-4 1 BROADCASTING SOUND AND TELEVISION MARY CROZIER BROADCASTING is now universal and television is established in many countries. Both these means of communication have grown up in this century and are used and accepted everywhere for entertainment, informa- tion and propaganda. Mary Crozier, who is Radio and Television Critic of the Manchester Guardian, first describes the start and growth of broadcasting, showing how, after the early experi- ments in radio, the many national organizations developed their present structure—in Britain, the Common- wealth and the rest of the world. In the second part of her book she discusses the use of broadcasting and television in politics, education, religion, entertainment and culture. What effect does it have on people? Does it make them more awake to ideas or less so? Will it create ever more listeners and watchers, while those who think and 'do' become fewer ? And does it make for peace between nations or exacerbate enmities? Broadcasting is considered by many people as essentially a public instrument, but it is a virtue of Miss Crozier's well-informed and thoughtful book that it suggests the impoiq-ance of the effect of broadcasting on the individual mind. ç. 45ee. • Te Home Unwersity Library was founded in 1911 to place at the disposal of students, wherever they night be, the fruits of sound learning un all the im- portant branches of present-day knowledge. That aim has been preserved throughout the series of more than 200 titles, and since the Oxford imprint first appeared on the volumes in 1941 fuller resources of scholarship have become open to the Editors, who are now able to seek suitable writers on both sides of the Atlantic. Though all H.U.I,. authors are experts ir_ their subjects, they are not selected for their academic distinction alone ; they are also skilled in the art of presenting their material and able to unite learning with lucidity. While each book is complete and independent in itself, the series is carefully plan- mc.d as a whole to cover a wide range under the headings : ENGLISH THE ARTS CLASSICAL ECONOMICS Sz COMMERCE EUROPEAN LITERATURE GOVERNMENT de LAW HISTORY PHILOSOPHY RELIGION SCIENCE New volumes are added at frequent intervals and books already in the series undergo careful revision as need and opportunity arise.. A detailed list will be sent on request. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Broadcasting (SOUND AND TELEVISION) MARY CROZIER LONDON OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW YORK TORONTO 1958 Oxford University Press, Amen House, London E.C.4 GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS KARACHI KUALA LUMPUR CAPE TOWN IBADAN NAIROBI ACCRA © Oxford University Press 1958 1298312 Printed in Great Britain by Butler Cl Tanner Ltd., Frome and London THE HOME UNIVERSITY LIBRARY OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE 235 BROADCASTING (SOUND AND TELEVISION) EDITORS OF The Home University Library of Modern Knowledge The late GILBERT MURRAY, O.M., D.C.L., F.B.A. SIR GEORGE CLARK, D.LITT., F.B.A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I MUST thank the BBC generally for the help given to me in placing material at my disposal, and Miss Florence Milnes the librarian at Broadcasting House particularly, for her courtesy in allowing me to use the library; also the North Region of the BBC and their librarian, Miss Paton, for the use of the files and library there. Iam grateful also to the British representatives of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, to the Official Secretary at New Zealand House, to the Administra- tive Secretary at the Office of the High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa, and to the Colonial Office, for their kindness in supplying me with docu- ments and information; and to the Manchester Guardian for access to its files. I must also thank Mr. B. W. Cave-Browne-Cave, Head of Programmes, and Mr. F. W. Furze Mills, Engineer-in-Charge (Sound) at the BBC North Region, for reading and commenting on Chapter II. Finally, Imust state that while my work as radio and television critic of the Manchester Guardian has afforded me abasis for opinion, all the arguments and opinions in this book are entirely personal and independent. The short quotations from Plato are taken from the translation by H. D. P. Lee of The Republic in the Penguin Classics. CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION I 2 WHAT RADIO DOES I0 3 BROADCASTING IN BRITAIN 29 4 COMMONWEALTH AND COLONIES 49 5 FROM CHINA TO PERU 68 6 TELEVISION ARRIVES 90 7 COMMERCIAL TELEVISION 108 8 ALL ROUND THE CLOCK 127 9 POLITICS IN BROADCASTING 146 I0 EDUCATION AND RELIGION I64 II MACHINE AND POET 184 12 `THE COMMON MAN' 204 BIBLIOGRAPHY 224 INDEX 228 Chapter One INTRODUCTION BROADCASTING is sometimes compared to the dis- covery of printing, which by the making of many books, and so by the spread of ideas and knowledge, brought anew stage in civilization. The growth of broadcasting, which has been entirely adiscovery and development of the twentieth century, has been alike revolution. In some ways it has been more remarkable in its effects, for even books have to be circulated and then read, and sometimes have to be translated and printed again abroad; whereas broadcasting quickly got to the point where most countries were directing speech to the people of other countries in their own languages. At home everybody, in most countries, is played upon by aconstant stream of sounds bringing entertainment and news, events as they happen, music, politics and teach- ing. If we look at most of this as the 'spoken word', the wheel might seem to have come full circle, and we in this century have seen areturn to the days when the bard's voice alone brought stories and poetry to the people. But that is too romantic, and there is only an element of truth in it. Broadcasting has certainly given enormous importance to the spoken word, but in a very different way. Its reach is infinite and its scope also. From the sending of messages, which confirmed the technical possibility of using sound waves for communication, 2 BROADCASTING (SOUND AND TELEVISION) the next step to the sending out of programmes of music and news was immediate. Only the old and the middle-aged can now remember the time when there was no wireless to listen to; no news bulletins, no music, no plays or comedians on the air, and when, if they wanted recreation or amusement, they had to make it for themselves or go and find it outside the home. The unique thing about broadcasting is that it comes to people in their homes and often seems to have a kind of disembodied authority. What has it done to us? For it has certainly changed people's lives more than they perhaps realize. The first and most important effect has been that whatever the spread of education, of newspaper reading and of the cinema, there was never atime when everybody, young or old, could so easily know about the world outside their own small circle. And whatever lip service is paid to universal education, the truth is that many people still only read with difficulty, and still more never read for choice. There are many lonely, sick or blind people, who cannot go out to theatres, cinemas, or meetings; these can hear the best actors and the greatest music; hear statesmen speaking, take part in national events, follow their favourite sport, or hear religious services. At its lightest, broadcasting brings into the home a cheerful accompaniment; the housewife can have music in the background, or programmes for small children. Television, which is now at work in forty countries, has added the new and fascinating world of pictures, which has everywhere been more of aspellbinder than INTRODUCTION 3 sound broadcasting. If the ordinary wireless set is still the bread and butter, television is the cake, and those who have newly come to it are apt to indulge too much before they learn moderation. Is the effect of all this good, on balance? Amusement is good, gaiety is good; it is good to know more about the world we live in, even if the news is often bad. And if the view we take of people in society is that they can live best and most happily in the air of democratic freedom, then broad- casting can and should open windows upon the world. There are some obvious objections to this. One is that the stream of entertainment and information that pours out may blunt and lull the mind into passivity. That is adanger, certainly, but perhaps minds that can be so readily stupefied would not be very active at any time, and there is evidence that broadcasting has sent people in their millions to read, for instance, books which they had never heard of till they were broadcast in popular form. Broadly speaking, the minority of thoroughly educated people do not make great use of wireless; they find what they want in reading, conversa- tion or activity. This is neither surprising, nor dis- creditable to the others. The report of the Broadcasting Committee of 1949, under Lord Beveridge, said 'Broadcasting is one of the most pervasive and therefore one of the most powerful of agents for influencing men's thoughts and actions .. How can mankind ensure that this great power is exercised at all times for good rather than evil?' The answer is that the right use of broadcasting lies with those who organize it and therefore with the political 4 BROADCASTING (SOUND AND TELEVISION) systems which, in greater or less measure, inspire or control these bodies everywhere in the world.