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as the transmitting agency for all
broadcasters.
Further enquiries of Government officers showed that
the mere consideration of the ITA suggestion, and
implementation of advice given, might take another two
thus making January 1975 a more realistic
years
on-air date for the next broadcaster.
And
10. Why is this delay such a desperately serious set-back
for Rediffusion? Because, following the effective
denial of our right to relay TVB's programmes on our
networks and our consequent inability to offer
subscribers, as originally intended, a complete cable
service carrying four commercial programmes plus any
Government programmes, the public has had to choose between two-programme "free" television off-air (TVB ) or two-programme cable television, for which a subscription had to be charged (Rediffusion). Not
unnaturally, the majority chose the free service.
although, by sustaining a very high standard of programming, we have so far succeeded in retaining more
than 100,000 subscribers to our service, we are now
competing for advertising with nearly 600,000 off-air
sets watching TVB and unable to receive Rediffusion's
programmes. Commercial revenue, with which to sustain these programmes, is now beginning to fall off drastically. Probably, big advertisers have only stayed with
Rediffusion in a substantial way in anticipation of its
switching to wireless broadcasting, and so gaining
access to the great majority of sets in the homes of
the public, at an early date.
11.
The Government has told Rediffusion that its cable
licence will be extended beyond next April until the
second wireless television station is on-air. It is
calculated that if it is necessary to go on operating
.../6...