Radio Programmes

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 47, 7 June 1929, Page 30

Radio Programmes

What England. Spends

OME |. figures from London = recently give an idea what percentages of the license revenue are spent by the British Broadcasting Corporation in programmes, management, and engineering, states an Australian journa:. The net revenue received by tue B.B:©, for license fees for the year just ended was £771,763, of which 68.54 per cent. was spent in. programmes, copyright fees, ete. Plant maintenance, engineering, and other details associated with the transmission, of the progra més showed a percentage of 20,5 per cent., and the balance of the license revenue, 10.66 per cent., goes towa' is the cost of management and other expenses. In addition to the revenue from license fees the B.B.C. made £120,000 clear profit from the various pubiications controlled by them. This gives a basis upon which to compare the conditions laid down iu the tender which is being called for t.-e provision of programmes throughout the whole of the Commonwealth for the next three years. In Australia, the Commonwealth Department will take 40 per cent. of the license revenue (8s. from each license fee) for the engineering and plant maintendance, the building of | relay stations, and the provision of trunk lines, ete. This compares with 20.8 per cent. used by the B.B.C. . This will leave for the successful programme contractor 60 per’ cent. of the license fees, or 12s. in the £1, to provide programmes, ecopytights, management, and certain mechanical costs, Against the 60 per cent. available here for those. channels, the B.B.C. spends nearly 80 per cent., and'as they have a complete network of stations to operate with, it is possible to relay the greater, portion of the London programme to the majority of the proyincial stations. The programme contractor for the national broadcasting scheme will have eight stations at the present moment to cater for, with nearly 300,000 listeners spread over the huge are of the Commonwealth, and with less than a quarter ,of the revenue available. to those controlling wireless in England, he has.to spread his programme. over three million square miles of.country, finding sufficient talent in every State of the Commonwealth. to furnish a daily programme which, in the aggre: gate, will total 75 hours per day.