BBC MAN GIVES N.Z. A SQUARE DEAL.

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 37, 24 February 1939, Page 3

BBC MAN GIVES N.Z. A SQUARE DEAL.

Broadcast Both Sides, Is The Policy Of Director F. W. Ocilvie

(By airmail from

our London Correspondent

[F Sir John Reith had still been Director-General of the BBC’ it is improbable that New Zealand’s High Commissioner, Mr. W. J. Jordan, would have had the opportunity of replying in full, over the BBC network, to the recent criticism of the New Zealand Labour Government. However, since the appointment, last October, of Frederick Wolff Ogilvie, as Director-General, many changes have been made in the BBC's policy, and, in future, both sides of controversial subjects will be given.

[NSTANCE of the change in ‘Say policy is that Sutton Vane’s lay, "Outward Bound,’"’ the theme of which treats with life after death, is to be broadcast after a wait of 16 years. Until now, the corporation’s Religious Department has considered the play unorthodox and dangerous for broadcasting, but, by presenting the theme as a religious one, although unorthodox, Drama Director Val Gielgud has persuaded the Religious Department to raise its ban on the play-and now it is to be presented on a Sunday! A Dr. Olgilvie, who is also a professor but prefers to be called "Nir." is largely responsible for

the loosening up of BBC censorship regulations, and one of the main effects of his enforcement of a "square deal" policy for controversial subjects such as politics and religion is that Sir Richard Maconachie, BBC Director of Talks has had to reconsider his plans for radio talks in the coming year. A number of scheduled talks have been dropped because they were sufficiently one-sided to require replies, and there was no room for reglies in the programmes. Emergency EQUILIBRIUM of BBC engineering chiefs has also been disturbed, and they are busy formulating plans for the protection of transmitters in case of emergency. The recent bombing outrages made them realise the vulnerability of the main stations and relays, but the extent to which the t

BBC has gone, and is going, to protect its stations has been kept out of range of Fleet Street correspondents by L. W. Hayes, Engineering. Controller, Sir Noel Ashbridge’s right-hand man. Immediately the bombing campaign began, Sir Noel called Hayes, his second-in-command, H Bishop, and civil engineer Tudsberry to consider which transmitters were most vulnerable and how to protect them, Danger Spots ()PINION that all stations were set in open spaces some distance from roads and were therefore safe was not

accepted. Possibility of damage being done to the feeder huts which stand some distance outside the transmitters, and inter-

SI=sS ference with which could stop the Service, was the chief consideration. Danger spots were agreed to be Daventry, Brookman’s Park,

Droitwich, Stagshaw (Newcastle) and Lisnargarvey (Northern freland). Full-time guards were posted at these points and at the time of writ‘ing, have not been relaxed. After the disturbance in Northern Ireland, the guard on the Lisnargarvey station was doubled, and an emergency service plan drawn up. The new Director-General certainly geems to be "the man on the job," and no doubt his influence will soon make itself evident in other BBC departments. Dr. Frederick Wolff Ogilvie was, before his appointment as DirectorGeneral of the BBC, president and vice-chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, and has had a distinSuished academic career, both at Edinburgh University, where, from 1926 to 1934, he was Professor of Political Economy, and, latterly, at Belfast. :