§ 42. Mr. Haymanasked the Assistant Postmaster-General when he expects the third transmitter of the British Broadcasting Corporation's station at Redruth to be in operation.
§ Mr. GammansThe B.B.C. expect to have the transmitter working by the winter.
§ Mr. HaymanWill the Assistant Postmaster-General request the B.B.C. to get this transmitter going by October, at least, because we have been suffering from bad Home reception at Redruth and in West Cornwall generally for a long time?
§ Mr. GammansI am sure that the B.B.C. will take good note of what the hon. Member has said.
§ 43. Mr. Haymanasked the Assistant Postmaster-General what quality of reception viewers in different areas of Cornwall may expect to get if the proposal of the British Broadcasting Corporation for a television station on North Hessary Tor is approved; what are the boundaries of those areas; and what are their approximate populations.
§ Mr. GammansTests have shown that first-class reception should be available to about 570,000 people in an area of Devon and Cornwall including St. Austell, Launceston, Holsworthy, Plymouth, Totnes and Torquay. Generally satisfactory reception would be available to a further 730,000 people over the whole of the remainder of these counties, except for some parts of North-East Devon already served by the Wenvoe station and a very small area at Land's End.
§ Mr. HaymanWill the Assistant Postmaster-General bear in mind that according to the figures he has given, the greater 368 part of the population of Cornwall will get either second-class reception or no reception? Will he ask the B.B.C. whether they were frightened off making tests at Hensbarrow Beacon, in the St. Austell district, because commercial television interests are reputed to have acquired interests there?
§ Mr. GammansMy experience is that when the B.B.C. use the term "generally satisfactory reception," it does not mean second-class.
§ Mr. G. R. HowardIs it not a fact that west of a fine drawn approximately through St. Austell, the county gets very bad reception? Has consideration been given to an alternative site for North Hessary Tor, with beaming up the country instead of beaming down, as the reception might be a great deal better?
§ Mr. GammansI think consideration is being given to alternatives to North Hessary Tor.
Mr. G. WilsonNotwithstanding the remarks of my hon. Friend, will the Minister as soon as possible get on with the completion of a broadcasting station at North Hessary Tor on the ground that we have been waiting for a very long time for any service at all?
§ Mr. GammansThe Post Office have not yet had any application from the B.B.C. for permission to buy a site at North Hessary Tor.