Gingering Up Empire Programmes

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 52, 5 July 1935, Page 9

Gingering Up Empire Programmes

German Competition Makes B.B.C. Sit UpColonials in Jobs In London "THE B.B.C, will not officially admit ‘that the German broadcasts are . competitive, but there is no doubt that the Zeesen transmissions are going \to ginger up the B.B.C, Empire programmes. The German programmes sent out in English are, of course, exQ@sivyely. friendly in tone. But. if 1gdks a bit like the old story of peaceful penetration, and there is this vexed question of the lost German colonies to be borne in mind. The Germang are less formal, more intimate than -the ‘BBC. If the German announcers’ humour is somewhat elephantine, he _at least attempts to be very human. There is w strong move in certain quarters at Broadcasting House to make the Empire programme. more friendly, more emotional. The B.B.C, must not lose its. audience to Berlin-especially us at the moment there is sitting a committee which js to decide the whole future of the B.B.C. This committee, under the chairmanship of Viscount Ullswater, was appointed because the B.B.C.’s present Charter expires at {the end of next year. Big changes iu ' the Charter are certain. For one } thing, the B.B.C. wants more money for its Empire service. At present 1t receives only 4/9 out of-every ten shilling license fee. UT it is interesting to reflect that, whatever the future brings in the way of changes at Daventry, reception of the shortwave Empire broadcasts will probably improve, any way. Radio scientists: believe that reception of the shortwaves varies according to an ili-year cycle, governed by sunspots. In 1927. when sunspot activity was at a maximum, shortwave reception was extraordinarily good.. Therefore. argue the pundits,. the next ‘neak" year. for reception will ‘be 1988. (we have now passed the worst period in the cycle, and can look forward to conditions, (THE other day 1] picked up one of the Empire transmissions, and thought T had America. TI then-found T was listening to Bob Bowman, the Canadian -radio commentator, son of aun Ottawa newspaper editor. He was describing an ice hockey match in London, in a vivid, eager way novel to English ears. "This is no sissy game," and "Pavlova has nothing on those legs"; these are the sort of exclamations that Bob brings in. He now has a job as one of the Empire News Editors at Broadcasting House. I wonder if this is a precedent, and if we shall find a number of men from the Dominions taking jobs in the B.B.C.’s Empire department? Personally, I cannot help thinking it would

be a good idea, for it seems to me that the department obviously needs men who understand the Dominion outlook, ‘By: the .way, when Mr. ‘Cecil Graves, the Empire Director, returns from his visit to Canada-in the autumn, ‘I imagine that be will bring with him some: new ideas. Should -his health hold good, Mr. Graves will have a.big future at the B.B.C., . AFTER the Jubilee features, the nex! most important events jn the Bm- _ bire programmes will be the Test match commentaries. Here the B.B.C. has sprung a surprise-and not a very welcome one. Mr, Howard.Marshall, who commented so. admirabl} on the Aus tralian matches last yea’, and who is well-known to Empire listeners for his | periodical causerie on England, home and beauty, will not be giving the Test matech- commentaries. The inside story is that Mr. .Marshall asked for expenses that he considered reasonable, and the B.B.C. refused to pay. Instead. they have invited Mr. H. B. T. Wakelam, well-known as a commentator on Rugby and tennis, to cover the South African tests. .Admirable as Mr. Wakelam’s commentaries. usually .are,

it will be a thousand pities if Mr. Marshall’s services are lost to broadcasting because he can find more profitable fields of activity.