Broadcasting in England

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 13, 11 October 1929, Page 8

Broadcasting in England

Disparaging Criticisms FOR some time past, English newspapers have contained an increasing amount of destructive and unjust criticism levelled against the British Broadcasting Company’s varied policies in maintaining the high standard’ of their nation-wide service (states a contributor to "John Bull," a well-known English weekly). Unfair programme criticisms, innuendoes concerning recent staff resignations, and many other

similar incidents, have n probed into and given pur ilydistorted publicity. In the past, however, attacks were confined to spasmodic articles of.a disparaging nature appearing in the daily newspapers, but recently . almost every periodical has en‘tered the controversy. This latter is out of all proportion to the cause, and a reason ‘for this extreme antagonism is not hard to find. Until now, one side only, that savouring of Press propaganda, has been made public. It is now fairly patent that certain powerful interests are out to wrest the control of broadeasting from its present stable and well-defined authority. They want control in their own hands, and they want it because broadvasting is likely to become preeminently more powerful tha uny other means of dissemination. Because of the B.B.C.’s music, ‘ts debates and lectures, and its talks, the public is unconsciously, ibsorbing a° new outlook on life ind on the things that matter, and is able to visualise for itself the true value of newspaper opinions. The policy of the B.B.C. has always been to let the public commend or condemn its efforts, and it has. always to give of the best. This is why no real opinion from anybody of outstanding importance in the world of science, music, art, or literature, has ever been secured ‘to back up these unjust attacks. The tremendous power of the

microphone has never yet been invoked to reveal the ulterior motives of the enemies of broadcasting, and adopting this course the B.B.C. hase acted wisely. The B.B.C. cannot be killed at the bidding of vested interests, however strong those interests imagine themselves to be. Its work and development, however, can be affected and hampered ; and this is what will happen so long as the true motives underlying" these continuous attacks are not properly appreciated by the British publie,