BROADCASTING HOUSE, WELLINGTON; DELEGATES.




Initials GHB/NZ/BHH/SC



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Background: THE SEVENTH COMMONWEALTH BROADCASTING CONFERENCE HAS BEEN IN SESSION IN NEW ZEALAND SINCE 20 FEBRUARY AND IS SCHEDULED TO CONTINUE UNTIL 6 MARCH. DELEGATES ARE CONSIDERING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BROADCASTING, EXCHANGING IDEAS AND DISCUSSING MUTUAL PROBLEMS IN AN ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE BETTER AND MORE VARIED BROADCASTING THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH.

THE 1968 CONFERENCE IS TO BE DIVIDED INTO THREE MAIN FUNCTIONAL GROUPS, CONCERNED WITH PROGRAMME AND ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS, ENGINEERING AND THE EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL BROADCASTING. THE PROGRAMME AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE WILL DISCUSS SUCH MATTERS AS PROGRAMME INTERCHANGE, THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ROLES OF LOCAL BROADCASTING, THE REFLECTION OF PUBLIC OPINION, THE INTER-RELATION OF RADIO AND TELEVISION, AND BROADCASTING FINANCE. RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY RAPID, AND THE ENGINEERING COMMITTEE IS CONCERNED WITH THE INTER-RELATION OF TECHNICAL STANDARDS, FREQUENCY USAGE AND ASSIGNMENT, EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES, COLOUR TELEVISION, SATELLITE TRANSMISSIONS AND AS A SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT "BASIC ENGINEERING ORGANISATION AND OPERATIONAL TECHNIQUES". A SPECIAL COMMITTEE THIS YEAR WILL BE CONCERNED WITH A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE "EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL BROADCASTING", A MOST IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT IN VIEW OF THE VARYING DEGREES OF DEVELOPMENT OF FACILITIES WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH.