§ 50. Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the effects of the radio broadcast frequency changes in the United Kingdom.
§ Dr. Summerskill:The changes which were made on 23rd November in the frequencies at which the broadcasting authorities transmit their programme services in the medium wave bands discharged the United Kingdom's international obligations to conform with a revised medium frequency assignment plan. They also gave effect to the BBC's proposals to redeploy the long and medium frequencies to improve where practicable the overall coverage of its network radio services.
The BBC tells me that public reaction to the latter has in the main been favourable. In particular Radio I has much better coverage and although in some restricted areas the Radio 3 service by night has to some extent been affected, though the VHF service remains unchanged, the BBC assures me that interference by night from continental stations is less damaging than it would have been if the network radio changes had not been made.