Sin,—Many readers will be grateful to Mr. Norman Collins for
his widely-informative article (July 10th) on what he styles " Competitive " Television. Some, like myself, are intrigued (but not misled) by his emphasis on " competition," whereby he hopes to turn the edge of the real criticism of this proposal. In an age of trusts, interlocking directorships, and restrictive practices, it is indeed refreshing to meet such fervent eulogy of the principle of competition, so conspicuously absent in many large fields of business enterprise.; Mr. Collins removes some confusion of thought, but adds a little. He says that commercial TV is " commercial " only " in the sense in which The Times or the Spectator is so." Why not illustrate by Reynolds or the Sunday Pictorial ? Abler pens than mine have exploded this supposititious comparison. The film industry offers a closer analogy.
Mr. Collins knows perfectly well that the widespread and sincere objection to commercial TV is that it is a purely business venture, conditioned by the need to pay dividends, and that its contribution to " education, information and entertainment "—in short to culture— will not be disinterested. This is not " speculative ": it is a reasonable expectation, indeed a dire probability. Mr. Collins, unwittingly no doubt, is specious and tendentious.—Yours faithfully, J. E. BISHOP.
10 Lingfield Avenue, Kingston-upon-Thames.
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