§ Mr. Kitsonasked the Postmaster-General if he is satisfied with the facilities for transmission at Newcastle allocated by the British Broadcasting Corporation to serve the North-East area with sound and television programmes; and if he will recommend to the British Broadcasting Corporation that action should be taken in the North-East in order to improve reception.
§ Mr. BennIt is for the broadcasting authorities in the first place to decide what measures to take to improve the reception or extend the coverage of their services.
The B.B.C. tells me that reception of its television and V.H.F. sound services in most parts of the North-East is satisfactory. There are, however, some localities including parts of the hon. Member's constituency, where reception is difficult.
I am sure that the Corporation will bear in mind the needs of these places along with those of others where reception is poor or non-existent, when putting forward for my approval the next stage of its plan to extend and improve the coverage of its television and V.H.F. sound services.
Reception in the North-East of the B.B.C.'s sound programmes on long and medium wavelengths suffers in the North-East as it does elsewhere from continental interference. The B.B.C. points out that this is, of course, why these programmes are transmitted also on V.H.F.