were broadcast last year. “ We Intend to make greater use of the broadcasting service in broadcasting Parliament,” said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in an interview to-night. “We will certainly do more in the future than in the past. There was a gap last session because we had to deal with a lot of matters It would not be easy to follow over tiie air. I have had a number of communications from people who express themselves as well satisfied with the broadcasts from Parliament and they say they want more. Departmental Information. “ There is such a thing as misuse of the broadcasting service,” the Prime Minister said. “We are not going to do that; we are going to use it to provide facts for the people, not only of a legislative, but also of an administrative character. We will tell people what is happening from week to week. We will, for Instance, put over the air facts about various State departments and tell listeners what they are doing. If we supply evidence without comment we will have done our duty.” Mr. Savage said no one could charge the Government with unfairness over the arrangements made for speakers in debates broadcast from the House of Representatives last session. “Whether two people or 10 people are speaking, it is just as well to have the thing properly analysed,” added the Prime Minister. “ The thing that counts is not the strength of the parties but the strength of the argument. We have no intention of taking advantage of the Opposition. People are entitled to information from time to time without propaganda. We don’t want propaganda; that is not the thing that counts. The thing that counts is the unadulterated truth. Let the people know the facts and leave them to form their own Judgment.”