Education by Radio (1932)

Control — The Minister of Marine and Fisheries under the Radiotelegraph Act is the licensing authority for all classes of radio stations, which includes radio broadcasting stations and receivingsets. Direct control over such technical questions as wavelengths, power of stations, and the collection of license fees should, we consider, remain with this authority. In order to pro¬ mote good reception conditions, it is most desirable that the radio activities of other departments of the government should conform to the regulations and be subject to the authority of the Radiotelegraph Act. We are also of the opinion that the radio branch of the Marine Department should continue to carry on the service to broadcast listeners, which includes the suppression of inductive interference. Summary of Recommendations [a] That broadcasting should be placed on a basis of public service and that the stations providing a service of this kind should be owned and operated by one na¬ tional company ; that provincial authorities should have full control over the programs of the station or stations in their respective areas; [b] That the company should be known as the Cana¬ dian Radio Broadcasting Company; that it should be vested with all the powers of private enterprise and that its status and duties should correspond to those of a pub¬ lic utility ; [c] That a provincial radio broadcasting director should be appointed for each province to have full con¬ trol of the programs broadcast by the station or stations located within the boundaries of the province for which he is responsible; [d] That a provincial advisory council on radio broadcasting should be appointed for each province, to act in an advisory capacity thru the provincial authority ; [e] That the board of the company should be com¬ posed of twelve members: three, more particularly rep¬ resenting the Dominion, and one, representing each of the provinces ; [f ] That high-power stations should be erected across Canada to give good reception over the entire settled area of the country during daylight; that the nucleus of the system should possibly be seven 50,000-watt sta¬ tions; that supplementary stations of lower power should be erected in local areas, not effectively covered by the main stations, if found necessary and as experi¬ ence indicates ; [g] That pending the inauguration and completion of the proposed system, a provisional service should be provided thru certain of the existing stations which should be continued in operation by the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Company; that the stations chosen for this provisional service should be those which will give the maximum coverage without duplication ; that all re¬ maining stations not so needed should be closed down; [h] That compensation should be allowed owners of existing stations for apparatus in use as may be decided by the Minister of Marine and Fisheries; that such apparatus should become the property of the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Company; that the more modern and efficient of these sets of apparatus should be held available for re-erection in local areas not effectively served by the high-power stations; that the cost of com¬ pensation should be met out of an appropriation made by Parliament; [i] That expenditure necessary for the operation and maintenance of the proposed broadcasting service should be met out of revenue produced by license fees, rental of time on stations for programs employing indi¬ rect advertising, and a subsidy from the Dominion Gov¬ ernment; [j] That all facilities should be used to permit of chain broadcasting by all the stations or in groups; that while the primary purpose should be to produce pro¬ grams of high standard from Canadian sources, pro¬ grams of similar order should also be sought from other sources ; [k] That time should be made available for firms or others desiring to put on programs employing indirect advertising; that no direct advertising should be al¬ lowed ; that specified time should be made available for educational work; that where religious broadcasting is allowed, there should be regulations prohibiting state¬ ments of a controversial nature or one religion making an attack upon the leaders or doctrine of another; that the broadcasting of political matters should be carefully restricted under arrangements mutually agreed upon by all political parties concerned; that competent and cul¬ tured announcers only should be employed. [l] That consideration should be given to the question of introducing legislation which would compel users of electrical apparatus causing interference with broadcast reception to suppress or eliminate the same at their own expense ; [m] That the licensing of stations and such other mat¬ ters prescribed in the Radiotelegraph Act and regula¬ tions issued thereunder for the control of radio stations in general should remain within the jurisdiction of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries; that that authority should continue to be responsible for the collection of license fees and the suppression of inductive interfer¬ ence causing difficulties with radio reception. The Canadian Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting — whose report filed September 11, 1929 promises to become the basis of the Canadian system — consists of the following members: Sir John Aird, president, Canadian Bank of Commerce [chairman], Toronto, Ontario. Charles A. Bowman, Esq., editor, Citizen, Ottawa, Ontario. Augustin Frigon, D.Sc., director, Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, Quebec; director-general, Technical Education, Province of Quebec, Montreal, Quebec. Donald Manson, Esq., chief inspector of radio, De¬ partment of Marine, [secretary] , Ottawa, Ontario. Education by Radio is published by the National Committee on Education by Radio at 1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. [72]