Against the Regulations

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 7, 28 August 1931, Page 7

Against the Regulations

Politics from: 4YA LAST week the Hon, J. B, Donald replied to questions which had been asked concerning the broadcasting from 4YA on Monday, August 10, of a speech by Mr. A. C. Cameron, past-president of .the Dunedin Ohamber of Commerce. As a small portion of the address trenched on politics of a controversial nature attention had been drawn to the matter. The circumstances surrounding the incident, which is the first of the kind to have occurred in the expérience of the Broadcasting Company, are interesting. ‘ The regulations under which the B casting Company operates do not permit of the. broadcasting of controversial matter, and the company, therefore, takes measures to satisfy itself that all talks and addresses come within the class of matter permitted by the regulations. Accordingly, when atrangements were being made by 4YA to broadcast Mr. Cameron’s address, the station manager interviewed the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and was assured that the speech would not contain political or controversial matter, but would be confined to Ime perial matters and the commercial outlonk in general. Mr. Cameron had previously given the secretary some indication of the lines he proposed to follow. ‘To the surprise of all, in pursuing his argu. vaents Mr. Cameron digressed briefly "Ye controversial politics. He learned ater how he had been the innocent eaiuse of 4YA contravening the regulations. From what Mr. Cameron had said as to the outline of his speech it had been assumed by the secretary that all the requirements of the regulations would be complied with, and therefore it had not been thought neces: sary to warn Mr. Oameron that anything eoutroversial must not be touched on. Speaking in the House, the Postmas-ter-General said that the matter had been taken up with the Broadcasting Company, and he outlined the reply received from the general manager of the company, which was on the lines of the facts mentioned above. The trouble had arisen through the posltion not having been made clear to the speaker prior to the broadcast, .In reply to the company, the Hon. J. B. Donald said: "I beg to inform yo that it is considered that the esplanation tendered is not very convincing. Notwithstanding the assurance obtained from the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, the actual address should have been property stpervised by your staff and the broadeast interrupted immediately the controversial matter was commenced. The failure has evoked unanswerabte critieism, and it is imperative that adequate safeguards should be adopted to prevent a recurrence."