CAB129-52 — Page 24

Page 24 Broadcasting: Memorandum on the Report of the Broadcasting Committee, 1949

1. The Charter granted to the British Broadcasting Corporation on 1st January, 1947, and the accompanying Licence dated 29th November, 1946, were due to expire soon after the Government took office. To allow time for the conditions of a new longer-term Charter to be examined and for the proposals to be considered by Parliament, a short-term Charter was granted for six months to expire on 30th June, 1952. A new Licence covering this period was also issued. (Cmd. 6974, 6975, 8416 and 8417 refer.)

2. The Government have considered the recommendations of the Broad- casting Committee which sat under the Chairmanship of Lord Beveridge (Cmd. 8116 and 8117). They have taken into account the proposals of the late Government set out in a White Paper issued in July 1951 (Cmd. 8291) and the views expressed in the subsequent debates in both Houses of Parliament.

3. The following proposals which the Government now make in regard to the new Charter and Licence are set out for the consideration of Parlia- ment under the main heads of the Broadcasting Committee's Report. In many instances the Government accept, as did their predecessors, the recommendations of the Broadcasting Committee, but in certain respects they have felt bound to propose alternative arrangements.

I. RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO CONSTITUTION AND POWERS OF BROADCASTING AUTHORITY

THE QUESTIONS OF THE MONOPOLY AND SPONSORED BROADCASTING

4. The successive Licences granted to the B.B.C. have not of themselves established the Corporation as the sole authority for all broadcasting in the United Kingdom. The Corporation have, in fact, enjoyed an exclusive privilege because successive Governments have decided that, although the Postmaster General is empowered by statute to license any number of persons to operate broadcasting stations, he should not license anyone other than the B.B.C.

5. The Government recognise that this effective monopoly has done much to establish the excellent and reputable broadcasting service for which Great Britain is renowned and that the B.B.C. have become an important part of the structure of our national life. Their services must remain intact and the Corporation should be the only broadcasting organisation having any claim on the revenue from broadcasting receiving licences. The new Charter and Licence which are to come into force on 1st July next will therefore provide for the B.B.C. to continue broadly on the existing basis. The Government would be most unwilling to see any change in the policy of the B.B.C. themselves towards sponsoring or accepting advertisements, and the existing restriction on commercial broadcasting without the consent of the Postmaster General will be preserved. Some additional safeguards will be incorporated to avoid the possibility that the Corporation might be subordinated to political ends. The Government accept the Broadcasting Committee's recommendation that the

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Corporation's current independence in making programmes and in general administration should be continued.

6. Theage: 25 of 2

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continue to be entrusted solely to the B.B.C. has much exercised the minds of all who have considered it. The late Government accepted the majority recommendation by the Broadcasting Committee that the Corporation should be continued as the authority responsible for all broadcasting, including television. The recommendation that the Government should expressly reserve power to license, after consultation with the B.B.C., public authorities or approved organisations to maintain and conduct local stations for sound broadcasting was, however, noted as a matter which depended on the future of very high frequency broadcasting and which could only be decided in the circumstances at the time.

7. The present Government have come to the conclusion that in the expanding field of television provision might well be made to permit some element of competition when the calls on capital resources at present needed for purposes of greater national importance make this feasible. They do not therefore propose to ask Parliament to commit themselves to the continuation of the exclusive privilege of the B.B.C. in this field.

8. As the policy governing the B.B.C. Charter and Licence is always considered by Parliament on the occasion of renewal, the Government think that Parliament should have a similar opportunity of considering before the licensing of the first station the terms and conditions under which competitive television might operate.

9. It would be necessary to introduce safeguards against possible abuses, and a controlling body would be required to regulate the conduct of the new stations, to exercise a general oversight of the programmes and to advise on appropriate matters; the new stations would not be permitted to engage in political or religious broadcasting. Licences for any new stations would be granted (and, if necessary, withdrawn) by the Postmaster-General on the advice of this body, subject to reservation by the Government of all rights in time of emergency. The establishment of this body and consideration of its detailed functions will be deferred until nearer the time when it would be possible to license new stations.

10. The licensing of other bodies or persons to broadcast television programmes for reception in the home would involve the use of the higher frequencies. On technical aspects, the Government will continue to seek advice from the Advisory Committee concerned with the development of television generally (see paragraph 28). It must be noted that the establish- ment of new television services would require new stations and their ancillary services, such as studios, and that the radio industry would require to be given well in advance the technical information necessary to enable them to design and produce adaptors for existing television sets and new receivers capable of picking up either the B.B.C. programmes or those on the higher frequencies.

11. For many years the B.B.C. have been prevented by limitations on capital investment from developing television in certain areas and from introducing very high frequency sound broadcasting. The Government con- sider that the B.B.C. have a continuing obligation to provide adequate national broadcasting services throughout the United Kingdom, and the fulfilment of this policy must clearly have first claim when labour and materials become available.