The B.B.C. is so much, and so inevitably, a target
to be shot at that—readers may believe me or not—I hesitate to criticise it. But like other public institutions it profits from criticism, not being so perverse as to treat well-meant comment with disdain. This time I only ask a question. Must the news bulletins be so resolutely and incurably repetitive ? On Tues- day evening I switched on for the nine o'clock news. I heard a summary of the tributes paid to Sir Stafford Cripps in the House of Commons and in all parts of the Commonwealth. That was perfectly right; that was news. But then began what was evidently to be a full résumé of his career. Now Sir Stafford had died the previous evening. Every morning paper had published a full biography of him. The B.B.C., I assume, did the same in its eight o'clock and one o'clock services. Had it to be repeated at six and again at nine ? I missed the news, which I wanted to hear, for, not knowing how long I should have to wait for it while the biography was rendered for the fourth time, I switched off.
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