§ LORD KILMAINE rose to ask His Majesty's Government why the British Broadcasting Corporation does not commence its transmission till 10.15 a.m. when the transmissions of Germany and France and other countries start at 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the Question I have put on the Paper this afternoon will not take up much of your Lordships' time, but the matter with which it deals has considerable interest to a great number of people who like listening in to their early morning wireless. Many of your Lordships are no doubt aware that morning broadcasts, between the hours of 8 and 10 a.m., are usually far more free from interruption than those which come later in the clay. The foreign broadcasting stations open between 5 and 7 a.m. The majority open at about 7 o'clock. I speak chiefly of the French stations because I am more acquainted with them than with any others. The French stations open at 7 o'clock. They begin with a fifteen minutes lecture on physical culture, a most useful item to the many workers and business people who are forced to lead sedentary lives. Then they proceed to give the entire news of the world in a clear, lucid way and also a review of the leading articles in their own Press and in the Press of the world. They go on to give a short, concise weather forecast and an interesting and tuneful programme until 11 o'clock.
§ The B.B.C. for some unknown reason does not commence operations on weekdays until 10.15 in the morning, and on Sundays, on which day the foreign broadcasts are usually at their best and brightest, it does not begin until 10.30. On weekdays it begins with a daily service, a most excellent item, very much appreciated by invalids and old people. It then proceeds with a very lengthy weather and shipping forecast, which it 899 finds it necessary to repeat very slowly. Then it goes on with what is called a morning talk. To those listeners who are well enough off to be able to afford expensive and high-powered wireless sets it does not matter much what the B.B.C. does, they can tune in to foreign stations; but there are thousands of poor people who have only cheap, low-powered wireless sets, often home-made, on which they rely for their daily entertainment, and they are almost entirely dependent on home transmissions. I am constantly seeing letters in the Press from these people complaining of what they get, and I must say I am in entire sympathy with them.
§ There is a little more in the question than a mere matter of broadcasting. It would seem that while the average person in these islands relies for his daily dose of information on his morning newspaper, the Frenchman gets his in what I venture to say is a far more reliable manner from his national broadcast, received from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., and he probably does not trouble to look at the newspaper for the rest of the day. Your Lordships probably know also that in France the newspapers are small two-sheet affairs, whereas the average daily newspaper in this country has fourteen or more pages, which would take an ordinary mortal a whole day to wade through. I have no doubt that if the B.B.C. did follow the example of these foreign stations, and gave the news of the world and a Press review at that early hour newspaper owners would lose considerable revenue, but I think many people will agree with me that there are far too many newspapers in this country, and it is very doubtful whether their influence is always for good. Whenever there is an international crisis they vie with each other in fanning it into a flame. Whenever there is a political upheaval, as there perhaps is at the present time, one newspaper after another shouts its views in broad headlines, and says that this or that Minister certainly ought to go. During last summer the cricket world was agitated by the not very serious question of body-line bowling, and this the Press took up with fervour till it fanned it to a white heat and nearly brought about the refusal of the Australians to go on with the Test matches. I venture to ask 900 what is the reason why our national broadcasting stations should begin their programmes hours later than foreign stations, and why those programmes are, as many of us think, far inferior to the programmes heard from the foreign stations.
§ LORD TEMPLEMOREMy Lords, in reply to my noble friend I have been in communication with the Postmaster-General, and my right honourable friend authorises me to say that discretion as to the arrangements of broadcasting programmes is vested in the B.B.C., although the Postmaster-General possesses the right to veto any items in the programmes. In the case of questions such as that of the noble Lord, it has been the practice of the Postmaster-General in the past to draw the attention of the Governors of the B.B.C. to the matter raised, which will be done in this case. I have no doubt they will give the noble Lord's remarks due consideration.