“JOHNNIE” REITH

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 348, 1 February 1937, Page 3

“JOHNNIE” REITH

8.8. C. DICTATOR. Scotsman Who Controls Broadcasting. London, December 26. Two old-fashioned photographs—one of a sweet-faced old woman in a trim lace bonnet, the other of a shock-headed boy in a sailor suitput interviewers this week on the track of Johnnie Reith, the human being behind the 8.8. C. “dictator.” The world knows him as Sir John, 47-yeaf-old Scot who decides how to spend £2,000,000 a year supplying 7,000.000 radio-licence holders in Britain, with their programmes; as the dour, war-scarred, 6ft 6in son of the, manse, who announced the exKiug’s farewell broadcast. The woman in the lace bonnet was his mother. She died 12 months ago. Her photograph Is always on her son’s big polished desk in a corner of his third-floor room at Broadcasting House. Whenever he stretched out his hand for the telephone he seas it. The picture of the little boy in the sailor suit appears in the current issue of the 8.8. C. house organ. It bears the caption, “Johnnie Redtlff” and it denies all those “dictatorship” stories. No dictator would issue a photograph of himself at the age of seven wearing a sailor suit. Every one at Broadcasting House will tell you that Sir John is the hardest-working man in the organisation. They say he has only two interests —his home and family and the 8.8. C. He earns his £7OOO a year. He lives, with his fair-haired, freshcomplexioned wife and his son and daughter, in Beaconsfield. He travels to work by train, takes a cab from Baker Street station. He arrives at Broadcasting House at 9-30 a.m., at the time most of the 1000 employees in the building come on duty. It he is busy his lunch is sent to him in his room, and he eats it at his desk, working at the same time. Sometimes he goes down to the staff restaurant in the basement. Usually he eats fish. He is a teetotaller, smokes an occasional cigarette. He rarely leaves before 7 p.m.—often goes out to dinner and comes back to his desk again until 10 or 11. Sometimes when he is kept late, his wife calls for him. He is often at his office on Saturdays and Sundays, often takes papers home with him and continues his work by his own fireside. His holidays are brief—usually a week or fortnight with his family in Scotland or at the seaside. He listens-in to his own programme when he is at home. If he likes it he gives praise; if he dislikes it he gives the reasons next morning.