PROGRESS IN WIRELESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22833, 18 March 1936, Page 9

PROGRESS IN WIRELESS

EMPIRE TRANSMISSION EXTENSION OF HOURS (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, March 16. Questioned by the Australian Associated Press concerning the ..committee’s references to Empire transmissions, Sir Stephen Tallents said 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, It also was paying attention to developing the engineering side, enabling; clearer reception. The committee’s recommendation that the corporation should receive a larger portion of the licence revenue would bo most helpful in the development and improvement of Empire transmission. Corporation officials said there was reason to expect improvement iu reception in the future, as short-wave transmission was approaching the good “ 11-year-cycle.” No doubt by the time of the next bad cycle experts would have overcome all difficulties from which Australia particularly suffered. Improvement in programmes at present was receiving the closest attention. TELEVISION SERVICE EARLY OPERATION IN LONDON (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, March 16. (Received March 17, at 5.5 p.m.) 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: The committee recommends maintenance of the general structure of the broadcasting system as it now stands, endorses the chief features of its; administration in the past, and expresses high appreciation of its management bv the British Broadcasting Corporation. It recommends that the royal charter be extended to a term of 10 years. The committee recommends that ithe Postmaster-general continue to deal with the licensing system and technical matters arising from the wireless telegraphy Acts, but Ministerial responsibility in respect to the broad questions of general policy and culture should in future be allocated separately to a Cabinet Minister in the House of Commons, free from heavy departmental duties. The committee considers that, subject to the right of the Government to ultimate control of the broad issues of policy, the corporation should, as in the past, be allowed as much freedom as possible in its domestic affairs and.in the details of management. The chief financial recommendations are that the broadcast receiving licence fee should remain at 10s, and that of the met revenue from these licences, after deducting post office costs, a larger share —namely, 75 per cent., be allotted to the corporation, and that the balance of 25 per cent, be regarded as potentially available for broadcasting so far as it may be’required.

The committee recommends that the service of broadcasting to the Empire should be developed and extended, and the appropriate use of languages other than English in this service should be encouraged. It recommends further that the corporation be formally authorised to undertake television broadcasting and the financial requirements for this purpose be re-examined in autumn this year in the light of the experience of the television service shortly to be introduced in London. In regard to broadcast programmes, the committee thinks it is important tljat controversial topics should continue to be discussed, and in regard to political broadcasting suggests the time allowed for political broadcast speeches at election time be apportioned by agreement between the Government, official Opposition, and other parties. With reference to school broadcasting, the committee looks forward to the time when every school will have wireless receiving apparatus, and suggests that a set might specially be designed for school use. The committee recommends the continuance of the exclusion of direct advertisement from British Broadcasting Corporation programmes. The corporation should have power, as in the past, to accept sponsored programmes at its discretion, and in the early stages of television broadcasting it might bo necessary to resort to sponsored programmes. The main structure of the recommendations is unanimous, though there are reservations appended to the. report expressing certain differences of judgment on past events and of opinion as to future methods. PARLIAMENTARY NEWS LONDON, March 10. (Received March 17, at 10.30 p.m.) The Committee on Broadcasting recommended that attention should be directed to Parliament as the .natural centre of political interest. Parliamentary news should be retained in news bulletins, and the corporation should regularly consult parliamentary parties on major political issues.