Abstract
THE Broadcasting Committee was appointed last year by Sir Kingsley Wood to consider the constitution, control and finance of the broadcasting service in Great Britain, and has now presented its report (Cmd. 5091. London: H.M. Stationery Office, 1936. Is. 3d. net). The Committee states that it was impressed by the influence of broadcasting upon the mind and spirit of the nation and the immense issues involved. Its recommendations are directed towards the strengthening and securing of the position the B.B.C. has happily attained. It recommends that from the end of this year its charter should be extended for a term of ten years. The large measure of freedom from direct Parliamentary control makes it necessary to have some form of staff representation, and it suggests the constitution of one or more internal associations. It is difficult to give protection to those who are engaged to broadcast for remuneration. The B.B.C. should make it clear, therefore, that it welcomes criticism and that it would not exclude any person from an engagement merely because he had expressed adverse opinions on its activities. Most people will agree that the Exchequer should not retain any part of the net revenue collected from listeners until the Corporation has teceived an income sufficient to ensure the full and adequate maintenance and development of the service. The estimates show that during the next few years the necessary amount will be about 75 per cent of the licence revenue remaining after the deduction of the proportion required to cover Post Office costs. The avowed policy of the B.B.C. is to hold the scales even between the various political parties, and on the whole this has been done successfully. As the broadcaster who has the last word during an electoral contest is at a great advantage because there can be no adequate reply to whatever he may say, it has been agreed that political broadcast should cease for three days before a poll.
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Report of the Broadcasting Committee. Nature 137, 523–524 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/137523c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/137523c0