T.V. CONTRACTS IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27498, 4 November 1954, Page 13

T.V. CONTRACTS IN BRITAIN

AUTHORITY REPLIES TO CRITICISM

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, November 2. The Independent Television Authority, which will start Britain’s first commercial television service next year, tonight defended itself against charges of political bias. It emphasised it was a hon-political body. Labour Party supporters—some of them long-standing opponents of commercial television—have alleged that the authority's first three Stations in London. Birmingham, and Manchester would be run by “Tory-dominated” interests.

. The authority’s statement said that, in selecting the companies, it paid regard only to their ability to produce alanced programmes of high quality. The programme companies are required by the Television Act to express no views of their own on matters of current public policy and to treat all political issues with complete impartiality. "If the free press of this country is to play what seems to the authority its natural, though by no means exclusive part, in the development of television then the more representative its participation the better.”