Interchange of Programmes

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 14, 16 October 1931, Page 30

Interchange of Programmes

England and America PV IRELESS listeners in the British Isles can look forward to an inerease very shortly in the interchange of broadcasting programmes between America and England. Sir John Reith, Director-General of the B.B.C., who has recently returned from a visit to Canada and the United States, said that negotiations are proceeding satisfactorily and are expected to come to a head in the near future, so that in a very short time plans will be in hand for more interchange of programmes across the Atlantic. "One of the fundamental principles which both sides are trying to carry out in the interchange of programmes is to select those items which are peeuliar to one country and which that country does better than the other, "For instance, the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London might be a typical item to select for a broadcast to America, while from the States it might be that there would be an ocensional relay of a University football mateh, not so much as a football match, but because of the recognised college ery and ‘rooting’ which would be interesting, and, no doubt, humorous to British listeners. DISCUSSING the two great chains of broadcasting in America-the National Brvadcasting Company and fhe Columbia-Sir John said ‘they are do-

ing really interesting work, and they have to contend with quite different conditions, for there are 600 stations in the ether and they have no listeners’ revenue. "T rather think it is not for me to say whether the B.B.C. or these two great broadcasting companies are doing the better work, but there are two things to which they aspire most of all in America, Their two great aims are eibid

toward greater concentration of management, and, secondly, to increasing recognition of service obligation. Comparing the number of wireless listeners in this country to the number in America, Sir John said it was ditficult to say which country led. "In the first place, the Americans had no means of checking their numbers, though it is said there are about fifteen million receivers as against 3,600,000 in this country. Probably pro rata to the population there are more receivers in this island."