Still They Complain

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 16, 30 October 1931, Page 5

Still They Complain

Even the B.B.C. Comes Uncer Constant Fire

The British Broadeasting Company, with the wealth of revenue derived. from four million licensed listeners and the world’s finest artistry at its command, undoubtedly provides an excellent service. ®Sut-well, just glance through the following extracts from recent London papers, and you will realise that the B.B.C. is subject to criticism on all points precisely as is, the broadcasting service of this Dominion. You will iearn, too, how the B.B.C. system of allegedly non-political control lends itself to: political exploitation at the expense of the licensed listeners.

"THERE was too much organ yester-day-three recitals in seven hours. HY was London Régional idle for two consecutive hours yesterday? It meant that London had to take a two-hour programme from the Midland studio. URING vaudeville broadcasts I have often noticed with some pain that the individual playing the piano accompaniment seems to be seized with a kind of frenzy, which renders the singer practically inaudible. Several of my readers have written to me protesting. They call on the B.B.C. either to advocate a more frequent use of the soft pedal or to shift the piano further away from the microphone. I STILL find a good deal wanting in the voices of the dance band vocalists. Again I stress the importance of this point to dance band leaders. If they must have a "voice" let it be a good one. VARINTY may be the spice of life, but it is certainly lacking in the B.B.C. programmes for Sunday. HE "Hvening Standard," prompted by the ever-increasing interest in publie broadcasting, has formed a complete wireless department. Its policy will be "better wireless’-better transmissions, better reception, better apparatus. (THE B.B.C. certainly might arrange for a little more variety. "THIS week has been made notable by the fact that the National Anthem was broadcast. .. Thirty-six Continental stations close down with their na- _ tional anthem; but the national anthem of the greatest kingdom on earth is never heard.

oy UDGING by the letters that reach me, it is not Bach and the highclass music that is most generally criticised, but vaudeville and jazz. TH B.B.C,’s new arrangement with the Post Office, whereby the latter will receive 10 per cent. instead of 124 per cent. of the license revenue, is regarded in many quarters as unsatisfactory. Even now, it is contended, the Post Office is taking far too large a share of the license revenue, and this, in conjunction with the fact that the Treasury is receiving a large proportion also, is undoubtedly hampering the B.B.O. considerably. I hear also that pressure is likely to be brought to bear on the B.B.C. to devote this extra £35,000 to a more satisfactory Empire short-wave service. That this is unlikely to be done is obvious when the B.B.C.’s financial position is examined. Rigid economy is still being practised at Savoy Hill, and there is no doubt that, what with the cost of the Regimental scheme and the new Broadcasting House, the B.B.C, has not a penny to spare. ‘THE appearance of the B.B.C. Theatre Orchestra in the Sunday programmes has led many of my correspondents to express the hope that the B.B.O. is at last determined to give up its die-hard policy about brighter Sunday programmes. I must admit that I myself was surprised when I noticed in the National programme for Sunday that at 4.15 the Theatre Orchestra would play 2 more or less popular programme of music, but on inquiry I find that the B.B.C. has not the slightest intention of revising the Sundav programme policy; nor has it any intention, at the moment, of broadcasting alternatives to the religious services; nor is there any intention of retiming the evening programme items, so as to allow listeners to listen to the

main musical broadcast at 7.30 or eight instead of 9.5. So I am sorry to disappoint my readers. The diehard Sunday programme policy still survives! ADIO listeners should protest most _ strongly against the proposal to impose a further tax,on broadcast entertainment, If the recommendations of the Economy Committee-now being considered by the Government-that another £475,000 should be filched from the radio revenue go through, the result can only be a depreciation in the entertainment values of B.B.O. programmes. There is some slight excuse for the Post Office netting its £226,583 from wireless licenses, because the Post Office contributes, or has contributed, a little toward B.B.O. services. But the Treasury has done, is doing, and proposes to do nothing for the £516,426 it took last year. At the present rate of license-issue the Treasury would get another £596,166 this year, but the pro~ posal is that this sum should be increased to more than £1,000,000. [z is a disappointment to find that the B.B.C. has made an alteration in the usual programme routine. For some considerable time Leonardo Kemp and the Piccadilly Hotel orchestra have been a welcome item during the lunch hour every Monday and Tuesday. They are particularly skilful at selecting the appropriate kind of material for that session. Now they are confined to ons day only, and their place was taken, this week, by a concert from the Manchester studio, where three artists rendered & programme that was perfectiy suitable to a Sunday evening and per fectly unsuitable to a week-day lunch hour. Savoy Hill.will not displease the publie if they discover the superiority of second thoughts. L2Z°0NARD GOWINGS is a veteran : broadcaster. Neither his nasal toné nor interpretation pleased me. Among | others, he sang the old favourite "O Mistress Mine," and "Slow, Horses, Slow," by Mallinson, The latter was interpreted in a manner contradictory | to the title and theme. Then there ' was the Studio Orchestra with a dolorous programme, Arne’s bright, frolicsome stuff being followed by dismal matter by Dr. Cyril Rootham. Most of the afternoon was mournful, Later the Wireless Chorus accentuated the gloom with ecclesiastical musie by Byrd and. Hoist. In the Byrd numbers the chorus | gave every credit to Mr. Stanford Robinson, the conductor.