§ 28. Mr. William Shepherdasked the Postmaster-General if he will state the current expenditure on frequency modulation; and whether it is the intention of the Government to pursue this work.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsAs part of its general research effort, the B.B.C. is investigating the relative merits of both frequency and amplitude modulated broadcasting on very high frequencies by experimental transmissions from the station at Wrotham. The current cost is about £20,000 a year. I am satisfied that broadcasting on these frequencies should be developed to relieve the congestion in the lower frequency bands, but I cannot say whether amplitude or frequency modulation will be used until the B.B.C.'s experiments with both methods of transmission have been concluded.