CHURCH BROADCASTS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 25, Issue 629, 20 July 1951, Page 5

CHURCH BROADCASTS

Sir,-Please allow me a little constructive criticism of Sunday Church broadcasts: As a church officer I have limited opportunity of listening in at home, but what little I have gives me the impression that there is urgent need of alteration. Several appalling things occur. Some man nearer to the microphone than others sings too loudly, and in a bass part at that. The choir rising to sing on resuming ‘seats sound like horses clattering through the aisle. The organist plays a voluntary during offering that hasn’t an iota of melody or reverent sound of a hymn. The choir. sings. with such lack of enunciation that no one can hear 25 per cent of the words. The Minister or Secretary bores listeners with a lot of purely local! and uninteresting announcements bétter left until the broadcast is over. The Ministers (some of them only) pray in a tone that makes Christianity sound like a tragedy instead of a glorious reality and a victory. Some churches seem to be catering for only their own people -listening in-people who, in some cases, not all, should be in their churches supporting their Minister. ,Thus the nonchurch going public: wha | might be attracted are repelled. twigs 4’ | Of course, I ‘do -not suggest all: these faults are found in one broadcast," but a month of listening (four mornings and four evenings) produces ‘almest the lot. As a churchmen. of long experiente I state that an overhaul of church broadcasting is long overdue, if not too late. Some folks, indeed, must have given up listening. I, and many like me, are among the vitally interested ones who know that the Church has the message ’ for today,.Therefore, we are deeply concerned. The general public, as such, just tunes. into another station and we've lost our audience, and cannot recall it. There is much in the way of suggestion to be said, but I dare not occupy any more of your valuable space, except to suggest that churches seriously dis-

cuss this matter, and on their broadcast hour appoint responsible officers to listen in at a- distance and report faults and suggest improvements, endeavouring. to get the other fellow’s viewpoint as to why he cannot get the desired uplift.

A WORSHIPPER

(Auckland).

(Official comment on this letter is as follows: "The Central Religious Advisory Committee is conscious of a number of the -faults mentioned by the correspondent, and members are taking steps within their churches to have ‘these: @liminated as far as’ possible, It ‘should be mentioned that the broadcasting of notices, appeals, etc., and the réceiving of offerings-except during the singing of a suitable anthem or hymn-is contrary to the rules governing church relays."-Ed.). ,