The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-09-03

AGEbAI eANAAS J Corporation has been delug bias, prejudice and outright
 Broadcasting here is an alright government monopoly. Well-bred BritonS shudder at the thought that crude persons "in trade" should sponsor, produce and pay for programs of their own choice sprink- ling the program with advertising in the process.
 British radio listeners pay the post -office department a liberal fee of los Approximately $2.5o) a year for each receiving set oper- ated. For this fee, they listen, un- til midnight only, to chamber music, symphonies, educational talks, carefully culled news bulle- tins, dance orchestras, limited number of restrained political speeches, non-controversial plays, sports results and more chamber music.
 No Opinions
 And woe betide any B. B. c. an- nouncer or other employe who, even by an unfortunate choice of adjective or phrase, should express an opinion. The company's charter empowers the postmaster general to issue a notice requiring the B. B. c. to refrain from sending any signifed broadcast matter. It may be drawn In general terms or may relate to a particular subject.
 "A notice of the former type has been issued desiring the B. B. c. to abstain from broadcasting any ex- pression of its own opinion in re- gard to matters of public policy, etc." the postmaster-general told commons in reply to a question re- gently.
 For invited speakers the re- StrictionS are not 50 strict, but when their utterances are con- troversial, the B. B. c. quickly hears from half the retired col onels fin the United Kingdom If the other side of the issue Is not given --and sometimes If 1t isl
 Since British broadcaSting Is completely government product, paid for entirely by taxation, in- div'dual John Bulls are not at all backward about telling the B. B. c. how to run the business Neither are members of the house of com mons, especially those on the op- position benches.
 Not Patriotic Enough
 The latest squabble came over a series of broadcasts describing conditions of life in various coun- trieS, an educational program di- rected at the schools. Prof. John Hilton, dealing with Russia, said few nice things about the Soviet system. omitted a few things not 90 nice, but wound up periodically enough with this assertion:
 "rhey are nothing like so we'll off or so well looked after as the com- mon people are here. should say at c rough shot. that a worker ID Russia enjoys about half the good things in life that similar worker enjoys here"
 But If Prof. Hilton, and the B. B. O.. thought this little talk would pass unchallenged, t.e:' were wrong.
 Letters to the editor" columns bloSSomed with indignant protests The Issue reached the floor Of Com mons when Sir Marine Stewart San. deman and Major- General Sir AL fred Knox asked the postmaster. general, respectively, If precautions were taken to Insure that broad- casts did not contain propaganda, and If he would make representa- tons to the B. B. c. to prevent the repetition of Soviet propaganda.
 The postmaster general replied that he believed the B. 3. c. main tained ! fair balance, took great care to exclude political propagan- da from programs. He advised his critics to read the broadcast rather than accounts put about concerning the broadcast"
 Commons Takes Hand
 On the same day, the B. B, c, was criticized in Commons regarding Its reporting Of the proceedings of the Commons itself Because "an im- preSsion of bias was aroused free 1uently owing to lack of proportion and perspective" the postmaster general was asked to have the B. B c. submit news bulletins to party whips before they were broadcast He declined, saying he thought the presentation fair to both sides,
 A news bulletin was criticized n Commons for quoting Berlin news paper, even though the quotation was carefully designated as such and he name of the paper was given.
 Last month the B. B. c. cancelled broadcast of a play, satire on muni- tions makers, for fear "thls might be considered the government's view" Britain's rush to rearm waa not mentioned.
 Defenders Of talks like that py Prof. Hilton say that both sides oi every question must be broadcast however, unpalatable this may be to partisanS
 RANGoON YOUTH A SAMSON
 Rangoon, (UP) --Rangoon claims