§ 17. Mr. Whiteheadasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many British Broadcasting Corporation local radio stations could technically be given medium wave support frequencies by the end of 1971.
§ Mr. ChatawayA technical plan to deploy efficiently all the frequency channels available will need to provide for stations of the new independent service as well as those of the B.B.C. This is not likely to be possible before the end of 1971.
§ Mr. WhiteheadIs the Minister aware that we all know that and that we also know that the B.B.C. local radio stations, certainly the major ones, could be on the air in a matter of weeks with medium-wave transmission which would enable production of the community services he 1435 mentions in his White Paper? Is he also aware that his refusal to give his permission has nothing to do with the Copenhagen Convention but everything to do with his desire to have a free run for commercial television?
§ Mr. ChatawayI think it is a ridiculous suggestion that the objective is to give a free run to the new service, for if it were we would have got rid of the B.B.C. local stations. The objective, as I have said to the hon. Member on a number of previous occasions, is to ensure that we have a plan to enable the maximum amount of broadcasting.