Two 'Insight '78' radio documentaries.
Side 1: Insight ’78 - The UFO Phenomena - 3 December 1978. Produced by Peter Kingston.
The programme opens with an eye witness account from Frank Tripp of Wellington, of an unidentified flying object in the sky over the Hutt Valley. Peter Kingston then presents further reports and stories from New Zealanders on other aerial phenomena.
Many people gathered in Wellington on the weekend for a national seminar organised by the ‘Earth Colonisation Research Association’ (ECRA).
Dr Jan de Bock [?] a scientist with the Concrete Research Association is developing a reputation as the country's most responsible 'ufologist'. He has investigated hundreds of sightings and speaks about the phenomena. He says 95 percent have some sort of natural explanation and explains some of them.
Frank Tripp talks about the need for a central government body for people to report UFO sightings too.
Rocky Wood, the President of ECRA is interviewed and says overseas UFO sightings are accepted much more readily than they are in New Zealand. Gallup opinion polls in the USA have shown an increase in people who accept UFOs are real, although he accepts the film "Close Encounters" may have had some impact on that.
He discusses some of the various theories about UFO sightings and the different factions among 'ufologists.' He says official government bodies are unlikely to investigate UFO sightings adequately and an independent organisation is preferable.
Dr Allen Hynek is the world's leading authority on UFOs and Director of the Centre for UFO Studies in the United States. He calls for people to report any sightings to his organisation, saying 90 percent of people who experience a UFO fail to report it. He and the Prime Minister of Grenada recently called on the United Nations to investigate close encounters between humans and beings from outer space.
The theme from the film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" is played and a read account of a UFO encounter by Mrs Marjorie Morland[?] of Blenheim in 1959.
An unnamed Lower Hutt resident tells her story of an encounter with a UFO in July 1971.
Peter Kingston says this woman seemed believable and down-to-earth. The Canadian government has been funding research into UFO's. Canadian researcher John Musgrave comments via telephone on the Lower Hutt woman's experience.
In Palmerston North author Brian Mackrill discusses UFO hoaxes and the psychological human need to believe in something seen in the sky.
Harold Fulton, who is dubbed "the grand old man of New Zealand ufo-logy" after investigating reports for the past 30 years, comments that some of the UFO eye witnesses must be believable. He comments on the case of an American couple who were abducted for several hours by a space vessel. He and Brian advance other theories about UFOs and time travel.
Peter Kingston says he has himself seen an unidentified flying object, while the Hutt Valley eye witness says she would like the government to investigate.
Side 2: Insight ’78 - Wine exports: It's a Long, Long Way to Chateau Kiwi - 17 December 1978. Produced by Christine Williams.
Winemaker John Buck talks with Christine Williams while they taste various wines and comments on producing better quality wines as the future for the New Zealand wine industry. Comparisons are made to the Australian wine industry, and Corban's exports are mentioned.
Terry Dunleavy of the New Zealand Wine Institute talks about the industry entering the sustained export phase of development. There are some comments about the difficulty in exporting to Britain, with a recent "Chateau Kiwi" comedy skit on television there, damaging New Zealand wine's reputation. He comments that New Zealand wine could even be marketed in France or Germany. John Buck talks about marketing wine overseas.
Wine writer Peter Saunders expresses concern about low-quality New Zealand wine exports, which he worries are damaging our reputation. Terry Dunleavy agrees with this concern, and talks about the need for an export quality certification policy. He says the Customs Department is being asked to check that no wine is exported unless it has been certified as being of the required quality standard. The Wine Institute is setting up a Wine Assessment Panel. He hopes this policy will come into force in a year.
Cook's and Corbans varieties and brands for export are mentioned. John Adams from Cook's comments about export orders requiring special labelling for some markets. Cook's uses the name "Te Kauwhata" overseas.
The problems of the brand name 'Montana' in the United States is mentioned, and Rob Storey from Montana talks about the part-ownership of Seagrams and using their marketing power to overcome the perception that New Zealand is unknown as a wine-producing country.
Don Maisey, General Manager of Corbans, talks about exporting to Canada where individual provinces control sale of liquor, and how to promote our wine in the American market.
John Adams talks about the price of New Zealand wine reaching $5.00 a bottle on the domestic market, as quality improves and exports grow.