TURNING PUBLIC RADIO OVER TO THE ADVERTISERS - WINSTON PETERS'S PLAN

"Tens of thousands of National Radio listeners will be appalled to learn that Winston Peters is considering introducing advertisements into the last remaining medium free of advertisements," the Hon Simon Upton said today. He was commenting on a news report (Christchurch Press, 3 August 1996) that Mr Peters was looking at introducing advertising to public radio.

"Not only would this undermine the public service ethos of National Radio; it would result in commercially-driven programming with content determined by advertisers rather than by the current requirements of its charter.

"To do this, Public Radio's charter (which is enshrined in an Act of Parliament) would have to be amended. This would effectively destroy a quality of radio broadcasting prized by a large number of New Zealanders.

"For a politician who has based his entire career on attacking the principle of market forces, this involves a u-turn of mind boggling proportions - even for him.

"Mr Peters judgment has clearly been distorted by his experiences on talkback radio . He has apparently come to the view that the New Zealand First vote is driven exclusively by talkback radio audiences. This has led him to believe he can quite imperiously interfere with Public Radio with impunity.

"I, for one, would prefer to eat breakfast cereal while I listen to Morning Report without having to listen to its praises being advertised as well," said Mr Upton."