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The long-awaited report of the Television Committee was published towards the end of last week. It will be remembered that this Committee was appointed by the Postmaster-General in May, 1934, with the following terms of reference:-

To consider the development of Television and to advise the Postmaster-General on the relative merits of the several systems and on the conditions under which any public service of Television should be provided.

The report naturally goes into a good deal of detail which it is scarcely necessary to include in at summary here. There are, however, several points of outstanding interest contained in the report which will be briefly referred to.

The Committee makes it clear that the present 30-line broadcast television system is not suitable for a regular public service, although it is acknowledged that it has served a useful purpose so far. The recommendation is therefore made that the existing low-definition broadcast should be maintained if practicable for the present but that it might reasonably be discontinued as soon as the first station of a high-definition service is working. It should then be a matter for an Advisory Committee, which it recommends should be set up to guide the development of television broadcasts in the early stages, to recommend whether or not low-definition broadcasting should continue in addition.

High-quality Transmissions

It had been generally supposed that 180 lines might be recommended as a starting-off point for the new service. It is interesting, therefore, to find that the Committee recommends that a beginning should be made with 240 lines per picture, with a minimum picture frequency of 25 per second, and that the possible use of an even higher order of definition and a frequency of 50 pictures per second is not excluded. It is stated that the price of receivers to the public is expected to be between £50 and £80 at the start, although when receivers are made on a large scale under competitive conditions this price may be expected to come down substantially.

The Committee has been quite definite on the point that the proper authority to undertake the transmissions should be the BBC, giving as one reason the fact that sound is an essential adjunct to television and that sound broadcasting is already a BBC monopoly. It is, however, stated that whilst it is thought that the British Broadcasting Corporation should exercise control of the actual operation of the television service to the same extent and subject to the same broad principles as in the case of sound broadcasting, the initiation and early development of this service should be planned and guided by an Advisory Committee, to be appointed by the Postmaster-General. Since the report appeared, the Postmaster-General has appointed such a committee, which is to be composed as follows:-

• Lord Selsdon (chairman).
• Sir Frank Smith, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (chairman of a technical sub-committee).
• Col. Angwin, Assistant Engineer-in-Chief of the Post Office.
• Mr N Ashbridge, Chief Engineer of the BBC.
• Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Carpendale, Controller of the BBC, and
• Mr F W Phillips, Assistant Secretary of the Post Office.
• Secretary, Mr J Varley Roberts, of the Post Office.

The Televisicm Committee. Left to right: Sir John Cadman, Lord Selsdon (chairman), Mr F W Phillips, Mr J Varley Roberts, Mr O F Brown, Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Carpendale, Mr Noel Ashbridge, and Col. A S Angwin.

The report explains the necessity for the use of ultra-short waves for high-definition transmissions, and points out that at present there should be no difficulty in the choice of suitable wavelengths in the spectrum between 3 and 10 metres for public television, although in allocating such wavelengths regard must be paid to the claims of other services.

Limitations of Range

The transmitting stations should be situated at elevated points, and it is. mentioned that the mast at present used in Berlin is about 430 feet high, and the question of employing masts of even greater height is under discussion in Germany.

It is stated that experience both here and abroad seems to indicate that these ultra-short waves cannot be relied on to be effective for a broadcast service much beyond what is commonly called optical range. Generally speaking, it is at present assumed that the area capable of being effectively covered by ultra-short-wave stations is, a radius of approximately 25 miles, whilst in hilly districts this may be considerably reduced. But, nevertheless, it is thought that with the erection of ten stations it should be possible to provide a service for 50% of the population.

The Committee is quite emphatic in recommending the PMG that there should be no delay in starting a service, and that at first station should be set up in London, and other stations as quickly as possible thereafter, each new station to take advantage, as far as possible, of any new developments which may take place in the mean time. Having examined the systems of all those who were prepared to demonstrate, the Committee recommends that in the first instance the Baird system and the Marconi-EMI system should both be set up to operate a London transmitter alternately, and that the nature of the transmissions should he such that the same receiving equipment should be suitable for the reception of both with minor, it any, adjustments.

No Receiver Monopoly

The Committee considered that the establishment of a Patent Pool which would include all television patents, so that the operating authority could be tree to select from this Pool. whatever patents it was desired to use for transmission, would be the ideal solution, but the Committee explain that they were compelled to abandon the idea that the formation of at comprehensive Patent Pool should be a condition precedent to the establishment of a public service, although. they maintain that in the interest of the trade itself and the public such a Pool should be formed. They express the hope that events will shape themselves in such a way as to lead to the formation of a satisfactory Patent Pool at no distant date.

Having agreed that the Baird Company and the Marconi-EMI Company should both be given the opportunity of supplying apparatus tor the London station, it is recommended that besides any other conditions imposed, acceptance of offers should be subject, in each case, to the following conditions precedent:-

1. The price demanded should not, in the opinion of the Advisory Committee, be unreasonable.
2. The British Broadcasting Corporation to be indemnified against any claim tor infringement of patents.
3. The Company to undertake to grant a licence to any responsible manufacturer to use its existing patents, or any patents hereafter held by it, tor the manufacture of television receiving sets in this country on payment of royalty.
4. The terms of a standard form of such licence to be agreed upon by the Company with the Radio Manufacturers Association, or, in default of agreement, to be settled in accordance with the provisions of the Arbitration Acts, 1889 to 1934, or any statutory modification thereof, either by a single arbiter agreed upon by the Company and the Radio Manufacturers Association, or failing such agreement, by two arbiters - each of the parties nominating one - and an umpire nominated by the Postmaster General.
5. The Company to agree to allow the introduction into its apparatus at the stations of devices other than those claimed to be covered under its own patents, in the event of such introduction being recommended by the Advisory Committee.
6. Transmissions from both sets of apparatus should be capable of reception by the same type of receiver without complicated or expensive readjustment.
7. The definition should not be inferior to a standard of 240 lines and 25 pictures per second.
8. The general design of the apparatus should be such as to satisfy the Advisory Committee, and when it has been installed tests should be given to the satisfaction of the Committee.

The Committee recognises that in the development of the service constant change, at least in detail, may be necessary as improvements are made, and they point out that more difficult situation will arise if a completely new system, requiring a new type of receiving set, should be evolved. It is suggested that no drastic change in the system, necessitating a change in receivers, should be made without reasonable notice being given by the BBC, and that in the initial stages this notice should not be less than, say, two years.

The report discusses the finance side of the problem and recommends that there should be no special television licence, nor any increase in the present amount of the broadcast receiving licence, but that the revenue from this licence should, for the present at least, meet the requirements of the television service.

The report concludes with the Committee's hope that every encouragement will be given to experiment and research in television, both by firms and by private persons, indicating that in their view the establishment of a broadcast television service should not interfere with the granting of licences by the Postmaster-General for experimental transmissions in addition to the regular service suggested by the Committee in its Report.