B.B.C. Decisions

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 45, 24 May 1929, Page 11

B.B.C. Decisions

a Much Public Comment SomME of the decisions of the B.B.C. authorities are occasioning a good deal of comment in the British Press. Recently it was announced that the names of announcers would not he made public. Next it was decided that the names of dance tunes being broadcast should not be given. Following on this it was intimated that the names of actors in radio plays should not be announced to the public. The reason behind these decisions is the desire to concentrate the attention , of the listener upon the actual performance rather than upon the individuality of the announ r or the performer, ‘The reason for withholding the names of dance tunes was the desire to avoid giving gratuitous advertisements to such tunes. The B.B.C. had been in the habit of broadcasting the public performances of such wellknown bands as those maintained at the Hotel Cecil, the Savoy Hotel and the Kitcat Restaurant. The conductors of these bands developed the practice of announcing to the patrons assembled (and to the listeners) the name of the tune to be given, and it was felt that in some cases use was being made of this to attract attention to new dance numbers being placed before the public. Negotiations between the B.B.C. and the various bands for the avoidance of the habit proved unavailing, and eventually the practice of broadcasting these bands was abandoned. The explanation of the ceasing to give the actor’s name in the case of a broadcast of radio plays is that the object is to place emphasis on the play, and not on the player. It is desired that the actors should be disembodied from their own personalities and assume the roles of those they play. These decisions have not proved acceptable to all listeners, and, as indicated, a good deal of correspondence of a diverse character has appeared in the British Press. Some actors, who are well known, who in the past have been appearing in wireless plays, take the view that the B.B.C.’s_ decision would probably affect the calibre of the actor taking part in radio plays. The publicity derivable from mention of the. performer’s name over the air was accepted by some actors as being part compensation for the relatively small fees paid by the B.B.C. for the performances. With that eliminated, it was felt that either the fees would have to be increased or a lower standard of acting accepted.