BONDS OF RADIO

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 99, 23 October 1940, Page 6

BONDS OF RADIO

THE EMPIRE LINK

FUTURE PLANS OF R.B.C.

Mention of the fine organisation of the British Broadcasting -Corporation and of its future plans for using radio to bring the units of the Empire still closer was made at the luncheon of the Wellington Rotary Club yesterday by Mr. R. McCall, of Melbourne, manager of the Victorian branch of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. He has been chosen by the 8.8.C. to work in London during the war, giving direction to Pacific transmissions.

Mr. McCall said that in going to England he had to do a job for both New Zealand and Australia. The 8.8.C. had been doing remarkably good work under very difficult circumstances. It had been organised to the last detail to ensure that broadcasts would continue, no matter what was happening overhead. If Bristol were bombed, for instance, the programme being broadcast would be switched to another station, and it could be said with some pride that the BJ3.C. had never been off the air—that was more | than could be said about broadcasts from Germany. He was a little perplexed to know just where an improvejment could be brought about; the i broadcasts now" contained up-to-the-minute information 'and interesting [talks. '

Referring to a question that had been asked, whether there, was an overweight of propaganda in the 8.8.C. transmissions,. Mr. McCall said he did not quite know what was meant by propaganda, but if exactitude in information was propaganda he would say the 8.8.C. was very efficient at it. He ,had checked up on information like the comparative figures of planelosses, and had found the 8.8.C. information identical with that of other sources.

The 8.8.C. for many years had visualised a much closer linking-up throughout the Empire. During the jwar, and afterwards, one of the most effective ways' of controlling an efficient bond of fellowship and instructive activity among all the nations of the British Empire was the link provided by broadcasting. The Canadian broadcasting service was already represented by a staff of five or six at Broadcasting House, London; the same thing was happening in regard to India and other Dominions and colonies, and now Australia and New Zealand had their chance to make their presence felt.