HL Deb 21 June 1960 vol 224 cc399-402
LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, in the unfortunate absence of my noble friend Lord Birdwood owing to illness, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in his name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government if a study has ever been made of the technical ability of listeners in West Africa to pick up Moscow radio, as compared with the ability to hear the B.B.C.; and, further, if research has been undertaken concerning the contrast in the material broadcast to West Africa from these two sources.]

THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)

My Lords, the B.B.C. continuously carry out audience research of this kind. I understand that reports from West Africa show that listeners there can hear both the B.B.C. and Moscow quite well. The nature of the broadcasts are, of course, very different. The B.B.C., who are themselves responsible for the content of their programmes, broadcast objective news, commentaries, and all kinds of programmes of general interest. Broadcasts from Moscow, as one would expect, give a distorted picture of world affairs, in particular of Western actions in Africa. The B.B.C.'s output—the General Overseas Service, Hausa, and special broadcasts in English—is available for a considerably longer period each day than are Moscow's English and French broadcasts to West Africa, though on fewer wave-lengths. The B.B.C. have just begun a service in French especially for West Africa.

LORD ABERDARE

I thank the noble Earl for his answer.

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that the great difficulty is that, because the Russian broadcasts have increased some fivefold since the war and are distorted, they give the people of West Africa a distorted picture, whereas our B.B.C. broadcasts overseas have scarcely been increased since we returned to post-war conditions? Will he look into the question of increasing B.B.C. broadcasts in English to West Africa?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, the B.B.C. broadcast to West Africa in the General Overseas Service for seventeen hours a day, with special English programmes for three-quarters of an hour each day and in Hausa for half-an-hour a day. The Moscow broadcasts to West Africa are spread throughout the day, totalling two-and-three-quarter hours in English and two-and-three-quarter hours in French. I do not know to what extent either is listened to by the population.

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, my point, which the noble Earl has now confirmed, is that the Russians are broadcasting in English to West Africa for two-and-three-quarter hours daily while we are broadcasting for 45 minutes; and therefore if the Moscow programmes are distorted, as the noble Earl has said, they are doing three times as much damage as the good we can do. Will the noble Earl therefore look into the question of broadcasts to West Africa?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I do not know whether they are listened to quite as much.

THE EARL OF SWINTON

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he is aware, as I have heard from East Africa, and particularly from a district officer in Tanganyika, that there is a great deal of Russian broadcasting which is avidly listened to and is of a character particularly well designed to appeal to the African audience? Might it not be desirable that a special inquiry should be made into what broadcasting takes place, its form and the extent to which it is heard, so that we could concert proper measures to counter it?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I will certainly make a note of the noble Earl's suggestion. As your Lordships are only too well aware, truth is sometimes unconscionably dull while falsehood can be extremely entertaining.

LORD GREENHILL

My Lords, does not this suggest that perhaps the B.B.C. might direct its attention to giving two kinds of broadcast, one for the informed minority, the other for the great mass of the people—one of more popular outlook but perhaps not so well informed?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, the B.B.C. try to provide a balanced programme consisting of all kinds of items, partly serious news and partly entertainment.

THE EARL OF SWINTON

My Lords, while I am sure the B.B.C. are doing all they can, may I ask the noble Earl whether this is not the function of Her Majesty's Government? After all, it is the Russian Government who are transmitting these programmes. Is it not the function of the British Government and of our information services to prepare exactly the right kind of programmes and to have those put on the air?

LORD STONHAM

My Lords, while, speaking for myself, I do not support that, is the noble Earl aware that I am urging that there should be more facilities for overseas broadcasts by the B.B.C., whether they are listened to or not?—and my information is that they are.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I will take note of the suggestions of both noble Lords. The Russian Government are, of course, spending far more money on this than the B.B.C. can afford to spend; but I would not say that in West Africa (to which this Question relates) their audience is anything like so great as that of the B.B.C.

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, is the noble Earl not aware that, while the position in East Africa is one problem, the problem extends also to the Far East, where Russia and Chinese broadcasts are being listened to very widely and the voice of the B.B.C. is hardly heard?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I am most certainly aware of that, and if it interests the noble Lord I may tell him that the Chinese have now started broadcasts to West Africa as well. But this Question does not relate to the Far East.

LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETH

My Lords, with regard to the question raised by the noble Earl, Lord Swinton, will the noble Earl the Minister bear in mind that (as I think he will find) overseas broadcasts by the B.B.C. are paid for by Her Majesty's Government, and that that, of course, gives the Government every right to see that those broadcasts are effective for their purpose? We need to keep "upsides with" our competitors in this matter, and I think that if the noble Earl will inquire he will find that these broadcasts are paid for out of public funds.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for mentioning that point.