STATE BROADCASTING IN CANADA

Evening Star, Issue 21138, 25 June 1932, Page 4

STATE BROADCASTING IN CANADA

After giving radio to business concerns to do as they please for ten years Canada has decided to retrace her steps. She has let broadcasting become the plaything of the salesmen, whoso wailings and inouthiugs about this or the other article have dominated the programmes to such an extent that Do Forest, the inventor of the valve, wishes he had destroyed his invention rather than see it so misused.

But Canada has applied a counterhold to the stranglehold gained by the business interests, for by the unanimous decision of Parliament there is to be a national radio broadcasting system operating on a self-sustained basis under a commission of three to be appointed by the Federal Government. This action follows many months of controversy in which the respective merits of Government control, on the one hand, and private ownership and operation as in the United States, as the alternative, have been widely debated. More than two years ago a Koyal Commission studied the question exhaustively, and reported in favour of a plan based on the British broadcasting system. In the recent session of Parliament a committee of the House again went into the matter, and recommended a State-owned system to be developed gradually on its own revenue and without grants from the Federal Treasury, ft was agreed by all parties that the advice was sound and practical, and the Government's legislation win modelled accordingly. At the same time it was announced that an agreement had been made with Washington by which Canada should have as many radio channels as were necessary for the operation of a national system. ‘ The Tladio Commission is to have at its disposal the revenue from the license fee of 2dol (eight shillings) on receiving sets and from the regulated sale, of advertising time on the air. No more than 5 per cent, of programme time thus sold may bo taken up with commercial announcements, however. On the present basis this total revenue will amount to about £300,000 a year, which will be increased by £120,000 if the receiver license is raised to twelve shillings as is expected. The plan of complete radio nationalisation will take some years in the realisation, under the financial conditions imposed. [eventually there will be five broadcasting stations of 50,000watt power, a. few of 5,000 and 10,000, while 100-watt private stations may continue to operate under license and strict regulation. The commission, which is warned against political influence, will have very wide powers, and sets out upon its task with the goodwill of the Canadian people. Tlio commission will have power to lease, purchase, or expropriate existing stations, and to acquire private telegraph wires in order to inaugurate trans-Canada broadcasts. The main functions of the commission will bo similar to those of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The existence of small, low-power stations will not he endangered by the new system, except that they must conform to the restrictions regarding advertising on the air. By a gentleman’s agreement with the United States Camilla will lie

allotted nine cleared channels without power limitations. These have been selected by the Government experts so that they occupy an advantageous position in the broadcasting band with reference to the high-power American stations, and preclude the possibility of interference.

It will bo, possibly, three years before the new system will have entirely absorbed the old one. An immediate start is to he made with the transCanada broadcasts, to be followed by the gradual adoption of the remaining units of the system, so as to cause the least possible inconvenience to present vested interests.