Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the change of the wavelength of the Light Programme by the British Broadcasting Corporation has resulted in many old and retired people particularly in Scotland being deprived of the opportunity to listen to this programme unless they undertake considerable expense on new equipment; and what steps he is taking to resolve this problem.
§ Mr. Edward ShortThe problem with which the B.B.C. have had to deal is to provide on the limited number of frequencies available to them a service for as many different audiences as possible.
The White Paper on Broadcasting (Cmnd. 3169) made it clear that, in order to find room for the additional service now called Radio 1, the medium wave transmission of the Light programme—now Radio 2—would have to cease. In deciding to authorise the B.B.C. to make this change, the Government took account of the fact not only that the Light Programme is widely available on long wave, but that it had become available virtually everywhere on V.H.F. The expectation that, on an overall appraisal, this redeployment would effectively extend the choice of programmes available to listeners, has been borne out by the marked increase in the number of people who listened to them.
The B.B.C. tell me that the reception of the longwave transmission on their existing sets could be improved for many people if they had a simple outdoor aerial fitted.