I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £278,740 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1956, for salaries and other expenses in connection with Wireless Broadcasting (No. 45 of 1926), including public concerts.
In introducing this Estimate I would like to express my appreciation to Deputies on all sides of the House for their forbearance during the year in refraining from putting down parliamentary questions on the ordinary day-to-day running of broadcasting. Both my predecessor and myself asked for this indulgence in order to give a full and fair trial to the experimental organisation set up in 1953 of operating the broadcasting service through a comhairle or council who had not a special broadcasting statute to give them legal powers such as they have in other countries. The House has generally accepted this experiment in the spirit in which it was undertaken and Deputies have been very fair in refraining from criticism of the free expression of opinion on controversial matters which is now permitted on the radio even where they might think that particular statements made in the course of radio discussions or particular items of news were harmful to the interests of their Parties. There has been a welcome absence of questions on Party lines about sins of omission or commission in the news room or by radio speakers in discussions, etc., and the House has generously and quickly recognised that broadcasting is being operated as a national service.
On the occasion of the annual Estimate, however, we welcome a full discussion on every aspect of broadcasting. I would, at the same time, hope that even on this occasion Deputies would not tell me that "Dinjoe" is better or worse than Joe Lynch or that the "Balladmakers" is the best or the worst programme on Radio Éireann. It would be more effective to tell that to the director in a letter or on a postcard.
Under the approved arrangements by which a sum equal to the licence and sponsored programme fees, together with a smaller sum for other minor adjustments, is devoted to the ordinary operations of broadcasting the sum provided this year in sub-head A of the Vote is £505,800. Normally, only £10,000 of the cost of equipment would be carried on this sub-head, the balance being provided by subsidy in sub-head B. This year, however, it is proposed to purchase equipment to the cost of £44,940 instead of the usual £10,000 out of the A sub-head, thus reducing the subsidy provision which would otherwise have to be made in sub-head B. The undertaking to devote an extra £34,940 this year for equipment leaves the sum available for day-to-day running fairly tight.
Expenses of broadcasting have gone up sharply and inevitably during the past few years. The House recognised generously last year that there has been a great improvement in the general programme content of the Radio Éireann transmission but it is desirable to bring briefly to the notice of Deputies the broad headings which call for considerable increased expenditure apart from the straight question of higher fees for more and better artistes. Since the reorganisation in 1953 the hours of broadcasting have been increased by 11 a week, that is, an expansion in broadcasting time of about 20 per cent. It can easily be appreciated, therefore, that an increase in time by one-fifth had to involve heavy additional expenditure. Comhairle Radio Éireann and the director had to strengthen the orchestras, including a long needed addition to the light orchestra which, as listeners know, plays day in day out music of the most varied kind— classical music, ceilidhe music, variety music, music with the Radio Éireann singers and music with soloists.
The news room staff was increased to deal particularly with bulletins in Irish and to bring the scope and vitality of the news in the national language up to that in English. That has, I think, now been achieved even to the extent of providing a daily topical talk in Irish. There has also been a wide expansion in the local news service both in Irish and in English. On the engineering side the longer hours have obviously made it necessary to engage additional highly-skilled staff—both engineers and technicians.
Apart from the hours there is one aspect of broadcasting in which a gradual change in practice has made it essential to provide considerable additional resources both in engineering and programme personnel and equipment. I refer to recording. Nowadays, recording technique—especially on tape —is so good that Radio Éireann, like all other stations, can pre-record many people and things that it could never get if it could only broadcast them "live."
There is a general impression that recorded programmes are inexpensive for the station. That is not so and, in fact, it takes about three times the number of hours to produce a tape recording programme as a "live" one and it makes more demands on the technical staff. Three figures will illustrate the vast increase that has taken place in recording work in Radio Éireann. In the years prior to 1945 the average annual number of hours of station recording was about 100. In 1952, however, it had reached 6,000 hours and in 1954 there was a total of almost 11,000 hours of recording in Radio Éireann.
I have given the House a general idea of the developments which have inevitably led to considerably increased expenditure in broadcasting, but I should say that the money expended still on broadcasting in this country is considerably less than what is expended in other comparable countries in Europe so far as we have information on the subject.
I am glad to say that the licence numbers are still increasing steadily and this will enable the broadcasting service again in the current year to pay for most of the equipment required out of sub-head A. Deputies will have seen from sub-head B in the Estimate Book that the subsidy provision for equipment is only a little more than it was in 1954-55. One would expect that with over 430,000 licences as compared with a total of about 650,000 households in the country the rate of progress in new licences would by now be slowing up. That is not so. For the past ten years there has been a steady normal increase of the order of 20,000 licences a year and we are, in fact, estimating for an increase of that order in the present year.
We believe that the problem of the unlicensed set is gradually being brought under control but that it still exists. In a special drive in 1948 the huge number of 70,000 people were discovered without licences. In a similar drive in 1952 the number was 30,000. We believe the number to be now much smaller. We must, however, try to eradicate that unfair position under which some people are paying for the radio entertainment of others and those who still have sets without licences should take warning that the Post Office inspectors must follow them up in the near future. They would be well advised to anticipate that by taking out licences now.
As far as the programme improvements are concerned it is scarcely necessary to outline them to the House or to listeners because, unlike the work of most other State Departments which is, so to speak, done behind closed doors, there is a glare of publicity about broadcasting which makes good or bad work immediately apparent to everybody with a turn of the knob. I hope the House and licence-holders who are, in that way, as well aware as I am of what Radio Éireann is doing for their entertainment and education will agree that the improvements mentioned here last year are being continued and developed.
The broadcasting authorities have made special efforts to provide more attractive variety programmes which is a task of the utmost difficulty for most broadcasting stations. The more serious types of programmes have not, at the same time, been neglected, and series such as the Thomas Davis lectures have been continued as well as dramatic productions of the best types.
I have referred to the developments effected in the news service in Irish. For the better production of programmes of traditional music and folklore an additional full-time officer has been appointed with expert qualifications.
I should like to mention specially the series of programmes for children which has been broadcast since the opening of the station was brought back from 5.30 to 5 o'clock. These are not addressed to schools, which are not open at that time, but they offer a valuable adjunct to school work by providing entertainment and instruction in Irish and English with a sound national character. They could profitably be listened to by adults as well as by children.
I have no further progress to report in regard to the provision of a headquarters building for broadcasting but considerable improvements have been or are being carried out in the existing accommodation.
A scheme of reconstruction work is about to begin in the Phoenix Hall from which the orchestral concerts and many other musical programmes are broadcast. We hope that the new broadcasting studios in course of erection in Cork in the new School of Music building will be ready for occupation before the end of the financial year.
I have some trepidation about mentioning Cork in connection with broadcasting because I know that before this Estimate is through the House I shall be hearing a renewed demand from the Deputies from Cork, united as one man, for the provision of a Radio Eireann Orchestra in Cork City. I may as well, therefore, anticipate their demands and explain the broadcasting side of the picture. The upkeep of the orchestras that we have already is a heavy task for a small country, although I know I shall be told that some small countries do more in that direction than we do. The symphony orchestra throws a particularly heavy burden on the broadcasting service of a small country such as ours, because Radio Éireann could really do with the part-time services of a symphony orchestra, if one were available outside Radio Éireann. There is no such orchestra in the country, however, and broadcasting has, therefore, to carry the cost of a full-time orchestra.
By maintaining an orchestra of this kind, Radio Éireann is in fact providing the country with a national orchestra, which, of course, does valuable work for the dissemination of good music, but it is work which is not exclusively broadcasting work in the strict sense. Cork benefits from the broadcasts of this orchestra as much as any other part of the country, except Dublin. Because the orchestra has to have a headquarters somewhere, Dublin undoubtedly derives particular benefit from this orchestra inasmuch as the citizens of Dublin and visitors to the city can be present at the live performances. We try to give Cork and other parts of Ireland opportunities of hearing the orchestra. These visits cost money to Radio Éireann as well as to the local organisers and may also be said to be outside the real functions of a broadcasting organisation, which discharges its duty when, in the matter of orchestral music, the orchestra is put out over the air.
Radio Éireann has also a light orchestra which, although not as expensive as the symphony orchestra, is still a relatively costly affair. It has been suggested that this orchestra should be transferred holus-bolus to Cork. I want to show that that is impossible. The light orchestra is one of the props of the broadcasting service. It contributes a great deal of music on its own to the programmes of Radio Éireann and performs in conjunction with the Radio Éireann Singers and other vocalists and variety artistes in a multiplicity of shows that can only effectively be organised in Dublin. The light orchestra could not be taken out of Dublin without detriment to the whole structure of the Radio Éireann programmes. Apart from that, it would not be a job to my liking to uproot a whole combination of people who have their houses and families in Dublin and transfer them elsewhere en bloc.
If a third orchestra is to be provided, a question immediately arises as to its functions and as to where the money is to come from. Radio Éireann has limited finances, limited time on the air, and some urgent needs that it will take a good deal of money to satisfy. Music is already filling a large part of the transmissions and it is not easy to see how room can be found for any more, without encroaching on other features for which there is often a greater public demand. A new orchestra in Cork financed by Radio Eireann would have to justify itself in terms of regular broadcast programmes.
This, I can see, would create a problem for Radio Éireann. It would create another problem which is bound to have repercussions in Cork in that most of the players for this extra combination would have to be imported. I am not opposed to Cork having an orchestra. I want to make that very clear. Like my predecessor, I believe that with the progress of broadcasting, especially when we reach the point of having a second programme, this will be a natural development. Meanwhile an important step is being taken in Cork in the provision of the new studios. We shall have a programme staff there, who can tap the local resources of Cork and the South, and provide live and recorded broadcasting of a miscellaneous character, in a way that was not hitherto possible.
I would not be averse, if the money could be found, to an arrangement whereby Radio Éireann and the Cork vocational authorities would jointly finance and benefit from the presence in the city of a number of players of distinction. Between the school of music and the broadcasting studios, musical activities could grow in Cork and, as local material became available and Radio Éireann's own programme possibilities expanded, the enlargement of this group could be undertaken more rapidly.
I may mention here that since I have prepared this statement I have had a development in the form of the presentation of a petition from the citizens of Cork, presented through the medium of their Deputies and the Lord Mayor, Deputy McGrath. I have read the grounds to be put forward by this petition and I may say that they have opened up new possibilities. There are certain proposals contained in it which are well worthy of consideration and I will bring the matter before the Government for their close as possible consideration before I reply to Deputy McGrath.
The new 100 kw. transmitter at Athlone was put into regular operation on the 17th June. While the old transmitter, which was probably the oldest of its kind in Europe, was still operating faithfully and sending out a good signal it is hoped that the more up-to-date installation will give a signal of more clarity within the service area.
It is appropriate to mention here the question of interference which is giving many people serious concern. I should first refer to local interference, that is, interference caused by electrical apparatus of various kinds in the local areas. We have a staff continuously investigating the causes of such interference on the spot and fitting suppressors where requested but much can be done locally by wireless dealers and owners of electrical apparatus by arranging between them to suppress offending equipment. We are hoping to be able to arrange for a conference of all interests concerned in this question of local interference with a view to getting new electrical apparatus suppressed against interference before it is sold.
I should say, however, that a great deal of the trouble in reception is at present being caused by interference from foreign stations. It must be admitted freely that the position about interference between stations in Europe is most unsatisfactory and unfortunately there is no ready-made solution for it. The number of wavelengths in the medium-wave band cannot be increased and it cannot be expected that broadcasting services in any country will close down any of their stations to improve the situation for some other country. This matter has been seriously exercising the minds of broadcasting engineers during recent years and after considerable experimentation the use of V.H.F. broadcasting transmitters is being looked upon as at least a partial solution for the congestion in the medium-wave bands. The German radio depends mainly on V.H.F. transmissions and the B.B.C. recently inaugurated a V.H.F. service to improve reception in Britain and proposes to extend the number of such transmitters in the period immediately ahead.
We have areas of poor reception in this country, particularly in places such as Wexford, which is the nearest point to the continental transmitters, West Cork, Kerry and perhaps some parts of the West and North-West of Ireland also. We propose to make some investigation as to whether the use of V.H.F. transmitters would be a solution for poor reception in such areas, but the investigation will take a long time and even if V.H.F. is considered to offer a good solution for the trouble its introduction would be costly. The scheme would mean the provision of a number of transmitters situated in various parts of the country and connected by land-line to supplement in the areas of poor reception the existing medium-wave stations. It would also involve listeners who wished to get the V.H.F. transmissions in the purchase of an adapter for their existing sets at a cost of some pounds or in the purchase of a new set which would receive V.H.F. as well as medium and short-wave transmissions.
I shall only say a brief word about television. I have had an opportunity of speaking with representatives of the European Broadcasting Union which met in Dublin this year and the general plaint by the representatives of the smaller countries who have television or are about to embark on it is that the cost is a nightmare to them. The proximity of these countries to one another is pressing television on them but, at the same time, exchanges of programmes are easier than in a country separated from Europe by many miles of sea. Happily, our people here have the common sense not to press for the introduction of television because they have an understanding of its difficult problems and I think it may be taken as fairly certain that it will not be introduced until such time as many of its present technical and financial problems have, at least, been eased.
People need not hesitate to purchase sound broadcasting sets. They need only look to Britain with its nationwide television service where they will see that the sound broadcasting service is still being developed to the utmost even by the introduction of V.H.F. broadcasting to which I have referred already.
I have left to the last what is perhaps the most important matter in broadcasting because I have little to say about it at this stage. It is the subject of the future status of Radio Éireann. As the House knows, the comhairle in charge of Radio Éireann was established in January, 1953, for a period of two years. They were appointed as direct servants of the Minister and did not get the legal powers for the operation of broadcasting which are possessed by broadcasting corporations elsewhere. The period of office of the comhairle expired on the 31st December last but they have been good enough to agree to remain in office until the Government gets an adequate opportunity of examining the statutory position of broadcasting. Examination of the matter is going on at present. The existing organisation is working well but there are considerations in favour of giving it a legal basis. This is not the time to go into the matter because it has not yet been fully considered. If the Government proposes to make any change in the statutory position of broadcasting the matter, of course, will come before the House with legislative proposals.
Before I sit down I wish to thank the comhairle, director and all the officials of the broadcasting station for their work during the year. I have not been in day-to-day contact with them because of the policy both myself and my predecessor have adopted of keeping out of the day-to-day working of the station. However, even as a listener I am in a position to know that good work is being done and, of course, I am acquainted with anything of real importance that happens in regard to policy. I am satisfied that Radio Eireann is being run in the efficient and imaginative manner so necessary for a service like broadcasting.
