Schools' T.V. in danger

YESTERDAY BBC chairman Lord Hill gave polite warning that the government will have to find more money if educational programmes are to be expanded or continued.

Speaking at a joint seminar Worke Radducation and shoAssociation, Lord Hill said the Corporation spends about f4 million a yéar on educational which comes out of the licence revenue.

The question, he said, is should it continue to do so?

VHF radio sets for schools and colleges are needed on a vast scale if pupils are to have access to BBC curricular programmes.

These sets are needed because by 1971 educational programmes will be hived off from the national network and put out on the present Radio Four VHF band.

Someone else

This implies big capital expenditure on equipment as well as programmes.

But someone other than the BBC, already heavily in debt, will have to find the money.

'We hope that the government will see the logic of this situation and agree to defray a major part of the cost of curricular educational programmes,' said Lord Hill.

This service is also used by professional people keeping their qualifications up to date.

lhe government is on the spot.

Another increase in licence charges is out of the question in election year.

But to find more money for education in the present deepening crisis is impossible too.

'Unless we get some financial easement ... broadcasting will not be able to play the leading part in those developments that our Schools Broadcasting Council and Further Educational Advisory Council, not say ourselves, are anxious for it to do.' The crisis hits deeply everyThe BBC is in no way immune.

Short of teachers the state educational system is forced to rely more and more on broadcasting.

Then broadcasting itself needs more money—one more sign of the contradictions which make reformism impossible.

DAILY NOW (TEL.: 01-720 2000)