Intertel; 17; Room Down Under
- Series
- Intertel
- Episode Number
- 17
- Episode
- Room Down Under
- Producing Organization
- National Educational Television and Radio Center
- Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
- Contributing Organization
- Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/512-gx44q7rn6s
- NOLA Code
- ITTL
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- Description
- Episode Description
- Since the end of World War II, two million people, mostly European, have immigrated to Australia, a continent almost as large as the United States but with a total population of about eleven million. With these newcomers, Australia once a semi-isolated and remote island is beginning to stir with new ideas and responsibilities. The reception to the European immigrants was at first cool and sometimes hostile, but degrees of prejudice have given way to nearly complete acceptance. The country, however, still maintains a strict immigration policy towards Asians. Under this controversial policy, Asians are admitted only at the discretion of the Minister of Immigration. Room Down Under, an American contribution to Intertel, looks at the life of the Australians through the eyes of a young European immigrant, giving considerable attention to the adjustments the newcomers have had to make. It also explores the controversy concerning Australias white immigration policy and the social, economic, agricultural, and industrial changes in the country. For most of the program the cameras follow young and pretty Heidi Pavlovic, an immigrant who recently became a naturalized citizen. This picture of the old, the new, and the promise of Australia is enhanced by the narration of James Fleming and by noted composer Morton Feldmans original background music. To depict the Australians love for the casual way of life, the cameras visit people in the neighborhood pubs; scan the beaches where young and old swim, sun bathe, and ride the surf; and focus on the spirited competitive sports events. The wholehearted support for sports in Australia a producer of many athletic champions is contrasted with the lack of support for the performing arts. In one sequence professional playwrights, actors, and actresses point out that there is less passion for the arts in Australia than for the art of living. Australian traditions are often looked upon as a cross between the English and the American. Freedom of speech is valued highly. Excellent camera sequences in Domain Park in Sydney show people of different social, economic, and religious background declaring their opinions freely and sometimes heatedly. The adjustments Europeans have had to make are illustrated by the employment situation of Heidis father, who works as a shipping clerk. There is not much demand for older men, but for the younger migrants work is plentiful in the Snowy Mountain scheme a project that involves construction of nine dams, hundreds of miles of tunnels, and irrigation for the vast outback areas plagued with arid land. For those who settle in these dry lands to raise sheep rain is the big thing. The constant gamble with weather is depicted on a trip to the farm of Ron Maunsel. For seven of the past ten years Maunsel has had drought. The strong differences of opinion concerning Australias immigration policy toward her Asiatic neighbors are brought out in the interviews with native citizens and with university students and professors. Many of those who favor the present policy say, Their standards of living are lower. Or, They dont mix with us, even the ones weve got now. Or, We dont want Asians. Eminent Australian novelist Morris L. West, in a debate on the subject with Mrs. Barbara Cullen of the Commonwealth Immigration Advisory Council and Tom Dougherty of the Australian Workers Union, says the government has a right to exclude on other bases but not on account of race and color. Mrs. Cullen and Mr. Dougherty both favor the policy. Mr. Dougherty claims that lowering the immigration bar would hinder Australias Colombo Plan. This plan offers to the qualified Asian student an education, sponsored by Australia that will prepare him to return to his homeland and aid in its development. Room Down Under is a 1963-64 Intertel production by National Education Television and the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Series Description
- Intertel, a dramatic breakthrough in the dissemination of ideas and cultural exchange through television, was conceived in November 1960. Five television broadcasters in the four major English-speaking nations joined to form the International Television Federation, to be known as Intertel, the first such international organization. The participants were Associated Rediffusion, Ltd. of Great Britain, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and for the United States, the National Educational Television and Radio Center and the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. Intertel produced on a bi-monthly basis hour-long documentaries on important world topics, inaugurating a global television production agency dedicated to the creation of programs of substance and meaning. John F. White, President of NET, called Intertel more than a fusion of the creative talents of the organizations involved in producing television programs of outstanding merit. It is a step forward to world understanding, he added. I believe that the exchange of documentaries, while of great significance in the vastness of the mutual understanding in it can foster, is but the first step in a regular exchange of all forms of programming. Donald H. McGannon, President of WBC, hailed the new organization as a pool of the technical and creative ability and knowledge of all the groups which will extend the international horizons of television in all aspects. This is the first practical step, after years of talking and hoping, toward the creation and use of international television for cultural exchange and an effective weapon for peace. By having observers examine topics far removed from their everyday assignments, Intertel gives viewers a fresh viewpoint. The founder members indicated that by dubbing these programs in foreign languages and making them available to all nations, they hoped television companies in Europe, Asia and South America will eventually join this unique project. The supervisory committee for the United States programming segments consists of Mr. McGannon and Mr. White; Richard M. Pack, WBC Vice President Programming; and Robert Hudson, NET Vice President for Programming. Intertel came into formal being November 14, 1960, in a special meeting in Vancouver, B.C., and the culmination of plans for such an association which has been under way for a long time. John McMilliam of Associate Rediffusion, was named contemporary Coordinating Officer at that time. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Broadcast Date
- 1964-06-15
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Documentary
- Topics
- Public Affairs
- Rights
- Copyright National Educational Television & Radio Center & Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., Inc. June 8, 1964
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Duration
- 00:56:08
- Credits
-
-
Composer: Feldman, Morton, 1926-1987
Director: Klugherz, Dan
Interviewee: Pavlovic, Heidi
Interviewee: Maunsel, Ron
Narrator: Fleming, James
Producer: Klugherz, Dan
Producing Organization: National Educational Television and Radio Center
Producing Organization: Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
Speaker: West, Morris L.
Speaker: Dougherty, Tom
Speaker: Cullen, Barbara
Writer: Klugherz, Dan
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2017897-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2017897-2 (MAVIS Item ID)
Generation: Master
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2017897-3 (MAVIS Item ID)
Generation: Copy: Access
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2017897-4 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
-
Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive
Identifier: [request film based on title] (Indiana University)
Format: 16mm film
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Intertel; 17; Room Down Under,” 1964-06-15, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed May 11, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-gx44q7rn6s.
- MLA: “Intertel; 17; Room Down Under.” 1964-06-15. Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. May 11, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-gx44q7rn6s>.
- APA: Intertel; 17; Room Down Under. Boston, MA: Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-gx44q7rn6s