SP
SECRET .
POLICY COMMITTEE
Paper for discussion on Thursday, September 5th.

CANADIAN TRANSMITTER

1. It is now a matter of urgency to settle what action should be taken upon the proposal to set up a new Short-wave transmitting station in Canada. It will be remembered that the B.B.C. suggested the establishment of a battery of four transmitters to be a link in the Empire chain of transmitters, and to serve as a stand-by in case stations in this country should be put out of action. The cost of setting up such a station in Canada was estimated to be between £200,000 and £300,000, and the running cost to be in the neighbourhood of £50,000 a year, though this would depend on the precise arrangements for control to be made with the Canadian authorities.

2. Two views have been taken on the question of control:

(a) Some have said that full control by the B.B.C. or through the would be essential, though they have recognised that there might be political objection on the part of the Canadian Government or the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

(b) Others have assumed that the objection on the part of the Canadian Government would be so strong that it would hardly be worth while seeking full control, and we should therefore ask for a certain proportion of the broadcasting time to be put at our disposal.

The Dominions Office considered that a suggestion for full control in this country would have no chance of success, and asked that alternative sites, e.g. in Newfoundland or Jamaica, should be considered.

The B.B.C. examined the alternatives but found then unsatisfactory for various technical and operating reasons. If the Canadian project fell through, it would be technically possible to establish a station with similar coverage either in Newfoundland or Jamaica, but such station would be difficult to maintain and operate, and would therefore be much inferior to a Canadian station. The Dominions Office then asked Sir Gerald Campbell, the U.K. High Commissioner in Canada, to sound opinion in Canadian Government circles. Sir Gerald Campbell's reply, which was reported to the Policy Committee on the 12th August, indicated that if all the payment were coming from this country, the Canadian Government and C.B.C. might agree to control by the B.B.C., but so far as he could tell at the time of his report the proposal would not be favourably received. He suggested, however, that we should await the return of Sir Campbell Stuart, then visiting Canada and the U.S. before proceeding further.

3. Sir Campbell Stuart submitted a Report to the Minister on the l6th August, in which he referred to a number of proposals affecting broadcasting, including the B.B.C. proposal for a short-wave station in Canada. It appeared from this Report that neither C.B.C, nor the Canadian Government would object to B.B.C. control of a station erected by the B.B.C. The view of the B.B.C, however, is that the station should be built and controlled by the Canadian authorities, it being understood that the U.K. would have free use of a certain part of the broadcasting time available; the B.B.C. would provide such engineering advice as was acceptable to Canada, and such programme staff as would be necessary to handle the U.K. share of the broadcasting time. This view, which was not put clearly to the Dominions Office, in the early stages of the discussion is based on political grounds and on the practical ground that in any case the programme would have to be provided and operated by Canada and by C.B.C. Sir Campbell Stuart, on the other hand, says quite definitely that the Prime Minister of Canada, would be unwilling to accept responsibility for Canadian ownership in any form.

4. The passage in Sir Campbell Stuart's Report on this point is as follows: “I did not see the text of the cable (putting the B.B.C proposal in its original form) though the High Commissioner discussed its contents 88 - 2 -with me Later, however, while still at Ottawa, I went into the matter

and received a final assurance from the Canadian Government that they would raise no objection to this arrangement as outlined by me. One of the arguments I put forward with success was the importance to the Empire's war effort of the reserve wireless station which could at need supplement, or be substituted for, the service of the B.B.C. The proposal, that is, was on the basis of control in this country, which the B.B.C. regard as impracticable.

5. It appears that quite independently of the B.B.C. proposal, certain members of the Canadian Senate have thought of establishing a 50 kilowatt short-wave station under the C.B.C., one of their reasons being that it would enable then to “supplement the international coverage of the B.B.C. in the event of Daventry ceasing to operate”, another that it would permit of Canada “giving publicity abroad to her national resources and tourist attractions”.

Sir Campbell Stuart goes on to mention (in strict confidence) that this proposal was regarded unfavourably by the Prime Minister because he did not see any necessity for the establishment of the station.

6. There is one further point that should be before the Committee, Sir Campbell Stuart while he was in America secured an option on a 50 kilowatt short-wave set which could be erected complete in North America at a cost of some £50,000. The option was due to expire on Monday, the 2nd September, and with the concurrence of the Treasury, the B.B.C. are arranging to purchase the set so that it can be used either for the Canadian project or in some other way. The concurrence of the Treasury has been given subject to an assurance by the Ministry that we regard this transmitter as a vital war necessity, and that without committing ourselves to any changed situation which may spring from the hazards or course of the war, this should be the. limit of our immediate demand for insurance purposes in American purchases.

7. The points for settlement now are:

(a) Whether H.M. Government should be asked to approach the Canadian Government with a proposal that in order to secure vital imperial communications it should share with the U.K. Government the cost and control of a short-wave transmitting centre to be set up in Canadian soil,

(b) Whether, if the Canadian Government adheres to its view, as reported by Sir Campbell Stuart, we should undertake the responsibilities of building and operating such a station ourselves.

3rd September. 1940.