Report of the Juvenile Delinquency Committee

John Stuart Mill · en
"It could be assumed from the terms of the recommendation that no
    regulations are at present in force governing the censorship of
    films and film posters. This, however, is not the case, as
    appropriate regulations have been in operation for many years. What
    is now contemplated is a revision of the existing regulations to
    take account of later legislation and to modernise them in the
    light of new developments and policies relating to this aspect of
    the film industry.

    "In particular, the Cinematograph Films Amendment Act 1953 made
    fairly extensive amendments to existing law relating to censorship,
    and this in turn has led to the necessity for a completely new
    approach to certain policy and machinery aspects of the existing
    regulations. For these reasons, and as the film industry is a
    licensed and controlled industry, the Committee will understand
    that it has not been possible, or even perhaps desirable, to
    progress as speedily as would be the case with other regulations
    of a more normal character.

    "For the information of your Committee the general position now is
    that the regulations are in a final stage of preparation and will
    be submitted for Government approval as soon as practicable."

We have been advised that quite recently a final draft of the
regulations was forwarded to the Film Industry Board for consideration.
We were told, too, that conferences are being held between officers of
the Department of Internal Affairs on the one hand and members of the
Film Industry Board on the other. It is expected that at the conclusion
of such conferences an agreed draft will be sent forward to the
Government.


(_c_) Broadcasting Service

Two recommendations were before us for our consideration:

    (1) "That the Service ensure that the concept 'Crime must never
    pay' is more prominently featured in crime serials; and

    (2) "That a married woman be immediately appointed to the
    auditioning panel."

In its report to us the Broadcasting Service says:

    "As regards (1), the Service has always attached great importance
    to this principle. We can let feature producers know that we attach
    greater importance to it than ever; but we cannot make it more
    explicit or more prominent in a feature than the producers have.
    (After all, no convention in the field of dramatic fiction, in any
    medium, is stronger or better understood than the convention which
    distinguishes hero and villain and makes the first triumph over the
    second.)

    "As regards (2), this extends a practice in accordance with which,
    since 1952, one or another of the senior women officers of the
    Service has been used as a referee, when auditioning officers have
    been in doubt about the proper classification and placement of
    features.