Controversy

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 47, 8 June 1928, Page 2

Controversy

t B.B.C’S NEW POLICY THREE PARTIES IN TURN. TuE British Broadcasting Corporation has issued the following announcement. with regard to the removal | of the ban on controversial subjects :- , "Careful consideration has been. given by the Governors to the situ-| ation consequent on the remoyal of the ban on controversy. | "As already announced, the new material made available will be in- | troduced gradually and experimentally, and no fundamental change in) programme policy is intended in the immediate future. , "Controversy, political, and economic, will be admitted on clearly defined occasions, with adequate safeguards for impartiality and equality | of treatment, the subject being dealt’ with in such a way that the main opposing views can be presented on oceasions clearly contrasted and , linked as closely as possible. "Debates and discussions will be * the normal procedure, and the re moval of the restrictions is not to be interpreted. to mean the immediate introduction of indiscriminate controversy in Talks and Outside Broadeasts. "Fach of the three political parties has been offered a Talk in the near future, and it is hoped to arrange debates on subjects such as ‘Payment of wages according to need or ability,’ ‘Road versus railway transport,’ ‘The surtax,’ and ‘Eeonomie versus political functions of trade unions,’ " "Debates" and "Discussions." [2 is understood (writes a correspondent) that "controversial oceasions" are to be created for this new material, and that both speakers and listeners will be informed that there is to be a full and frank expression of view. The wording of the resolution for each debate will be very carefully considered, and is to be so arranged that each main point of view on the subject may be clearly presented. The speakers as far as possible will be equally matched, not only as authorities on the subject, but also as debaters, andwhat is equally important-as effective broadcasters. "Speakers from all Europe." HE "controversial occasions" will be divided into two classes: Debates and Discussion. The debates will be between two or three speakers, and there ‘will be the usual opportunities for reply and rejoinder. ~ | The discussions, on the other hand, will be a series of positive contributions to a given subject, in which, perhaps, aS many as half a dozen persons speaking if necessary from different parts of the country will take part, each contributing a statement of the case from his particular point of view. Were there will be no opportunity of reply. One speaker may be in Glasgow, a second in Manchester, a third in London, a fourth in Plymouth, and so on. And, later on, when the various links in the European connections have been definitely established, there may be, for example, a discussion on the art of musie, in which spcakers in Paris and Vienna, as well as those in Edinburgh, London, and other centres will take part. The contributions to these discussions will, if they are not given immediately one after the other, follow each other as closely as possible. Only Once 2 Weelk. ili removal of the ban on controversy will not make any change in the character of the yast majority of talks or broadeasts of after-dinner speeches, and so on. These will not be controversial occasions, and therefore there will be no equality of opportunity for the various points of view to be put forward; they will be continued yery much on the same lines as before. It may be emphasised, too, that the change will be experimental and gradual, and that for the present the new material will not be exiended to religion. And, at any rate, at the outset, "controversial occasions" will probably not appear in the programmes ‘more than once a week. | Although the subject of controversy has aroused keen interest in some quarters, the B.B.C., I understand, do not find that this interest is reflected as yet among the vast majority of listeners, whose chief concern, they say. is entertainment.