MICROPHONES IN PARLIAMENT

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 782, 16 July 1954, Page 5

MICROPHONES IN PARLIAMENT

Sir-The measure of agreement accorded by your readers to your editorial of’ June 18, "Microphones in Parliament," will vary greatly, I imagine, with their differing tastes in listening, vand listening experience. I can quite understand that many listeners who have been accustomed to such broadcasts for some time would miss them, although I am a little surprised at your use of the phrase concerning "much dismay." As far as I am concerned, Parliamentary broadcasts are an unmitigated nuisance, resulting in the complete loss of 2YC’s programme (which is oné of my favourites usually), the’ altertiative wavelength being almost useless here, but I realise that Iam probably biased through living in the United Kingdom until fairly recently. There, broadcasts from either House of Parliament are unknown, and not even openings of Parliament by the reign or notable speeches by the ‘Prime Minister or others have ever been heard direct (let alone everyday debates). Fifty million people do without them very well, and perhaps their reading or hearing of news reports is all the more careful, and the reports themselves fuller. To me, the greatest single unsatisfactory feature of Parliamentary broadcasting is that, M.P.s being human, some of them are certain to "play" to the listening gallery when speaking, and interjections are often heard which are obviously made for the benefit of listenvers outside, being more or less meaningJess as far as those present in the Chamber are concerned,

DERRICK G.

SOFIO

(Whangarei).