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THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, MARCH 3TB, 1925.
BROADCASTING.
ITS COMMERCIAL ASPECT. The commercial development and ex, ploitation of broadcasting requires care. ful consideration, from many points of view. It is only necessary to glanes at some of the characteristics of the problem to appreciate the fact that there is a fundamental difference between this and other forms of "commercial enterprise, calling for special attention and care in formulating the lines on which it can be “successfully run' and controlled.
From a purely commercial point of view the problem is, how are the funds required for installing and maintaining the broadenst machinery and for paying the artistes, lecturers, musicians, etc., to bc, collected
installed can be used indefinitely for transmitting purposes, the programme itself is only available once and has ta be constantly repeated and renewed so to speak, at the cost of the broadcasting. company. To attempt to include the value of services to be rendered in tho future, in the initiai coat of the reviver, would prejudice the sola of instruments and for many other reasons would be commercially unsound.
Moreover, the scheme is able to abuse on the part of unscrupulous competitors if the broadcasting companies had to rely pon the direct sale of their receivers It would, for ex- for remuneration. ample, be quite easy for a competing company to set up a very indifferent broadcasting service sufficient to qualify them to manufacture and sell receivers, knowing full well that those receivers would be largely used for receiving, the high class programmes broadcasted by the other companies at a much higher cost. Thus, the company that produced the best programmes would be severely bandicapped in the sale of their receivers. competitive priction is that many blem is how to imsare that the maximum Yet another benefit is to be obtained for the general thousands of individuals might conceiv public without risk of abuse by in-ably have sufficient knowledge and in- gehuity to make their own receivers and would thus be in a position to take full. advantage of the entertainment provid ed by the broadcasting.companies and paid for by those who purchased their receivers from them, without making any contribution themselves towards the cust of the programmes..
From the public point of view the pro-
dividuals or influential bodies.
On the one hand, we have the general public who have purchased or mada res ceivers for the purpose of listening in to the wireless programmes provided by
TAKE A PEG others; on the other hand, we have the
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companies or individuals who broadcast the programmes. while in between, we have the ather as the carrying agent which is common property.
Obviously, the broadcasting companies or individuals cannot be expected to maintain the service at t loss for the benefit of the public, neither is it prae" ticable to fix meters on to the aerials of the receiving sets by which listeners could be charged pro rata for listening
in.
SERVICE RUN BY STATE.
aburu-
There is also a technical objection to any scheme which distributes the respon- aibility for the proper conduct of a ser vice amongst a large number of separata: individuals or companies. We refer to the question of interference.. joyment of a broadcast programme de pends very largely upon. ono's ability to select one particular programme to the exclusion of all others. This power of
certain extent) selection depends to upon the selectivity, of the receiver, but even with the most elaborate apparatus, a reasonable margin must be allowed be- the wavelengths allocated to neigh- tween bouring stations, so that in practice only. limited number of stations can work without mutual interference on 's given Wave band.
conditions enable a
A service run by the State is open to several obiretions quite apart from technical considerations. If run en
Whether leen! enterprising Hors a State service might be the subject of severe, though possibly fairly, wide wave-band or only a very, quite unjustified criticism on the grounds narrow one to be allocated to Broadcast- of extravagance, or as being utilised as ing purposes. it is essential that this channel for propaganda. "In all prob- ahould be utilised to the utmost advan- ability, however, Government ran ser tage. This requires a very careful dis- vice would be so hampered with restric tribution of suitable wavelengths amongst tions calculated to remove causes of com- the various stations. The addition plaint and friction that its growth and of even a singin station to an exist- SOLE AGENTS development would be stultified. If we ing scheine Frequently requires a re-con- imagine what would have been the effect sideration of the wavelengths of all the on literature if very printing press in other stations. Much difficulty would, the country were controlled and ope therefore be caused to the authoritica rated by a Government department, we and mach chuse for complaint on the ein farm some idea of what would be part of the listening-in public if an un- the result in the very similar realm of desirably large number of broadcasting broadcasting. Nevertheless, it is right stations under several managements are and strongly desirable that the Govern-allowed to operate in a limited area. dent ofhe country should be in z
ONE AUTHORITY ESSENTIAL position to exercise a very strict control
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of the matter which may he broadcast, Obviously, to achieve the best utilisa in the same way that they exercise a tion of the wther, there must be one control of all printed publications. If authority responsible for the allocation this Government control can be suitably of wavelengths to the various stations, provided for while leaving the exploita and this authority should have full tion of broadcasting to private enter power to change the waves of particular prise, then the problem of how to ensure stations within the limits of the wave- ihat the public interest will be adequately band allocated for broadcasting ae ex- met by the commercial companies respon-perience dictates or as the growth of sible for the broadcasting is, to a large the organisation, demands. If the con- extent, solved.
Bicting interests of several broadcasting companies are to be studied, the desired AN ALTERNATIVE.
result could scarcely be obtained by test- One alternative to a state-run broad-ing this authority in any individual or casting service would be for the Governin a Government department as the
11
TO-DAY TILL SATURDAY, 5.15 p.m. & 9.15 pm.
THE SURPRISE OF THE YEAR
CHARLES DICKENS'
FAMOUS NOVEL BECOMES "THE PERFECT MOVIE"
“OUR MUTUAL FRIEND"
The unexpected is always taking place in the Screen World as well as elsewhere. The film version of "Our Mutual Friend" is one of the pictures that should by right of its at tistic and entertaining qualities prove one of the biggest attractions of this season.
Better than "A Tale of Two Cities" this Dickens' Story has the most absorbing plot of any of the English Writer's works. It is a mystery story and has all the elements of a corking good melodrama. The atmos- phere in this picture is wonderfully true, and the quaint scenes and characters of over half a century ago make splendid entertainment.
The fact that the picture was produced in England and the cast filled by English actors accounts, of course, for its real Dickens' flavour. It is the best English picture ever seen here.
WITH SPECIAL MUSIC AT MODERATE PRICES.
DON'T FAIL TO SEE IT.
BY SPECIAL REQUEST
Romantic "KOENIGSMARK
Will be Here Again Soon,
WORLD THEATRE.
CAFE WISEMAN.
SPECIAL SUPPER DISHES
EVERY EVENING From 7.30 till 9 p.m.
}
FISH (fried) with Chipped Potatoes
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ment to issue licences to such private listening in public would consider them- SAUSAGES (Dairy Farm) with Mashed Potatoes
companies or individuals as might desire selves neglected whenever they exper- to exploit the possibilities of broadcast-ienced jamming, and one or other of the ing for their particular purposes. What broadcasting companies wanki always be would be the probable result of such a complaining that diaproportionately scheme Fw individuals and still severe restrictions had been placed upon fewer industrial companies would be them.
85 CENTS
including Bread, Butter and Coffee.
Freshly Cooked for Each Customer.
willing to educate and to use the While both the psychological and tech- general public considerable cost to nical aspects of the problem must neces themselves unless directly or indirectly sarily vary in different communities, they were to benefit by so doing. The much may be gained by studying the ad- altimate object of all such programmes vantages and defects of the schemes would therefore be one of advertisement, adopted by different countries. Per- and the high purposes of this new ap-haps the best examples to take in this plication of science would be subordinat-connection are those in "force in the ed to commercialism. Newspaper proprie- United States of America and in Eng-ditions prevail. Without describing the tors would want to broadcast for the land, which afford an excellent contrast purpose of attracting subscribers to their in many respects: papers, wireless manufacturers for the purpose of selling receivers, merchants
N
IN AMERICA.
[1928
CONDITIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN. Telegraph Company and the Central
News. In the British Isles, very different con-
It will be seen that under this scheme. somewhat protracted negotiations between private enterprise is allowed full scope the Government, the big wireless interests without the advantages inseparable from and the general public, an agreement was anrestricted commercialism on, the one arrived at under which a company known hand and of bureaucratic control on the for selling their wares, and even the local In America, any citizen with the neces- as the British Broadcasting Company other; also that the Government havo tradespeople would wish to broadcast on sary capital may purchase, apparatus and was formed and was licensed for a period full powers of control without. interfer- small scale for the purpose of attract-set up a broadcast transmitting, set, of years by the British Post Officing with the management of the organi ing custom.
Practically the only restrictions Impos authorities to broadcast entertainments Bation and without taking any financial{" It might be argued that the same cb-ed upon him are that. by does not use and other suitable matter The Marriak, indeed they gain financially by rek fjection applies to printed matter. To a wavelength or power that will interconi Company and other wireless com-ceiving a certain proportion of the licence certain extent this is true, but there is fere with any of the public telegraph or mercial interests are represented on the fees, collected from the public. Again. a great difference in the two cases. When telephone services. The result is exactly Board of the Company. Thus the Broad- the public are in a position to influenen cne buys a newspaper, there is no ob- what one would expect from the forecasting Company has the highest tech the character of the programines trans- Higation on the part of the buyer to rend going observations. Actually, hundreds nical skill at its disposal.
mitted by direct correspondence with the advertisements, and although both of transmitting acts were installed all The British Broadcasting Company the offices of the Company, through the news and advertisements are given, any, over the country varying in power from derives its revenue from two sources (a) Press, or even through the Government. one may pick and change what he wishes a few wattato six or more kilowatta from a proportion of the fees collected The result is that the public obtain to read.. On the other hand, if a broad-People wishing to listen to the beautiful for licences issued by the Government the very best service with the minimam cant programme includes both advertis voice of a Caruso which is being broad through the Post Office to any member possible interference
and Lanoyance ing and entertaining matter, the listener-east from one of the better class stations of the general public who desires to use while the Broadcasting Company are in ands himself compelled either to listen contralled by the big wireless interests a wireless receiver, and () from a provided with ample funds and with to the whole programme, advertisements are hopelessly jammed by some enter royalty paid by the manufacturers of every encouragement to develop and per- Included, or to switch off and wait prising haberdasher who insists on draw. wireless receiving apparatus. Thus, fect both the technique of the art and patiently for the item in which he is ing attention to the wonderful quality every member of the listening in public the scope of its activities, interested.
of the shirta he stocks for the benefit of becomes a subscriber to the British There is only one other point we need It might be suggested that to over his customers. At one time, the ether Broadcasting Company by paying the mention, namely, the necessity for tak come this difficulty, the Government permeating the United States was so equivalent of a club entrance fee se re- ing measures to prevent privata ín- would only issue a limited number of vibrant with the discords generated by presented by the royalty included in the, dividuals Irdio using reaction direct on licences, but how and where is the Gov-conflicting enterprise that listening-in price of his receiver, and by paying an to their serial circuits in their valve crament or any individual to draw the became a practice to be avoided except annual subscription in the form of a receivers. The result of this practice in lines, capecially if it be admitted that by the ardent enthusiast who could licence obtained from the Post Office. to conso the receiving aerial to radiate with a scheme worked on these lines, drown his better feelings, in zatiating bis The net profits of the Broadcasting & continuous wave which interferes badly the ultimate object of all broadcasting thirst for scientific experiment,
Company are limited to 7 per cent. on with other, receiving sets within a radius world be one of advertisement.
This state of things, of course, soon its capital, thus encouraging an expan of a mile or two. Again, if the broadcasting companies brought about n'natural reaction. The sion and improvement of the servico an It is easy to control all sots manufac are in a position to manufacture and sell baberdasher soon found that no one any funds are available. The Government tured by the trade in this respect by in- The receivers, it has been argued that longer listened to the eulogies on his also has the power to revoke the licence sisting that they pass on official testi licences would be restricted to wireless goods and consequently stopped broad of the Broadcasting Company and to for re-radiation and by forbidding the manufacturers and the cost of broadcast casting. In short, the number of trans licence other concerns to broadcast on use of certain well-defined cirenite which ing might be paid for out of the profits mitting stations in operation was re- similar terms in case the company should aro particularly objectionable in this re- on the receivers. On the principle that duced and conditions have become, more fail to give a satisfactory service. The spect. But the control of home-made set the better the service they give, the more normal. But in spite of this improve broadcasting of advertising matter and presents certain obvious difficulties and receivers they will sell, this scheme apment the conditions under which one of political speeches or propaganda is can best be left in the hands of local pears at first sight to be plausible. But listens to the broadcast programmce in prohibited, and in order to safeguard the radio societies or clube who are always there are several objections to such a the U.S.A. are, anything but ideal and interests of the daily press, the broad-ready to discourage the practier not only scheme In the first place, a receiver, the higher possibilities of the art, are casting of news items is restricted to a amongst their members but also amongst once installed, can be used, indefinitely being choked for want of organised news bulletin authorised by the four big their offending neighbours.--From "The for the purpose of reception whereas, cultivation.
news agencies of the country, namely Art and Technique of Broadcasting although a broadcast transmitter, once (Continued on nest (õluma).. Beuters, the Press Association, Exchange just published by the Marconi Cat
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