RADIO PLAY COMPETITION

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 390, 13 December 1946, Page 5

RADIO PLAY COMPETITION

Sir,-John Gundry’s co-winning play in the recent radio play Competition was excellently acted and presented, but what a spotlight on what the NZBS considers worth a prize-a murder to the square inch, including matricide, all American characters and environment. Here in New Zealand there is a-country tich in dramatic possibilities and characterisation, but that is given no consideration, apparently, by any author considered worthy of winning a prize. Let us compliment Mr. Gundry, however, on his courage and confidence in submitting his work in a competition in which the contestants are told that no prize may be awarded if the entries are not considered of a_ sufficiently high standard, but that the ideas submitted by them become the property of the NZBS with no promise of any reward to themselves. Did he omit to read the competition conditions? They were enough to make this correspondent think the competition unworthy of considera-

tion.

M.D.

Whakatane

(The rules of the competition stated, inter alia: "The play may deal with any subject. The. right is reserved not to award a prize or prizes if in the opinion of the judges the entriés do not merit such award. The award of a prize gives the NZBS exclusive New Zealand broadcasting rights in the play concerned. The NZBS shall have the right to purchase the same rights in any non-prize-winning play submitted."" The submission of a script did not, in any way, give the NZBS automatic broadeasting rights. The correspondent is also incorrect in assuming that a New Zealand setting and New Zealand characters were given no consideration by an author considered worthy of winning a prize. While there are- several prize-winning plays still to be produced, the play "The Man Who Phoned," written by E. N. Taylor and having a New a setting, has already been broadcast,