OPENING OF CHANNEL 10 TELEVISI. ON STATION
SYDNEY, N. S. W. -th APRIL3 1265
Speech by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon, Sir Robert Menzies.
It gives me quite a lot of pleasure to be associated with the
opening of your new Station. That is partly because your
Chairman and some of your Directors are very old friends of
mine, and their individuality guarantees that this will be a
highly, well-conducted Station.
There are other reasons, of course, for my pleasure. One is
that I think it is a very good thing for the future of television
that we should have as wide a choice as possible in the programmes
that we want to look at. I do not mean by that that there ought
to be so many that they cease to be effective, but I do mean that
a choice, the possibility of turning that knob and getting on to
another station is of tremendous importance.
I do not look at television as much as perhaps most people,
but I always have a very attractive sense of power when a
programme is on and I do not like it and I can Just turn the
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same kind service by me.
Choice is I think, in the long run, the guarpntee of quality
because if people are exercising their judgment in that vay,
this will soon become known and standards I think will tend to
be maintained and improved.
There is another thing about television which makes it fascinating
and, 1 thihk, sometimes almost terrifying. It appeals to the
eye as well as to the ear. People look at the performer,
whether he is a speaker or an actor, or whatever he may be, and
thay listen to him. They have an opportunity of forming a
judgment in two senses, which cannot be made merely by listening
to a voice over the air. I think indeed, that although your
prime function will be to entertain your vievers to instruct
your viewers in a m: W and insinuating way, you will occasionally
have on your station political people, men of affairs,
university professors, all sorts of people who have something
to say which may be contentious, and I think it is tremendously
valuable that people should be able to look as well as hear.
It gives them an opportunity of forming a judgment, so to speak,
in the round.
I think television is going to have a tremendous effect in
the future. Indeed, I sometimes tremble to think of what will
happen in due course when the premiums will be put on television
personalities and nobody will be nominated for a seat in
Parliament unless he is a clean winner on the screen. Well,
sometimes that might be good and frequently it might not, but
with experience people will cultivate an additional judonent
through the medium of television. / 2
2.
Tihredore, I think you are entering upon an
adventure. It is a financial adventure of course, though
I have no doubt it will succeed, an adventure into a new
t. orld of entertainment and instruction, a newr world which
I believe is Zing. to be more and more signifcant as the
years go by.
I eomplixiient this Company on tio quality of those
who direct it l am, perfectly certain that under their
guidance this Station will have great success, and I
certainly wish it all the luck in the world*
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