At Bay " But why is it called ' commercial
television' ?" enquired my friend from Ruritania.
"Because,' I said, " it will be controlled by private enterprise and partly used for advertising."
" Why then do you not talk about ` the commercial Press' ? "
" That's different," I said : adding, in the hope of creating a diversion, " In America the advertisers' announcements, called plugs, occur frequently and are often in poor taste." " So it is felt," continued the pestilential fellow, " that if something works badly in a foreign country it is certain to work badly here ?" " That's about it," I said.
" In Russia," the Ruritanian pointed out, " broadcasting is a State monopoly. Do you regard their system as satisfactory ?"
" No," I said. " But how do you reconcile • . . " " Stop !" I commanded him with an imperious gesture. " It is a quarter past four." And moving swiftly over to the wireless set I switched on " Mrs. Dale's Diary," fortissimo. He looked rather puzzled, but not much more than he usually does.
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