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NA TURE 



[August 19, 1922 



which the Government intends to follow with regard to 

 certain aspects of broadcasting. The decision of the 

 Government to leave this branch of wireless activity in 

 the hands of private enterprise to develop, has been 

 widely welcomed : however, fears have been expressed 

 lest, in giving effect to its policy under a licensing 

 system, the Government may allow an industrial 

 monopoly to grow up. It has to be borne in mind that 

 the situation under discussion is altogether an ex- 

 ceptional one, and that although a complete monopoly 

 cannot be tolerated, on the other hand, as is the case 

 with ordinary telegraphy and telephony, and, indeed, 

 with many other public utility services, so in the case 

 of radio broadcasting, the field is not one which lends 

 itself to unlimited competition ; for, on purely tech- 

 nical grounds, a limitation has to be placed on the liberty 

 of free competition in those cases where the radiation 

 through space of electro-magnetic waves for signalling 

 purposes is involved. 



This latter point requires to be emphasised, as a pro- 

 posal has been seriously put forward that, in spite of 

 the grave risks of mutual interference incurred thereby, 

 full liberty of action should be permitted to those whose 

 wish it is to develop and trade in radio broadcasting, 

 rather than that a complicated system of licences and 

 supervision should be introduced. But full liberty of 

 action is not feasible here : radio broadcasting cannot, 

 on the transmission side, be conducted untrammelled 

 by bureaucratic restrictions. The removal of such 

 restrictions would not only defeat the aims of those who 

 are seeking to establish useful, efficient and continuous 

 broadcasting services in the British Isles, but would also, 

 at the same time, put in serious jeopardy the radio 

 communication services established in connexion with 

 our national defence arrangements, as also the com- 

 mercial services already in existence. For practical 

 reasons, it is found necessary to lay down a definite 

 upper limit to the number of radio transmitting stations 

 which may be erected within a particular region. In 

 the British Isles, the number of radio services of the 

 several kinds connected with the fighting services 

 and required for commercial purposes are already 

 so great, that a central governmental authority 

 has had to be created in order effectively to regulate 

 the situation : it determines and allocates the radio 

 wave-lengths that shall be utilised for particular 

 purposes. 



It is on the advice of this authority that the Govern- 

 ment will, so far as the technical aspects of the situation 

 are concerned, be obliged to act. In the matter of 

 competition there are, of course, apart from the 

 technical considerations referred to, financial aspects 

 also which have to be brought under review. Normally 

 it certainly is not the function of the Government to 

 NO. 2755, VOL. I 10] 



attempt to control the financial side of a private enter- 

 prise. However, so far as broadcasting is concerned, 

 the Government is committed, nolens volens, to a certain 

 measure of control of the organisations about to be 

 licensed for this purpose ; therefore, so long as every- 

 thing is done to allow of the fullest amount of competi- 

 tion permissible in this field at the present time, and to 

 admit of an increase of this competition in the future 

 should technical and other considerations permit this 

 safely to be done, it would not be unreasonable, at the 

 present juncture, for the Government to exercise such 

 further control as may be required to prevent anything 

 being done the inevitable result of which would be the 

 almost immediate destruction of a part of the capital 

 of the investing public. On the other hand, by playing 

 a part, as is proposed to be done by the Postmaster 

 General, in the framing of the articles of association of 

 the companies which it is intended to license for pro- 

 viding broadcasting services, the Government is likely, 

 at some future date, to be deprived, wholly or partially, 

 of its liberty to modify its policy in relation to com- 

 petition should this be feasible, and desirable in the 

 public interest, and it may thus lay itself open later to 

 the charge of having allowed a monopoly to come into 

 existence. It is at this stage that care should be taken 

 by the Government to guard against entanglements 

 which may afterwards prove embarrassing. 



In the case of receiving apparatus the technical 

 situation is relatively a simple one, and there is every 

 reason for permitting the fullest competition in dealings 

 connected therewith. It is desirable, therefore, that 

 individuals wishing to possess such apparatus should 

 have the greatest latitude allowed them in procuring 

 what they want. Announcements have appeared that 

 the types of apparatus to be used in connexion with 

 broadcasting must conform to certain technical standards 

 approved by the Post Office : if this merely means that 

 the Post Office will issue a general specification, no 

 objection can be taken. However, if it is intended that 

 manufacturers must submit to the Post Office for its 

 approval the designs of the apparatus they propose to 

 put on the market for broadcasting, a serious mistake is 

 being made alike from the manufacturers' point of view 

 as of that of the Post Office, which will thus be saddling 

 itself with a responsibility that it should seek to avoid. 

 In the interests of all parties, it would seem best that 

 the sale and purchase of wireless receiving apparatus 

 should be carried on in these islands on the customary 

 commercial lines free from restrictions of all kinds. It 

 follows, therefore, that whoever may so desire should 

 be permitted to make use in his or her broadcasting 

 receiving installation of any home-made apparatus, 

 provided that the same complies with the general 

 technical requirements laid down officially. 



