COST OF THE SERVICE

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

COST OF THE SERVICE

NO OVERSEA CONTRIBUTION. (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, April 24. The question of contributions by the Colonial Governments to the cost of the- Empire broadcasting service has been raised in the House of Commons. On April 12 the Postmaster-General was asked by Mr. S. P. Viant, M.P. for Will esden, whether, in view of the projected - improvement in. the Empire broadcasting service, the British Broadcasting Corporation is to receive any financial assistance from the colonial Governments ,to meet the increased costs. ■ ' \ The Postmaster-General (Major G. C. Tryon): "The "Broadcasting Committee 1935, under the chairmanship of Lord Ullswater, recommended that the Empire broadcasting service should be expressly authorised in the new charter of the. British Corporation, and that the additional funds required f6r its development should be provided by the corporation from its increased share of licence receipts. In the White Paper on the Broadcasting Committee's report the Government announced their. acceptance of this recommendation. In the circumstances, the-\ question of financial assistance from the colonial Governments is not being considered. The Government was not making any representations on' the matter to colonial Governments. The question of financing the Empire broadcasting service was also referred to in the reply, to a question asked previously by Mr. Viant, who inquired whether any decision had been reached "as to the proportion of revenue derived from wireless licences which shall in future be passed on" to the British Broadcasting Corporation with a view'to meeting the increased costs rising from the development of television." Sir W. Womersley, Assistant Postmaster-General, said that it would rest with the Treasury, if at any time they were satisfied that the income of the 8.8.C. was insufficient to support their services, including television and Empire broadcasting, to approve an increase in the proportion of net licence revenue payable to the Corporation. , |