EMPIRE RADIO

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 123, 26 May 1937, Page 11

EMPIRE RADIO

( 8.8.C. SERVICE ADDRESS BY DIRECTOR NEWS BROADCASTS (United Press Association—By Electric Tel»eraph—Copyright.) (Received May 26, .10.10 a.m.) -. LONDON. May 25. The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Sir John Reith, addressing the Empire Press Union, indicated that he could talk more freely when he left the Broadcasting Corporation. It meant -much that the Empire programmes enabled Big Ben to be heard throughout ths Empire. These programmes were specially aevlsed, and were not merely overflows from the British programmes, and they went out for seventeen hours a day. Owing to the novel problems of short-wave broadcasting to overseas countries it was impossible to prophesy their continuance indefinitely. . He did not think the Dominions' broadcasting organisations were jealous. The wireless news bulletins were opposed at first, but now they were accepted everywhere. How' long could anybody withhold vital news? The Empire' bulletins gave a taste of the news, but nobody within reach of a newspaper would remain content with that. ". ' ;.; ' . ' Europe was at present in a tremendous state, and every mutilated division of it looked to England .for information and courage. "We must look to our politicians for courage, hoping, not very hopefully, for the best," he said. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. Information interested both the Press and the Broadcasting Corporation. The Press prided itself on its freedom. He. doubted whether there was any freedom which should not be conditioned by moral responsibility or otherwise. The New Zealand Government had taken over the broadcasting system, but the service retained much of its former freedom and independence,' whereas in Germany, Italy, and' Russia the broadcasting stations were the mouthpieces of the State-controlled Press. Controlled broadcasting . meant biased, tainted, and censored news. It was harder to exercise unscrupulous influences when the reading public was also the listening public. 'Broadcasting was the ally of honourable journalism, and the more the Press cared for the Empire the more it could help in perfecting the Empire broadcasting service. ...... ".'■.• Sir Arthur Willert spoke on noxious forms of foreign propaganda in broadcasting. Sir Stanley Reed said that; Italian propaganda must defeat itself by its very violence" and unreason.