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6E h i s . B
TXIE P R O P E R T Y
R I V ' M W
G
. .
J
E
TY.GOYEXIM,IENT.)
3
COFOQJ.
C A B I
. 3 .^
N E T .
BROADCAST TELEVISION S E R V I C E .
Memorandum by t i i e
I n May l a s t
(1)
chairmanship
television,
television
Committee
I
of Lord
appointed
Selsdon,
and t o a d v i s e
service
have
General.
a Committee,
to
consider
under what
under
in this
and t h e i r
the
the development
conditions
s h o u l d be p r o v i d e d
now r e p o r t e d ;
recommendations,
shown
Postmaster
any
public
country.
conclusions
a s summarised a t t h e end o f
their
of
The
and
Report,
are
below--,
(I)
I\o l o w d e f i n i t i o n
adopted f o r
(ii)
a regular
being
taken towards
(iii)
service
In view
of
and t e l e v i s i o n
responsible
Broadcasting
the
(iv)
this
for
the former
Corporation
justify
such a
the f i r s t
establishment
of
steps
a public
type.
relationship
broadcasting,
The P o s t m a s t e r
between
sound
the A u t h o r i t y which
- at present
the
- s h o u l d a l s o ' be
General
Committee
of
Technically,
transmitting
points
of
the c l o s e
development
(v)
the e a r l y
has r e a c h e d
is
British
entrusted
latter.
an A d v i s o r y
early
as t o
s h o u l d be
service.
Television
of development
television
wave
public
High d e f i n i t i o n
standard
with
system of T e l e v i s i o n
T
and t h a t
should f o r t h w i t h
t o p l a n and g u i d e
the t e l e v i s i o n
it
is"desirable
stations
the masts
snould
appoint
the i n i t i a t i o n
and
service.
that
the
ultra-short
be s i t u a t e d
s h o u l d be a s h i g h
as
at
elevated
practicable.
(vi)
It
is
population
probable
c o u l d be
transmitting
(vii)
It
that
served
stations
is
in
desirable
comprehensive
at
least
cent
by 10 u l t r a - s h o r t
suitable
in the
television
50 p e r
the
that
a
wave
locations.
general
patent
of
Pool
interest
should e v e n t u a l l y
be
formed.
(yiii)
A start
service
in
London w i t h
alternately
( ix)
s h o u l d be made b y t h e
f r o m one
two t e l e v i s i o n
transmitting
Baird Television
Company L i m i t e d
to
subject
supply,
for
the
operation
London
the
of
I n the . l i g h t
station,
planning
the
of
of
should
be g i v e n
the
an
opportunity
necessary
respective
the
Advisory
additional
i m p r o v e m e n t s w h i c h come t o
a network
(xi)
of
systems
the
stations
of
all
same t i m e
a national
(xii)
experience
Committee
apparatus
at
the
The c o s t
light
t h e meantime
improvements
s t a t i o n up t o
the
in
take
art
with
any
-
until
of
as f a r
as
Television,
ultimate
and
attainment
of
transmission.
and m a i n t a i n i n g
1936 w i l l ,
the
up.
advantage,
the
system of
providing
end o f
built
i n the
t o work towards
of
should proceed
- incorporating
is gradually
standardised
obtained with
stations
The aim s h o u l d be t o
possible,
at
operating
and M a r c o n i - E .J&. I .
conditions,
their
a
station.
(x)
first
to
systems
of
station.
Limited
Television
establishment
it
is
the
London
estimated,
be
£180,000.
(xiii)
Revenue
transmitter
time
s h o u l d n o t be r a i s e d
for
direct
advertisements,
permission given
in the B r i t i s h
existing
to
licence
programmes"
service.
accept
s h o u l d be
by t h e
applied
but
Broadcasting
certain
also
types
to
the
sale
of
of
the
Corporation's
"sponsored
television
(xiv)
10/­ f e e
(xv)
Revenue
should not
for
general
the
There
reception
reviewed
at
the
start
number o f
(xvii)
the
The c o s t
from the
Charter.
at
come under
They h a v e
confined
of
ending
3 1 s t December,
amount t o
about
cost
of
£180,000j
fee,
they-add
"The
have had t o
survey
permanent b a s i s .
dealing
only w i t h
period,
we s u g g e s t
share
of.the
sale
of
the
of
the
total
- during
the
by t h e
first
revenue
take
the
3 1 s t December,
service
date w i l l
for
reaching
revenue
they
the
bound
which
of
the
to
a period
cost
as
the
be
finance,
therefore,
This
and a f t e r
1936,
the e x p i r a t i o n
themselves,
1936.
view that,
of
18 m o n t h s ,
estimate
will
conclusion
that
from the
existing
10/­
­
determination
presents
service
Corporations
of
the
allocation
as b e t w e e n t h e B r i t i s h B r o a d c a s t i n g
naturally
be
district.
beyond t h a t
the
the amount s h o u l d be b o r n e by t h e
licence
returns
Committee
on t h e
the
on t h e
s h o u l d be made w i t h
review before
consideration
on t h e
the
the
of
should
fee.
service
question
television
question
- s h o u l d be b o r n e
10/- l i c e n c e
television
but t h e
for
s h o u l d be i m p o s e d
television
expire
the
experience,
periodical
least
in
licence.
licence
i n e a c h t o w n or
to finance,
the g e n e r a l
they assume w i l l
of
the
Charter w i l l
the
of
arrangements
sold
period
(2) With regard
up w i t h
but
of
existing
of
listener's
service,
licence
furnishing
such s e t s
experimental
financing
set,
the
light
No r e t a i l e r ' s
for
the B . E . C ' s
of
i n the
each t e l e v i s i o n
trade
broadcast
by an i n c r e a s e
s h o u l d n o t be any s e p a r a t e
later
(xvi)
be r a i s e d
a wide f i e l d
of
of
this
Corporation
contribution
and t h e
c o n t r o v e r s y w h i c h we
a t l e n g t h w e r e we a t t e m p t i n g
to
Since,
above,
however,
a relatively
that
as e x p l a i n e d
limited
the b e s t
sum f o r
a very
c o u r s e w o u l d be f o r
amount t o be b o r n e by e a c h o f
C o r p o r a t i o n and t h e T r e a s u r y
lay
the
Treasury
should
down a
we
are
limited
a
reasonable
two p a r t i e s
- and wo t h i n k t h a t
the m a t t e r
-
the
should
be
be c o n s i d e r e d
after
and d e t e r m i n e d
consultation with
in t h i s
light
the Postmaster
by t h e
General
Treasury
and
the
Corporation,"
(3)
stage,
of
central
the
The C o m m i t t e e
the
either
distribution
station to
country.
of
links.
envisage
of
television
a number o f
of
special
stations
type,
As s u c h c o n n e c t i o n s
the
between the
possibility,
T h i s would n e c e s s i t a t e
cables
leased to
the
present
different
the p r o v i s i o n
special
w o u l d be a n a l o g o u s
broadcasting
that
t h e y s h o u l d be r e t a i n e d
that
a n y such n e t w o r k
stations,
State
s h o u l d be i n t h e
later
I
a
parts
of
a
the
control
Post
it
of
Office
desirable
and I
ownership
relay
land-lines
by the
think
of
network
wireless
to
Corporation
under
a
programmes f r o m
in
or of
British Broadcasting
at
propose
the
Post
Office.
(4)
I
consider
recommendations
propose
to
proposed,
will
to
be made
them,
in the
Television
to
licence
on e s s e n t i a l
has made a b o u t
at
country,
countries
to
will
is
probably
manufacturers
the
first
have
in the
have
the
chance
development
I
British
service,
Charter.Provision
stressed
earliest
shall
of
the
be
given
General,
importance
possible
of
these
States
three
public
service
securing
business
for
its
television
services
in
other
should l i k e
to
countries,
(6)
present
The R e p o r t
it
is
being
to Parliament
oi
date.
in the United
a successful
of
as
Committee.
and w h i c h e v e r
establish
the best
the
effect
the Advisory
as much p r o g r e s s
and Germany as i n t h i s
seen,
t a k e n by the P o s t m a s t e r
Committee
service
to
of t h e i r
ensure t h a t
of
is
a television
period
points
the a d v i c e
a public
a licence
conduct
to
Committee's
no o b j e c t i o n
issue
remaining
The T e l e v i s i o n
establishing
and i f
and t o
Corporation
considering
(5)
the T e l e v i s i o n
sound;
during the
decisions
after
are
adopt
Broadcasting
that
printed;
and I
as s o o n as p o s s i b l e , and a t
the
time
same
time
to
inform
as summarised
and t h a t
t h e House t h a t
in their
steps w i l l
the
Report,
Committee.'.'-a
are
be t a k e n t o
recommendations,
a p p r o v e d by t h e
give
effect
to
Government,
them w i t h o u t
delay.
(7)
of
I
propose
an A d v i s o r y
Report
this
and t o
subject
to proceed at
Committee
include,
if
on t h e
once w i t h t h e
lines
possible,
i n my s t a t e m e n t
to the
a definite
House.
K.W.
24 J a n u a r y ,
suggested
1935.
appointment
in
the
announcement
on