British Demand Croser Control of Radio Humour

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 229, 30 September 1935, Page 10

British Demand Croser Control of Radio Humour

LONDON —Omy the must wholesome humor will nuw be able to be sent ov ei the air by comedians on the programs of tne British Broadcasting Corporation, as a result uf a Lightening up of the Corporation’s already ven strict regulations. New instructions have been issued placing a deiiuito oan upon mentions of religions, public personalities, nn morality, auu inlirmiiies. Comedians have also been instructedi tu see mat they do not lay emphasis upon drunkenness, and are not to refei to Negroes as “Niggers” or to Chiu ese as • ‘Chinks. In order to see that these rules amkept an cud is to be made of all radio gagging —extempore joking by hum orisrs. Under the old rule comedianhave been allowed to "gag.” This has on several occasions in recent years leu to unfortunate mistakes in wording, “%er one case of which the B. B. C. hau ko radiocast an apology to listeners. Alterations Barred. in future no alterations in a programme will be allowed after it has ucen passed at the linai rehearsal. All “inspirations,” which are supposed to be the result of ■‘gagging,’' will have to be made at rehearsal. The B. B. C. has always tried to keep its standard of broadcasts high from the moral standpoint, in the Talks Department one of the reasons given lor a lapse in the amount of original short' stories read during a period lasi year was that hundreds of authors wrote short stories fur radiocasting but that nearly all wrote murder stor its. “1 may say,” an official declared, “that we do not want murder stories or stories with killing as the mainspring of the plot, and w e are not considering any inure at present.” In the Talks Department the rule that all talks must be made from manuscript, exactly as the manuscript has been passed, is very strictly kept. On rare occasions radio personalities of note and public figures have been allowed to radiocast without manuscript, or with manuscripts that have nut been officially passed in their •ntircty. But generally the talk must be given as written. Advertising Censored With regard Io advertising over the air new rules have also been circulated to variety artists. In recent months numerous instances have been brought to the notice uf the B. B. C. when variety artists have openly advertised the shows they are to appear in or are appearing in, and have exhorted listeners to go to a theatre they have named. Now artists arc reminded that they must. not. mention during their radio casts the name of any production id which they are appearing or the name of the theatre or the name of the ••inagement to which they are under > ■ ontract. Another change is expected. Uf

to now the B. B. C. has not been an advertiser itself. But in advertising circles it is being asked why Sir Stephen Tallents, former Post Office publicity expert, has been chosen as the new Public Relations Officer to the B. B. C. The answer given is that it is expected that the Broadcasting Corporation is now to start a campaign to make the public more appreciative of the good points of the radio service if i Britain.