INITIATIVE IN BROADCASTING.

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 4, 9 August 1929, Page 6

INITIATIVE IN BROADCASTING.

IN last week’s issue we published an interesting article from "Popular _ Wireless," dealing with the apparently excessive number of resignations of prominent officials from the B.B.C. In outlining the circumstances, the British journal reaches the conclusion "that the root of the trouble lies with the governors of the organisation. Their appointments were-always criticised, and their capabilities for the office even more criticised, and-we sincerely, hope that something will shortly be done radically to change the situation with regard to the governorship of the B.B.C." ‘This comment is interesting in so far as it provokes: thought as to the best means of organising and governing a radio broadcasting service. The history of the British Broadcasting — Corporation is that the undertaking was originally instituted in 1922 by the formation of the "British Broadcasting Company, the moving spirits being business organisations interested in the manufacture and sale. of radio equipment, London station was first opened on November 14, 1922, Birmingham and Manchester on the next day, and Newcastle ten days later. Other- stations were developed at Cardiff, Aberdeen, Bournemouth, and Sheffield in 1923, and again throughout 1924. a progressive expansion was continued. The result of the energetic development undertaken by the British Broadcasting Company was that, in April of’ 1926, 2,000,000 licenses were in force, and the "service was established -on an outstandingly progressive and satisfactory basis. © Throughout this period a governing oversight and general administration, particularly in regard to the, matter broadcast, was exercised by the British Post Office. In the latter months of 1926, however, it became apparent that the political atmosphere favoured the creation of a Government Department. Consequently on January 1, 1927, the British Broadcasting Corporation was instituted under "Royal Charter, and’a:number of governors-men of prominence in various educational, musical, and financial fields-were appointed. Sir John Reith was entrusted with the post of governing irector. , THE resignations now effected would seem to indicate quite definitely that the policy instituted by the Corporation has failed in some aspects in its administration. The charge is made by "Popular Wireless" that the governors have not been content to merely lay down broad lines of policy, but would: seem to have intruded themse] ses inta the detail orgatrisation of the actual programmes, rather than leaving that~-highly technical and important department to the care of those who have specialised in the field of, catering for the. public taste. If this charge. is correct, it represents a grave disadvantage. , There is nothing so delicate or so exacting as the intérpretation of the public taste. Broadcasting as a means of entertainment: necessarily competes with the theatre, the picture, and other avenues of amusement. It, therefore, must take from the technique of those businesses something of the same subtlety of interpretation. While taking something, it has had to develop additiorial capacity for

sensing the requirements of the public. This is highly artistic and exacting work. ° Those responsible necessarily must possess the artistic temperament, which is the least amenable to bureaucratic control or interference. . . . T'O achieve success in any line of entertainment requires an immediate sympathetic response to an. interpretation of the public needs. That intuitive appreciation must be backed by the capacity to take immediate action. If the initial conception is checked by the clogging wheels of bureaucracy, then the first’ fire of enthusiasm is’ lost,, and what might have been a, brilliant conception is flatténed and killed. There would seem, therefore, to be the special need in connection with. broadcasting, to ever preserve initiative and enterprise. Commercial and artistic history shows that that initiative and enterprise are best . displayed by individuals, and immediately suffer eclipse under any suspicion of bureaucracy. It is in that sense that this development in connection with the B.B.C. is most interesting and illuminating New Zealand listeners. We are concerned to see that our own broadcasting system develops "on the best lines possible-on. lines that will permit of: the display of .enterprise and initiative, so that the public taste can be catered for with a minimum of limiting restrictions. Our New Zealand system seems to be a fairly happy blend of the two ‘systems. It preserves the enterprise, initiative, and immediacy of action and economy of administration that obtain with private entetprise; those virtues are supplemented by a governmental : supervision . concerned to safeguard the interests of listeners, and requiring a high standard of performance in all fields for the benefit of the public.