§ Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Postmaster-General if he will now make a further statement about the plans of the British Broadcasting Corporation to improve reception of the Home Service programmes.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsTo mitigate as far as possible the deterioration caused mainly by foreign station interference on 55W wavelengths allocated to the United Kingdom under the Copenhagen Plan, the B.B.C. proposes to improve local reception of the Home Service by installing low power medium wavelength transmitters in the vicinities of the following places: Barnstaple-Bideford; Barrow; Bexhill-Eastbourne; Brechin-Montrose; Brighton; Cromer; Dover-Folkestone; Dumfries; Pwllheli; Ramsgate; Scarborough; Whitehaven. Some of these 12 stations will use an International Common Wavelength; the remainder will share wavelengths with existing stations in the B.B.C. Home Service.
56WThe selection of wavelengths to provide a satisfactory service to the maximum number of listeners in these localities without spoiling reception elsewhere presents considerable difficulty, and it circumscribes the choice of the particular Regional Programmes which can be provided. Every effort will be made to avoid giving programmes which are not wholly appropriate to the areas to be served by the new stations. The B.B.C. hopes that eight of the new stations will be operating before next winter, and all of them will be completed as quickly as possible.