Church Broadcasting

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 44, 17 May 1929, Page 7

Church Broadcasting

4YA Advisory Committee Appointed N furtherance of its public relations scheme, the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand inaugurated the first of the Public Relations Committees in Dunedin at a meeting of church delegates on May 6. The following representatives attended and unanimously decided to form a 4YA church service advisory committee :- Archdeacon Fitchett (Anglican), the Revs. E. S. Tuckwell (Baptist), H. E. Bellhouse (Methodist), A, Mead (Gongregational), W. D. More (Church of Christ), George Miller (Presbyterian), Captain Chandler (Salvation Army}, J. Ball (editor-announcer, R.B.C., N.Z., Ltd.), and 8. J. Hayden (station director, 4YA). For the purposes of the conference, Mr. J. Ball, who attended as the company’s representative, was elected’ to the chair, and stated that it was the opinion of the Broadcasting Company that the question of church broadcasting and attendant matters required the advice and consideration of a specially qualified nature which only 4 committee of church representatives was in a position to give. The operations of the committees in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch were outlined, and after discussion it was decided, on the motion of Archdeacon Fitchett, that the company’s proposals should be adopted, and that the conference should form itself into a committee. The Rev. h. S. Tuckwell was elected to the chair for the ensuing twelve months. After discussion it was decided that the following number of services’ per annum for the respective denomina-~ tions be recommended to the company: Anglicans, 10; Presbyterians, 10% Methodists, 8; Baptist, Congregational, Church of Christ, and Salvation Army, 6 each. The decision of the committee will result in the Salvation Army regularly broadcasting its services for the first time in New Zealand. The Rev. Mr. Tuckwell said he econsidered that the broadcasting was filling a very great function in providing the churches with an opportunity for reaching those people who were either unable to or did not attend the actual services. He expressed the opinion that the committee, in conjunction with the Radio Broadcasting Company, would materially react to the benefit of listeners-in so far as the handling of church matters on the air was concerned.