change in the structure of The Hunt report recommends the introduc tion of cable TV with virtually no restrictions of the kind which apply to the BBC and ITV. The list of things which are not controlled is formidable: no restriction on advertising time, no vetting of proadvertising, no requirement for any sort of balance or variety no requirement to cater for minority tastes or even pretend to put minority points of view, no rationing of films - no restrictions on anything.
Far from being some sort of liberation' of broadcasting authoritarian controls, the ner resun wu oe an endless flood of trash and huge profits for the cable companies.
experience of cable in the United States where there are more than 15 million subscribers) and Canada shows the danger of unregulated cable TV Cable TV is what it SOTOS HKE new televiSIOn channels broadcast OvergroUnd underground cables from a local broadcasting centre (the "head end"), via trunk and feeder cables direct into the home.
Cable TV was invented to service hilly arcas which found difficulty in receiving normal TV signals but the advantage soon realisca was that a single cabie hundred channels. In the USA most systems have 12 channels but new ones must have a capacity of over 20.
At its inception cable the media. The technology of cable TV makes it very versatile - and absolutely tailor-made to reinforce the tight grip of big business on communications.
TV was considered the a service because of the necessity to relay programmes via the head end. Many hopes were therefore raised that cable, being locally networked, could offer local varicty and access for local inand community groups. The franchise for cable networks in the US is controlled by the local authorities, and generally they insisted on "access"
clauses in the contracts. Because of the smallness many of the local systems, advertisers did express a great inLETES Change An important technological altered this general pichowever. Gradually the industry realised that by transmitting satellites to the head ends, the cable system could be nationwide.
Cable thus is gradually los me is local character and becoming a system of nationally networked OTOgrammes. This 1s leading both to a steep rise in INECTESL, and the edging out of local acLC33 Another result is that cable systems are gradualby being take munications communications monopolies.
Cahle systems are extremely expensive to build. It requires huge capital wore to produce the programmes and broadcast them via satellite.
HEAD END Therefore a process of company concentration is Bie americh companies Warner Brothers and the Westinghouse Broadcasting Corporation becoming the field leaders Control is in fewer and fewer (capitalist) hands Line priorities and values of cable networks This especially scrious since cable has the potential to become the major means oy waich we receive news, information, CELCHIOT and conduct business transactions. By Linking pocket size keypad to your TV set, linking the head end to computers, cable enables the viewer to vote in televised opinion polls, DUCE DOES SOBS ask for bank statements and so forth.
Virtually any sort of information can be broadcast to the viewer by cable. One recent innovation on one of the United State's biggest cable networks was a soap opera, the story which was controlled by opinion polls among the be asked questions like: Does this show now need a more sex b) more violence c) an admixture of both?
Home burglar and fire alarms can be fitted to cable TV. and two-way terminals will enable conferences to be held via cable.
The Hunt Report now proposes have restrictions whatever on this extremely versatile technology. However, the TEACHES SCHOO expensive The tre ly CADCISIVE Idea 'free' cable stations, like Italy's free socialist radio stations, is a non-starter.
In the United States over access to cable TV; a whole 'access movement' has developed in the localities. It is gradually being defeated by the stranglehold of big New York. For example in there are 37 channeis on the cable network, and 36 of them are given over to programmes made ouside the area. All the rest - public informaCrammed into the one re tion, education maining channel. Local community programming gets two hours per week.
But the Hunt Report makes no reference to such considerations. Cable will be handed monopolies lock, stock The response of ti established TV channel and in particular the BB has been Alasdair Miln ditecte general of the BBC, ma quite extraordinar statement that the Hur Report had gone a lor way to meeting the BBC Icars — apparently on th basis that cable TV won get the big sporting even like the cup final!
The Tory motto vate industry knows bes being applied to cabl TV with a vengeance. Th monopolies, and in pa ticular, the big America monopolies, will have held day.