XN000022-1976-07-07 — Page 6

5

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1976

CONCLUDING ITS ANALYSIS OF PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT DURING THE PERIOD. THE BOARD EXPRESSES THE HOPE THAT THE FUTURE WOULD BRING DEVELOPMENTS SIMILAR TO THOSE ACHIEVED IN ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION TO THE SPECIALIST AREAS OF INFORMATION, EDUCATIONAL AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH PROGRESS CAREFULLY AND, WHEREEVER POSSIBLE, TO STIMULATE SUCH ENDEAVOURS, THE BOARD SAYS.

COMMENTING ON THIS STATEMENT, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD SAID TODAY THAT DURING THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF 1976, SUBSEQUENT TO THE PERIOD COVERED BY THE REPORT, THERE HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF ENCOURAGING INITIATIVES BY THE LICENCEES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE SPECIALIST PROGRAMMES AND HE HOPED THAT THESE HERALDED A NEW ERA IN A MORE POSITIVE USE OF THE TELEVISION MEDIA.

KWARAN

THE BOARD ALSO NOTED A DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF SOME LOCALLY PRODUCED TELEVISION COMMERCIALS, QUITE A NUMBER OF THESE IN THE OPINION OF THE BOARD, WERE +COMPARABLE IN THEIR IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES WITH MANY BEING MADE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE THE INDUSTRY IS AT A MORE ADVANCED STAGE IN SUCH MATTERS.+

REFERRING TO ADVERTISING REVENUES, THE BOARD SAID THAT GROWTH WAS LIMITED TO SOME EXTENT BY ECONOMIC FACTORS AND BY THE FACT THAT THE NEW LICENCEES HAD NOT YET FIRMLY ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES. NEVERTHELESS, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN OVERALL TELEVISION REVENUE DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE BOARD NOTED A MORE MARKED INCREASE IN THE COSTS TO LICENCEES OF OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THEIR SERVICES.

COMMENTING ON THIS ASPECT, THE REPORT SAYS: +THIS INCREASE FOR THE MOST PART IS A REFLECTION OF WORLD-WIDE INFLATIONARY TRENDS BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THE POSITION MAY BE EXACERBATED BY THE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE STATIONS FOR AVAILABLE TALENT AND PROGRAMME MATERIAL, SHOULD THIS IMBALANCE BETWEEN REVENUE GROWTH AND COST GROWTH CONTINUE IT SEEMS TO US POSSIBLE THAT PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME AREAS OF TELEVISION MAY NOT BE AS RAPID AS WE HAVE HOPED.

+HOWEVER, THE GENERAL ECONOMIC POSITION IS IMPROVING AND IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT REVENUE GROWTH WILL ADVANCE IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. THERE MAY ALSO BE AREAS OF PROGRAMME PLANNING WHERE THE STATIONS CAN COOPERATE WITH ONE OTHER TO HELP KEEP COSTS DOWN AND WE WOULD VIEW ANY SUCH ACTION AS BEING IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.+

ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF TELEVISION DEVELOPMENT, THE BOARD NOTED THAT THE OPENING OF THE THIRD STATION HAD CONFIRMED THE PRACTICABILITY OF THE TELEVISION FREQUENCY PLAN, AN EXTREMELY COMPLICATED WIRELESS FREQUENCY ALLOCATION SCHEME FOR THE OPERATION OF ALL THE LICENCEE'S MAIN TRANSMITTERS AND NUMEROUS TRANSPOSERS. THIS PLAN WAS DEVELOPED IN 1972 BY THE POST OFFICE ON THE BASIS OF TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS MADE BY MESSRS. CABLE AND WRIELESS AND THE BOARD STATES, IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT IT HAS BEEN ABLE TO MEET OUR TELEVISION TRANSMISSION REQUIREMENTS SUCCESSFULLY.+

/THE REPORT