Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 16 February 1955, page 10


Sydney TV inquiry told:

SACKED 'BECAUSE

HE DEFIED MINISTER'

Sydney, Tuesday

MR. COLIN GRAHAM SCRIM-

GEOUR, who told the Broadcast-ing Control Board yesterday he "could not remember "why he lost his job as Controller of N.Z. Broadcasting in 1943, said today it was because he had defied the Minister in charge.

The Minister had wanted him to put over political propaganda which he con-sidered contrary to public interest, he said.

It was suggested yesterday that he had . failed to observe censorship regulations operat

ing at that time.

Scrimgeour is proposed chairman of Associated TV Ltd., which, in its application for a Sydney licence, sets out that it would have a capital of £ 1 million in £ 1 shares.

He said a television licence in Sydney would be worth about £1 million. Owner-ship of a licence alone would enable finance to be raised for operation of a station.

Original capital of Asso-ciated T.V. Pty. Ltd., £10,000, had been increased to £30,000, he said.

Mr. Ben Fuller, chairman of directors of Fuller's Theatres and a proposed director of the new company, had paid £ 10,000 for a half interest in Associated T.V. Pty. Ltd., and had given the company £30,000, which was not shown or claimed in the company's operation ex-

penses, to commence produc-

tion.

Heavy losses

Mr. J. Shand, Q.C. (for Truth and Sportsman Ltd., another applicant) : Would you agree that on the last balance-sheet Associated T.V. Pty. Ltd. had lost the total of your capital seven and a

half times over?

Scrimgeour: The » losses were calculated and taken into account.

Well, something like that? -All right.

Scrimgeour said the com-pany had forfeited the lease of land at Pagewood for non-payment of Crown dues.

He admitted that if the proposed transaction for the sales of the proprietory com-pany's assets to the new company took place he would get about 70,833 shares.

Questioned about the £30,000 Mr. Fuller had put Into Associated T.V. Pty. Ltd., Scrimgeour said it was put in a separate account for the production of a film, "Captain Thunderbolt."

The inquiry will be re-

sumed tomorrow.