Today marks the commencement of the sixteenth year in the history of British broadcasting. It is true that in 1919 a station operated by the Marcohi Ca. conducted experimental transmissions from Chelmsford, but these were not continued. In 1922 on he initiation. of less amateurs broad-asting was begun afresh from Writtle, near Shelmsford, and very shortly afterwards, as he result of negotiations between the Postmaster General and the leading radio firms wd other interests, the British Broadcasting Company was set up. The scheme unified control over a nation-wide system, operated n close collaboration with the Post Office, ind has made possible the development of simultaneous broadcasting on a scale unknown elsewhere. They were the days of the crystal receivers and comparatively weak transmissions, but in three years this form of popular entertainment had so caught on hat m 1925 the number of licences he B.B.C. totalled no fewer Y Last year the number issued by the British Broadcasting Corpora-lion as it is now known was 8.187,398 not neluding those issued to the blind for which payment was not demanded. Broadcasts deigned to serve every part of the British Empire were eventually developed as receivers were mproved, and practically throughout the day the B.B.C. is emitting news or entertainment which reaches practically every part of the world. Simultaneously with this huge deve-cement research was continuing into the problem of television. and this has progressed o such an extent that it has become a very cal factor in the future entertainment and education of those who in the not very disance future will not only be able to listen n but also to see. Much has yet to be done before television apparatus will be sold as cheaply as the present machines for listening-in, but it is confidently expected that the time will come when television sets will be just as plentiful as the present very excellent instruments. Already they are commercially available, but prices are still high, though as transmission improves so will the market for receiving sets with a consequent reduction in cost through mass production.
A study of the various European broadcasting programmes indicates a very real common factor in the various national cultures, and in fact there is very little to choose in the nature of the fare provided by the various stations throughout the Continent, ing some hope that one of these days aln better culti 1 understanding will be possible than a present exists. But broadcasting has not been wholly an unmixed blessing. In Britain advertising has been kept out of ihe programmes, owing to the success of the licensing system in bringing in adequate revenue for the operation of Broadcasting s House and the preparation of suitable fare for the owners of receiving sets. In other countries trade announcements still form the main source of revenue, and the enjoyment of the programmes is often marred by statements as to the manufacturers, etc, who are sponsoring the various items. That the radio has become a powerful advertising force is undeniable, but the tendency to overdo it is a constant source of irritation. The inclusion of news in the daily broadcasts was stoutly resisted in Great Britain by the journalistic world, inspired by the fear that the dissemination of news broadcast would injure the fortunes of the newspapers. That has turned out to be a wholly mistaken idea, and while undoubtedly canvassing campaigns have had a great deal to do with the immense circulations of today, it is possible that the radio, far from injuring the newspaper, stimulated curiosity amongst listeners-in and induced them to buy papers for the purpose of reading in full what they [Entre been responsi for developing the had already heard in brief. Itmaytosomeex-|(ahsays my standard) ere not in
Hes of certain of the papers along lines somewhat different from the original concept of journalism, and not particularly happy ones at that, but the mount of harm done is small compared with the good. Whether television will have any worse effect remains to be seen, though the fact thata watcher would lieable to see only one thing: at a time whether it were a football match or a fashion review, indicates that even from this direction the newspaper has not much to fear.
That the radio is a potent weapon for propaganda has already been proved especially in connection with that directed towards the Moslem world, which necessitated counter-methods by Great Britain as recently as two years ago. Its potency is in all probability only useful in times of peace, for it is conceive able that one of the features of any outbreak of hostilities would be the complete "jamming" of the air, in which event the broadcast would become useless, as a means of propaganda offence or defence. Limiting consideration only to broadcasting's peacetime uses one of the main points with which future historians will probably concern themselves will be the part it has played in the educational development of the people. It is undoubtedly too early to endeavour to estimate the radio's value in this respect, though it will probably be found that it has stimulated much of that curiosity which, induces many to study. Of this there can be little doubt: the broadcasting of good music has already done much towards improving the nation's musical taste, and while there is still much room for improvement, musical appreciation is much higher. It may be reducing the desire for musical accomplishment, and may also reduce the number of people who will study the art for the purpose of making it their profession, but at the same time it wil! ensure that those who do so will have to attain the highest possible standards as executants if they are to succeed in making a living at it. Whether the establishment of something in the nature of an artistic hierarchy by such means will be a good thing must be a matter of opinion, for there are still many people who believe that, after all, doing is better than mere, passive listening. Be that as it may there is not now the slightest doubt that wireless has brought a great boon to humanity and though there are some who will complain of a neighbour's occasional carelessness in the control of the loudspeaker, judged on its merits the verdict must be favourable to a system whereby so much enjoyment is provided at so cheap a rate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.