262
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 11

Extension of Hours

Miss Young said the extension of transmission hours would be progressive over a period of 5 years, and when the hours were increased in the period between 10.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. classical music would remain the principal ingredient of the programme, but lighter elements would be introduced from time to time, including music from the shows together with more specialised forms of music such as jazz and rock. At all times the best performances available would be drawn upon to ensure the highest possible standards of quality. Miss Young emphasises that it was not intended that the lightening of the programme content would in any way compromise the performance or technical standards. It was made clear in evidence that the lighter programming would occur only during the extended hours. The format of a 1 week broadcast (1 to 8 October) during National Music Week would be a guideline for future FM broadcasts.

Although live music and production of drama would continue in the FM stereo mode only a limited number of specialised spoken programmes would continue. Radio New Zealand and BBC bulletins would continue so that listeners did not have to turn to another network for that service.

Advertising Rules

Miss B. A. Wakem, Controller of Programmes for Radio New Zealand, emphasised that advertisements would require approval prior to broadcast over and above the standard approval procedures. She produced what was referred to as a set of house rules which read:

"All Rules established by the Broadcasting Rules Committee, together with any general Radio New Zealand House Rules on Advertising, will also apply to YC-FM. There will be the following additional provisions:

"1. All advertisements will require approval prior to broadcast and, because of the “different” sound of this network, particular care will be given with advice and approvals.

"2. The style and presentation of the advertising must be closely matched to the style and content of the surrounding programmes. They must reflect the intelligent way in which the programming is approached.

"3. To meet the needs of this particular audience, advertisements are to be informational rather than loosely emotive. They should concentrate on benefits to be derived from the product or service.

"4. While Radio New Zealand is prepared to consider any serious proposition from clients, it is likely that the only advertisements acceptable will be:

• Announcer read in the normal YC-FM style
• Without music of any type
• Broadcast live (not pre-recorded)
• Written or re-written by the Network, to achieve the necessary style

"Support:

"The writing or re-writing of advertising copy will be undertaken by the Network at no additional charge for Direct Clients and those using Advertising Agencies. The agreement of the client or agency will be sought before broadcast."

Friends of the Concert Programme

The Friends of the Concert Programme preferred that there be sponsorship type statements only and considered the 6 minutes an hour, proposed by the Corporation, too high a commercial content. Evidence was given by Dr W. G. Hopkins on behalf of The Friends of the Concert Programme (“the Friends”) an Auckland based organisation, and submissions were also made by the Christchurch Friends of the Concert Programme and a number of other individuals and organisations opposing the advertising provisions.

Dr Hopkins said his organisation had over 5000 members and argued that the hearing was an appropriate forum to launch a complete and thorough examination of the future of non-commercial public radio in New Zealand. The Tribunal does not consider these applications, limited to specific amendments, provided the appropriate occasion for the sort of thorough going enquiry (encompassing also the non-commercial National Programme) which was sought by the Friends. Such an enquiry may well be desirable before fundamental changes are made, but we have to deal with the applications. Therefore some of the information produced by the Friends was not relevant to the hearing.

Dr Hopkins disputed the argument that advertising would help to maintain the existing service or fund the conversion to FM on the basis that the revenue obtained would be negligible compared with the Corporation’s overall income. He considered the Concert Programme listeners were opposed to advertising which they found offensive and they would therefore not listen to a programme which included advertising. He feared that commercial pressure for ratings would downgrade the programme’s quality and that the application was the thin edge of the wedge for commercial encroachment in terms of the remaining public non-commercial radio services.

Members of the Friends were prepared to accept name-only credits for sponsorship for live or taped performances, but nothing more. Such sponsorship was acceptable to the Friends only if the revenue derived is paid to the artists, composers and performers and not to the Corporation.

Dr Hopkins advocated financing the FM concert network from the Corporation’s surplus, a small temporary increase in the licence fee, a Government grant, a voluntary subscription or a Consumer Price Index linked broadcasting licence or annual Government grant. He proposed that music, informed comment, drama, literature, and news programmes should be broadcast on FM. Parliament, broadcasts to schools and sport should stay on AM. The daytime National Programme would be transferred to the new FM network, these programmes having a high musical content and being suitable for FM. While he would like to see the present quality of the Concert Programme maintained during extended hours of transmission on an FM network he would concede the interests of more people would be served for less cost if the weekday and Saturday afternoon National Programme was transferred to the FM network, which would allow Parliamentary schools and sports broadcasts to remain on AM.

Rural areas not yet receiving the Concert Programme should be first to receive the new FM network, and he submitted, when the existing programmes are converted to FM there should be a period of simulcasting for listeners who do not own or cannot afford FM receivers. Dr Hopkins was concerned about the lightening of the format. He pointed out the proposed rules for advertisements, described as “likely” not definite, were too loose. He was concerned that the Corporation was “prepared to consider any serious proposition from clients”. He was also concerned about the updating of those rules. He considered that advertising would reduce the mana of the Concert Programme.

Dr Hopkins said the opposition should not be seen as selfish views of an egocentric Auckland based minority and that is why the group has prepared “A future for non-commercial public Radio New Zealand” in white paper or booklet form.

Other points made by objectors were that advertising of any kind is an anathema to the Concert Programme listeners. The Concert Programme, many claimed, is a sanctuary where it was possible to escape the commercial and social pressures predominating in society. Further requests for advertising would follow and the programmes would lose their unique character.

The Friends also proposed a re-constitution of the 2 networks (National and Concert) with switches of programme at different times between the AM and FM transmitters. The proposals were criticised by Miss Wakem. We doubt whether it is for us to consider such sweeping changes but if we did we would have to be convinced the result would be good radio.

Music Federation of New Zealand

The Music Federation of New Zealand (“the Federation”) made its case through its president Mr D. M. Wylie. The Federation has 8000 members (subscribers) and many local societies and groups throughout the country from Kaitaia to Invercargill are affiliated. Its activities attract an audience of about 200 000 each year.

The Federation supported the extension of the Concert Programme network through its conversion to FM. For years it had been aware of the dissatisfaction arising from the limitation on satisfactory reception and it had made representations. If the only way to achieve the goal of extended coverage and improved reception was through restricted advertising then the Federation accepted that, provided the conditions proposed by the Corporation were fully adhered to. The Federation was greatly encouraged by what it described as the very clear statements in the opening address of the counsel for the Corporation, Mr O’Brien, about the style, production and presentation of commercials, that programme policy would not be changed, and that the YC stations would not be commercial stations in the sense usually understood in New Zealand. The Federation pointed out that the proposal was not for a commercialisation of the stations in the sense that that term is normally used.

Mr Wylie said that as a nationwide federation it had with much reluctance given this kind of qualified acceptance of the Corporation’s proposals in order to give priority to those who at the present time either do not receive (or receive only in a limited and unsatisfactory way) the present Concert Programme. The fact that a Te Aroha transmitter could provide the Concert Programme to a population of over 300 000 in a Waikato Bay of Plenty area who do not at present receive the AM transmission was a significant increase in the service, and only in Wellington would the AM coverage be significantly greater than that provided by an FM service. The Federation doubted that the very limited advertising/sponsorship proposal would in fact attract any significant degree of revenue, but recognised the problem as a political one—the refusal of the Government to raise the licence fee for the last eight years.

The Federation said there appeared to be little case for opposing a FM network, the extension of the Concert Programme or opposing the notion that some priority ought to be given to providing the