"Controversial Matter"

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 3, 31 July 1931, Page 7

"Controversial Matter"

Broadcaster . Restricted SERMONS delivered recently by certain ministers in Invercargill threaten to cause the cancellation of the license of the priyate broadcasting station 4ZP, owned by Mr. R. T. Parsons. Information hag been supplied to the Post and Telegraph Department that controversial matter, which is prohibit~ed by regulation, has been broadcast from the station. Mr. Parsons on Monday received a letter from the department demanding an explanation and reminding him that the broadcast complained of renders ‘Zim Mable to the cancellation of his Heense, : ' The breach alleged (says the "Southland Times") conceris the sermon delivered by the Rev. ©. J. Tocker at St. Paul’s Church a fortnight ago, the preached devoting his sermon to the question of the Bible-in-Schools Bill. * My. Parsons stated that he was much surprised to receive the letter from the department. He had. not been aware that the sermon delivered by Mr. Tocker, which dealt with a religious topic, was in contravention of the regulations, but he had not permitted a sermon on the liquor question to be broadcast. While he was very glad to co-operate with the Southland Radio Club in the broadcasting of church services, he relied on the ministers not to abuse the privileges of broadcasting by dealing with controversial matters which were likely to jeopardise his license, He stressed the fact that the department took a very serious view of breaches of the regulations, and one Auckland station. had recently beeu closed down: for such an offence. Although unable to give any indication of his policy for the future until the present trouble was settled, Mr. Parsons said that if station 4ZP were permitted to remain on the air, he would not take any action toward refusing to broadcast services, but he would require to have an assurance that the addresses would mot contain controversial matter. —