RADIO IN DENMARK

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 130, 3 June 1937, Page 28

RADIO IN DENMARK

A CULTURAL SERVICE

There's no geting away from the, fact that the: Danes are a most cultured people,, says a writer in :an English radio journal. There is a flourishing high-school movement throughout the country; and materially . they have more cycles, telephones, and radio sets in proportion than any other .nation. It is no wonder, then, that .the broadcasting service is regarded as ,a "folk university." . . • .

The ownership of radio receivers has almost reached saturation point. The 550,000 homes equipped with radio represent two-thirds of the possible total Most listeners. have valve sets, of course, but there are 20,000 .crystal receivers still in use. . : Right from the start of organised broadcasting the ■ technical arrangements have been' in the hands of the State Telegraph Department and,the programme- department has- been in close touch with listeners. By the Radio Broadcasting Act, which was first brought into operation in March, 11026, the service has been controlled by the Ministry of Public .Works, [which works through a wireless council. ' . ■' ■■■■'■..•

The chairman and vice-chairman are appointed by the "Ministry of Public Works; the Ministry of Education'sends a member; the Press, has two representatives; the Higsdag sends four, members; arid the remaining six of the fifteen are sponsored by approved listen-* ers' associations. ■ Every effort ,has obviously been made to see that all interests are well represented. ' 'Before,'broadcasting was put on this permanent-fopting it was a haphazard affair, as it was over here. A private station was in operation as.early as 1922 and in 1923 two listeners' clubs operated two stations between them? Then, in 1925, at the suggestion of the Danish Wireless Club, a "trial year" of State broadcasting was started as from April 1. Not a particularly happy .choice Of date, perhaps, but it seems to.have worked out all right!

.Like oursejves,. the Danes will have nothing to do with radio advertising and, unlike ourselves, they made it a rule right from the beginning that every penny obtained from licence fees was to be spent on the broadcasting service. ... . Thus, of the total of £245,000 paid by the 550,000 listeners, £.134,000 is spent on programmes and £33,000 Odd is available for technical needs. It is here, naturally, that the Danes score. Their country is comparatively small and its geographical formation is such that two stations can cater for everybody. ~-'....".

Of the sixteen classifications :nto which Danish programmes can .be anaiyse'd, the first ten in order ■. of programme time (and therefore presumably the. most popular items) are light music, lectures, and discussions (remember that the Danes are a cultured people), news, classical music, religious services, drama,. morning drill, foreign languages, elocution; arid the chil-dren's-hours-. •••.-•■

It is therefore apparent that Danish listeners do not care much about thf weather, cabaret ■ items, gramophon? records, school broadcasts, or special relays, for none of these exceeds 2.6 per cent, of the total programme time. - In* 1928 a special broadcasting headquarters was built—with a dual object. It combined an annexe stage to the Royal Theatre and also broadcasting studios. Now it has been found "that a more ambitious building is needed and a new headquarters that will meet the needs of the future is.being planned. .

Every winter a series of twenty-eight studio concerts is broadcast on Thursday evenings, these being . conducted by such musicians as Fritz Busch, Nico lai Malko, and;Egisto Tango. . ■'.. The King of Denmark has, like our own King, spoken to his people through the microphone. •