Oct 1959 debate

 

Oct 1959 here
Mr COSTA (Banks) .- I wish to discuss television under this group of the Estimates. I believe that Australian viewers are not enjoying the best possible television programmes, and I also believe that the Government must accept full responsibility for this. I know that the Government may say that the Australian Broadcasting Control Board is responsible for supervising the programmes broadcast to the public over television stations; but the Government is responsible for the Australian Broadcasting Control Board and the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and when those bodies are not performing their functions in the best interests of the community the Government, in my opinion, should intervene.

I believe we are not developing enough Australian television programmes, whether they be vocal, instrumental, operatic, dramatic or comedy entertainment. Australian artists and writers are equal to the best in the world, but they are not getting their fair share of work in the production of television programmes. In addition, full use is not being made of the talent and the studio facilities available in Australia for the development of true Australian television production. I do not know why the Government does not give more attention to this matter and give more preference on television to Australian artists who, as I have said, are equal to the best in the world. Because the Government fails to give this sort of recognition to Australians the wheels of the Australian film-producing and television industries are hardly turning. The result is that in those industries we find discouragement, disillusionment and lack of progress, while at the same time we have to suffer poor programmes.

I should like to quote to honorable members some comments on this matter made by various people. First I shall quote the remarks of Mr. Garnet H. Carroll, O.B.E., leading Melbourne entrepreneur and managingdirector of Pagewood Studios, Sydney. He said -

The Australian actor and producer now have very little chance of holding their own against the cheap American TV films flooding this coun- try. The television production industry in Australia will never get started under present conditions. It is an economic impossibility. It is a bleak future for the actor, producer, musician and technician.

Another statement on this question was made by Mr. R. V. Spike, managing-director of the Video Film Corporation, Sydney, who said -

The reversal of Government policy on the importation of overseas television programmes has caused our company great concern. We earnestly feel that the interests of the Australian film producer and Australian artists are very closely tied. The main interest of this company is the production of television programme material for Australian television with Australian talent, and for export, and to try and establish an industry in Australia. We have been waiting patiently for the imported TV programmes to start repeating so that the film production industry and Australian talent may at last be given an opportunity.

Then we have another person expressing an opinion on this matter - no less a person than Mr. Charles Moses, the general manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. He is reported as saying -

The only appropriate means of guarding against an excessive use of imported TV material is to stipulate that there shall be a minimum percentage of Australian material in all programmes (national and commercial).

That is the point of view that I support. We tried to have incorporated in the law the provision which Mr. Moses obviously favours - that a certain percentage of programme time shall be reserved for programmes consisting of Australian material.

There is another thing about television programmes that concerns me. I think special action should he taken regarding television programmes that are likely to be seen by children. In my opinion television is the most powerful propaganda medium ever invented, and it is a scientific fact that 80 per cent. of all information conveyed to the human mind is received through the eyes. A picture can convey more than a book of 10,000 words and I think that that should be borne in mind when television programmes are being arranged. I am certain, Mr. Temporary Chairman, that various programmes that I have seen anyway are unsuitable for children. It must not be forgotten that children have very impressionable minds. I believe that they see too many acts of violence and crime, too many victories for villians. I feel that the delinquency in America that we hear so much about is probably due in some degree to this kind of programme on television. We do not want a similar position in Australia.

Now I should like to refer to some other aspects of this matter. A survey has been taken in Sydney of the content of television programmes, and the results are astounding. The result of the survey is reported as follows: -

A group of Sydney citizens . . . have completed a four-day survey of the incidence of crime and acts of violence in “ entertainment “ programmes being televised by Sydney’s three TV stations.

This group of Sydney citizens viewed all television programmes shown by Sydney’s three television stations on and from Monday, September 9th, until Thursday, September 12th, inclusive. They report the following acts of violence and crime televised during the above period of four days.

 

These features are going out from television stations in Australia, which is a serious matter. There is a bigger population to see them in Sydney than there is anywhere else in Australia and it is important that this matter be given prompt attention. The report continues -

All of these acts of violence took place in a total transmission of 10 hours. The maximum length of time during which any one of the three Sydney TV stations refrained from showing an act of violence was 214 minutes. All of the scenes reported above took place before 9.30 p.m., at times when children could be said to be watching TV.

Among the expressions heard by viewers were “ Dirty double-crosser “; “ I’ll get that mug “; “ Let’s go find a sucker “; “ I’ll blow your brains out “; and “ Shoot ‘em in the stomach. They take longer to die that way “. Thousands of similar expressions were heard, but they were too many to enumerate. In the ten hours of telecasting referred to one of those expressions or crimes of violence occurred every eight minutes. Every crime, violent incident or objectionable expression occurred in an imported television film. Not once was an offensive incident seen or heard in Australianproduced programmes. A total of 65 .major crimes and brutalities were shown on television by Sydney stations in four days in the guise of entertainment. All those incidents occurred in imported television programmes, all of which were telecast before 9 p.m. when children would see them. It is a shame that rubbish of that type should be foisted on the people who are paying £5 a year for a viewer’s licence.

I stress to the Postmaster-General the urgent need to give greater encouragement to Australian television talent. Even if the talent of Australians is not too high, in the initial developing stages of television in this country we should make concessions to Australian artists.

..

Mr CHANEY (Perth)  (see here).-I think it would be a great pity if, as the honorable member for Banks (Mr. Costa) suggested, the Government made itself completely responsible for programmes on television or, for that matter, programmes on the radio. If that were the case we would reach a stage where government control of programmes would be a type of regimentation. The more freedom that radio and television people have in their choice of programmes, the greater the chance the public has of getting the type of programmes that it wants to see or hear. 1 am quite certain that the advertisers on television in Australia to-day, who face high costs for television time, judge the type of programmes with the idea of sponsoring programmes that appeal to members of the public who, after all, are the people who want to see them and are the people who buy the sponsors' products.

The honorable member for Parkes (Mr. Haylen) is interjecting. I know that he would force the television stations to telecast Australian programmes featuring Australian artists. But the answer to this problem does not lie in a government direction that Australian artists shall be used or that the programmes shall consist entirely of Australian plays or productions. The answer lies in the standards attained by Australian artists. If they attain the standards necessary for television they will slowly edge out every other programme. Many Australian artists who have gone overseas have found that it was not easy immediately to break into television. At times it took years to learn the techniques and to Teach a standard of entertainment before they were acceptable to overseas television. Because those people, having returned to this country with training and experience have been immediately taken on by Australian television stations, people assume that every Australian is fit to go on a television programme and will be a drawcard.

The honorable member for Banks said that Mr. Charles Moses had advocated a quota of Australian programmes on television. That opinion was given in evidence before the commission set up to investigate television - long before television became an established fact in this country. If one looks at the recommendations of the commission one will see that it did not recommend a quota of Australian time on television. In actual fact the stations operating television in Australia at this stage have, I think, been very generous toward Australian programmes. It is true that there has been a drop in the percentage of time allotted to Australian programmes, but that is not because there have been fewer Australian programmes televised. It is because the total programme hours have increased.

Reference has been made to the murder, mayhem, violence, shootings, eye-gougings and the like that appear on television. Well, nobody has his arm wrung in order to force him to watch television- Anybody who permits a child to watch a television programmeat 9.30 or 10 o'clock at night is not fit to be a parent if that child has homework to do or school to attend next day. The control of children lies, not in the Government's hands, but in the parents' hands. If parents do not have sufficient control over their children to see that they are in bed at an appropriate hour or are doing their homework, you cannot blame the Government if they watch television.


Mr Duthie - Wait until you have television in Perth.


Mr CHANEY - I am quite prepared to wait for it. In fact, we have had television in Perth already for a month. Trade tests have been carried out during that period and my children have had every opportunity to see television subject, so far, to parental control. I can inform the champion of righteousness, who has interjected, that I think the children are in good hands. It is strange that most of the critics of all. this crime and murder that is shown on. television, and all these cowboy pictures,, sit with their eyes glued to the screen and say, "It was a terrible show for the children, but what will happen in the next episode to-morrow night? "

These programmes are shown because public opinion polls that have been taken among viewers indicate that they are the kind of programmes that the people want to see. Any one who criticizes cowboy pictures does not know what the average viewer in the community wants to see because some cowboy pictures, whether they be " Gunsmoke " or any other programme, afford complete relaxation. I am sure that many honorable members opposite view cowboy pictures and thoroughly enjoy them. However, it seems to be the proper thing to do to rise in this chamber and say, " This is the end of civilization ".


Mr Haylen - Do not circulate this speech.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN.Order! The honorable member for Parkes will cease interjecting.
Mr CHANEY - What happened before we had television? Books and comics that were sold contained just as much murder and mayhem as one sees on television. One has only to look at school publications. Surely Shakespeare's plays contain as much violence as many of the programmes that have been mentioned by the honorable member for Parkes, and I do not think that those plays have had a very grave effect on honorable members who have studied them at school.

People in Australia scream their heads off about child delinquency. They publicize it and blow it up out of all proportion without realizing that by doing so they are pleasing the small larrikin element in the community which is receiving top-line publicity and which thinks that it is far more important than it really is. Instead of talking so much, these people should try to do something to curb juvenile delinquency.
Mr Haylen - Chicago comes to town.


Mr CHANEY - Anybody who has listened to the broadcast of proceedings of the Parliament when the honorable member for Parkes has been speaking would be convinced that whatever damage may be done to the junior or the senior mind by television could not be half as bad as the sheer larrikinism that has been exhibited in this chamber on occasions.

I did not rise to talk about television. I rose to speak about broadcasting, especially as it applies to Western Australia. The debate on the Estimates provides the opportunity for honorable members to bring before the committee certain disabilities that people in some parts of Australia suffer. If one looks at the statistics that have been prepared by the Postmaster-General's Department one will see that we in Western Australia are out on a limb in relation to broadcasting as with many other facilities due to our distance from the centres of civilization and dense population in the eastern States....

Luckock here 

I want to say something about television, Mr. Temporary Chairman. I believe that, in television, we in Australia have an ideal system, because we have national and commercial stations. In the field of radio, the interlocking services provided by both the Australian Broadcasting Commission and the commercial stations have given us radio programmes that are second to none. Both the commercial stations and the

A.   B.C. are to be commended for the programmes and services that they have provided. 1 think that, in the same way, the linking of national and commercial television programmes will provide television services that will be second to none. The television programmes that are presented in Australia have already received favorable comment by people overseas, although we are still only in the early stages of developing this medium.

I think that the complete nationalization of television programmes and stations as proposed by members of the Australian Labour Party would be the worst thing that could happen to television in Australia. I congratulate the Postmaster-General on his attitude towards the establishment of television stations in country areas. After all, we talk a good deal about decentralization and about the need to provide for country people amenities similar to those enjoyed by city residents. I believe that, as far as is practicable, country people should be given control over their own television stations. This does not mean, Sir, that country and city stations should not co-operate. We have seen very effective co-operation between country and city radio stations, and I personally see no reason why similar co-operation should not be extended to the field of television as well. Those who say that control by country people of their own television stations will lower the standard of television in the country areas speak, I believe, either with their tongues in their cheeks or without any real appreciation of the situation.

The desirable proportion of programmes featuring Australian artists has been mentioned. I think that one of the arguments against too high a proportion of programmes featuring Australian artists is that it would mean that our television stations would not be able to broadcast programmes over an extended period daily, because they would not be able to get enough programme material for broadcasts extending over some hours each day. Our own artists would not be helped if they appeared only on their own in television programmes, especially if programmes featuring Australian artists formed by far the greater part of all programmes. If television in this country is to develop and progress as it should, we shall for a considerable time need to use programmes obtained from outside Australia. I am sure that most honorable members recall that this matter was raised in relation to radio in its early days. People said that we should have a certain proportion of programmes featuring our local artists. It was appreciated, Sir. that if the proportion were increased beyond the limit set at the time -I forget exactly what the percentage was - the radio stations would have had to reduce their broadcasting hours, because there were not sufficient Australian artists available to provide continuous programmes. The situation in respect of television is exactly the same. It would not be possible, especially in view of the cost of television programmes, to broadcast, for an extended number of hours daily, programmes featuring Australian artists almost exclusively.

In submitting this argument, Sir, I do not wish to imply in any way that Australian artists and programmes cannot hold their own with overseas artists and programmes. If I may say so, I am able to speak on this matter with some real appreciation and understanding of what is involved. Anybody with a proper appreciation of the situation, and with any experience of the matter, knows that Australian artists and productions can hold their own with overseas artists and productions, and, in many instances, improve on them. As I have said, the limited number of Australian artists that we have at present would not allow us to provide Australian programmes for the full period of broadcasting daily.

Oct 8

Mr HAYLEN (Parkes) .- T refer to that section of the Estimates that has relation to broadcasting and television services. I would like to analyse the attitude of the Parliament, and particularly that of honorable members on the Government side, to the highly desirable practice of increasing the Australian content of television programmes. Before indulging in any argument about the merits or demerits of Australian artists, let me say that surely, in a country that has gone to a great deal of public expense to provide television services, we should make sure that our programmes are imbued with the Australian spirit and the Australian ethic and the Australian way of life. We all heard the honorable member .for Perth (Mr. Chaney) speaking last night, and we heard you, too, Sir, but not in your capacity as Temporary Chairman. I cannot refer to you in that capacity because it would be contrary to standing orders, and I have no desire to offend. You seemed, however, to have some wretched inferiority complex when considering the question whether Australian artists can make the grade.

The feeling amongst honorable members on the Government side is opposed to the battle being waged by honorable members on this side of the Parliament on behalf of the Australian artist and playwright. Whether honorable members opposite like it or not, there is going to be a considerable amount of Australianism in future television programmes. Although the Postmaster-General (Mr. Davidson) may not be prepared to help us, and although the Australian Broadcasting Control Board may not be able to help us, the force of public opinion will help us. There is no hostility displayed by those who are operating the stations and who are trying to solve the problem, and I would invite the Minister to consider these factors.

If the honorable member for Perth repeated in his electorate what he said last night in this committee he would have to answer to such writers as Katherine Susannah Prichard, Henrietta Drake-Brockman, K. S. Ewers, Gavin Casey and Mr. Stowe, who recently won the Miles Franklin award. There is in Western Australia a surging flood of literature, capable not only of being channelled into television, but also of being adapted for the stage. It is part of our literary heritage, in which Western Australia has always had a high place. The honorable member for Lyne (Mr. Lucock) has also a negative, apologetic and retreating attitude towards this question. The Minister knows that the reason why we have programmes such as are now being shown - outside of the national stations - is that they are a cheap commodity. If it were a question of filled milk, or condensed milk, or foreign cheese or some other such gimmick being imported into the country, the private interests concerned would be badgering the Tariff Board or asking for subsidies and controls. There is no great artistic merit in most of the programmes that we get from overseas. In many cases, they have been brought here simply because they are cheap and nasty and were lying in store, unsure of any certain resurrection, until television came to Australia. They were sold, but they are nearly all finished. This House has to get up to date on this matter. There is a great opportunity for both the Minister and the Australian Broadcasting Control Board and for the members of the Government to say, Now is the time to push the ball along for the Australian writer, the Australian technician and the Australian actor," because television, being a greedy medium, is absorbing all this rubbish that we have been getting. While there are good westerns and good medium performances, and while we must be prepared to have a certain amount of imported entertainment, there is no reason why we should regard ourselves as having this cursed colonial inferiority. We must go right to the people and tell them they can have something of their own. We may make pious resolutions here, but we are going to be urged along by the people outside to do something about the lack of Australian material in television programmes.

The point I make to the Minister is that he should get to the Australian Broadcasting Control Board, and ask it, in turn, to do something about the matter. There have been efforts faithfully made by at least two television stations in New South Wales - I speak only of my own State - which are prepared to give the Australian his representative role in television either as a writer or as an actor. The Australian Broadcasting Commission has been considerate enough to send its representatives here to listen to this debate, and to give any honorable member who seeks it information on the subject. I have sought their advice and opinions, and I have found that the A.B.C. has put on in various ways about 79 plays. Ten of them have been Australian plays.

The A.B.C. has put on, in my opinion, the most memorable " Hamlet " that I have ever seen on stage, screen or television. It was done by Australians with a British producer, I believe, and it was a magnificent effort. It was seen by people who had never before seen Shakespeare performed. They thought Shakespeare was some highbrow gimmick, but when they saw " Hamlet " on television they thought it one of the greatest things they have ever seen. The A.B.C. followed this up a few nights later with a performance of " Julius Caesar ". Now there is a thriller, if you like, or a western if you care to call it that. It is one of the greatest action plays and the public, which had not had an opportunity to see it before because of the snobbery that surrounds the presentation of Shakespeare and opera, saw it on the people's medium, television, and liked it immensely.

Let me tell honorable members that in a recent television diffusion of " Macbeth " in the United States there were 8,000,000 viewers of the work of Shakespeare. Yet we are told that we have to accept American trash and all sorts of stuff that is brought in for transmission to Australian viewers. Nothing of the sort! There is a grand opportunity for the young Australian writer to get right into television and make it something distinctly ours. Then we will have none of this unwarranted expenditure of public money, which is a complete negation of the responsibility of this House to help to preserve the Australian tradition.

The A.B.C. has also established a workshop of well-known Australian writers who are being trained, and whose plays have been discussed. They include people like D'arcy Niland, the young man Kenna, who wrote "The Slaughter on St. Theresa's Day " - a very fine piece of work which was produced at the Elizabethan Theatre - Ric Throssell, who works at the Department of External Affairs, Canberra, and who is a very fine playwright, Miss Lansbury and others, all working with Australian material and all learning the techniques of television. We ask on behalf of such people: " Give us, first, television of an Australian character and wipe out the second rate stuff which is coming into this country. Secondly, give us a percentage minimum content of Australian material on television." We pleaded for a minimum of 33 i per cent. Australian content. This was refused. We were told that the Australian Broadcasting Control Board would look after the content of television programmes. God help us if we are relying on it to do so! It could not look after anything. Look at the infernal mess it is getting into with television transmission licences, where monopoly is being piled on monopoly. There is a reason for that, but it has never been explained to the people of Australia.

This is the place in which to do something about Australia and Australianism, and ,to see that we have Australian .plays and turns on television. They may be comedy turns, or turns of the western type, or anything you like, but they ought to be Australian.

Finally, I think that the A.B.C., in the thoughtful way that it is trying to do things, has pioneered to some degree in the television field. But its efforts are nullified in this House by honorable members opposite asking: " Why do you want to complain about television? Television is all right. There is nothing wrong with westerns." We do not say there .is. But we do say that it is unpleasant that this 'Government has provided no machinery to make television programmes more representative of Australia, and to give opportunities for Australian writers and actors. "They do not form a pressure group. I try to be their pressure group in this place, and I am very proud to be so.

Now I turn to the work of another television channel - Channel 7. There has been nothing done in television more brilliant than "Johnny Belinda", an overseas play, true enough, but .done with sensitive skill by Australians. It was one of the greatest experiences of television to have sat in on " Johnny Belinda " and seen the way that our artists did it - not just through artistry and not just for television purposes. Theirs was a sympathetic production brought to life by Australian actors. So, first the actor, then the playwright and then the quota. We tell the Minister that if we cannot have a quota in the formative years to help us we will get it eventually by the force of public opinion, because of the desire of Australians to see their own shows on television.

Let me say that there is nothing to feel inferior about, because man for man, writer for writer, actor for actor, technician for technician, our television is equal to the world's best. So why should we have this feeling of inferiority about developing our own writers? Why should we let the tide of cheap and nasty stuff come into this country without saying, " So far, and no further", at least for a little while. Let us gather our forces together. Here is a new dramatic medium. Why should it be flooded with something alien? Every time an Australian sits down to write he gives us something of his own country, he gives us something of your mind and his mind in what he says, and he gets an answer from your heart and .mine.

I sum up by appealing to members of the Government, and to back-benchers on the Government side particularly, to show a little more courage in relation to Australian television programmes, to have ;i little -faith in their own people. I ask them not to use that outworn old gimmick thai, after .all, art is international. I agree that it is, but old, phoney 20-year-old films hiding in some hill in Hollywood waiting for some rube country to buy them for television is not high art. It is very lowgrade business. That is why I ask the Minister at this stage to give us a percentage >or a quota. He ought to look at the machinery of television so as to preserve the right of Australians to have presented to them by Australians the Australian way of life. There need be no apologies about it. We do not say that something that is no .good should be put on television just because it is Australian. We have had enough of that We have had things that have been repeated four or five times. We have had some films over and over again that were just period pieces. They were put on for the housewives on the 12 o'clock session, when they had the opportunity to see the old clothes and old hats that they used to wear themselves in the days when those films were made.

Some of the critics of television and of our attitude to television say, "You have to measure up to world standards ". Well, we have not been getting world standards to measure up to. I submit that the Australian Broadcasting Commission, in regard to Shakespearean plays and some other shows, has been up to world television standards. I submit in all sincerity that " Johnny Belinda " was well up to world standards. It was a most moving and remarkable play, and I was deeply moved and pleased to think that it was produced by Australians. Later on we had an Australian play called, I think, "The Big Day ". That was a memorable occasion. It was beautifully acted. Therefore, on the dramatic side we can produce first-class plays and we ought to have more of them. It is a shocking thing that the Government and the Minister should leave our

Australian playwrights and actors standing outside the door of this Parliament asking for a quota, asking for an opportunity to develop themselves in the television medium. You have not had the guts, Mr. Minister, nor has the Government had the guts, to do something for them. You have a colonial mind on the matter. But behind you is all the force of Australian culture, waiting to be seen and waiting to be heard.

Mr Lucock - I desire to make a personal explanation.