BRITISH BROADCASTING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 81, 17 March 1936, Page 7

BRITISH BROADCASTING

Extension of 8.8. C. Charter EMPIRE TRANSMISSIONS (British Official Wireless.* (Received 17, 2.15 p.m.) RUGBY, March 16. The committee set up last year by the Postmaster-General to consider the constitution, control and finance of the broadcasting service in Britain has issued its report. It expresses high appreciation of the British Broadcasting Corporation and recommends that the royal charter be extended for a term of ten years. The chief financial recommendations are that the broadcast receiving license fees should remain at ten shillings; that of the net revenue from these licenses, after deducting Post Office costs, a larger share—namely, 75 per eent., be allotted to the corporation and 25 per cent, be regarded as potentially available for broadcasting so far as it may be required. The committee also recommends the service of broadcasting to the Empire should be developed and extended. Questioned by the Australian Associated Press concerning the committee’s references to Empire transmissions, Sir Stephen Tallents said that the Broadcasting Corporation entirely agreed that there should be development of Empire transmissions. The corporation was considering schemes by which broadcasting hours to the Dominions would be extended, and was also paying attention to developing the engineering side, enabling clearer receptions. The committee recommended that the corporation should receive a larger portion of the license revenue, which would be most helpful in the development and improvement of Empire transmissions. Corporation officials said that there was reason to expect an improvement in reception in future. Short-wave transmission was approaching a good “eleven year cycle, ’ and no doubt by tho time of the next bad cycle experts would have overcome all the difficulties, from which Australia particularly suffered. Improve ment in programmes was at present receiving the closest attention.