Consuming Interest
Too Much Too Fast By LESLIE ADRIAN [As] ‘s,cek, after two years' careful considera- tion, the BBC at last did its bit for the consumer with a short talk on the Home Service and a half-hour programme, (–twice, on television.
['Delighted as I am to welcome anything on as large a scale as this because. of course, If 'hich?, Vlopper's Guide, this column and one or two others like it are preaching more often than not to the converted and ought to be reaching the.multiludes of less discerning people than you, dear reader—I found both programmes very disappointing. Least of all did I expect to find two such experienced people as Mrs. Wyndham qoldie, editor, Of Choice and the pioneer and inspiration of BBC television features generally. and Mr. Camacho, in charge of the consumer talks on radio, failing to communicate by trying communicate too much.
This N■ as the first and immediate impression 91 both programmes and it was the result of the !MC trying much too hard to keep on the right $.4.1e of all the interested parties who might have Objected to the programmes. It meant, for ex- ample, that even that master diplomatist, Richard bimbleby, read every word of what he had to Say from cards held in his hands, just in case he got himself or anyone else into trouble by flaking a single mistake. (Even so— he read maximum value. for 'maximum volume' at one Point.) It also meant that he had to reel off the names, prices, country of manufacture and reference numbers Of thirty-six different transis- (ft' radio sets—,and at a speed which made it quite impossible for you or me (or your secre- tary 01' mine) to note them down even in short- hand.
It's all very well for Mrs. Wyndham Goldie t() say, as she did in an article in tbd Radio !roles, that 'At no point will responsibility and t.uthenticity be sacrificed to gimmicks.' You don't have to resort to gimmicks to make yourself clear—as the advertisers on commercial tele- vision discovered long ago and as Mrs. Wynd- ham Goldie knew long before that.
Both the radio and television programmes Went to such lengths to avoid trouble that they failed to do even as little as they set out to do. I he radio talk was nothing more than a had precis ('bad' because it was bad radio) of an already published report. The television pro- gramme was so cluttered with information that no clear conclusions could be drawn from it.
This, it seems to me, is no way to perform a public service, which is what the BBC, in its admirable tradition, is trying to do. Of course, it would be a great advance in the public in- terest if the millions who watch television and listen to the radio and who do not yet read the consumer magazines or the Spectator were per- suaded to choose and not merely to buy. The BBC can achieve this, and may do yet, if it will be a little bolder and a little less high- minded. Mrs. Wyndham Goldie really ought not to have given us quite such a dull programme (she yarned us in advance that she actually wanted it to be dull). After all, Fve enjoyed writing this column for the past. five years. I dare say a' few people have enjoyed reading it occasionally. And I've not been involved in a libel case yet.
What the first programmes for the consumer on radio and television have proved is that the reports of the Consumers' Association in Which? and cf the Consumer Advisory Council in Shopper's Guide arc much better presented in those magazines than they, were last week on radio and television. The result, I hope. will be. not only that the BBC may do better pro- grammes: but that thousands of people who never thought that, as consumers, they needed protection from anybody, will now become sub- scribers to the consumer magazines.
What that will prove is that it's cheaper for Which? and Shopper's Guide to advertise on the BBC than on commercial television. Good luck • to them.
You may or may not 'be a businessman inter- ested in exports or a newspaperman or television reporter liable to fly at short notice to Dallas, Lima, Canberra or Warsaw but, in cas' you ever do need quick service out of office hours for this sort of travel, you should know about the service provided by L. W. Morland (SLOane 5101) in addition to its normal travel agency services.
Mr. Cavendish of Morlancrs has started a twenty-four-hours-a-day service which makes it . — . possible for you to reach him or his deputy by telephone at ten o'clock at night or three in the morning if necessary. You call Morland's office number, and the GPO will give you the home number of Mr Cavendish or his deputy.
Let's suppose you want to fly to Cairo as soon as possible. Mr. Cavendish has an arrangement with the airlines whereby they will issue tickets to him on the authority of his or his deputy's word of mouth (the paper work follows through later, of course). When you check in at the air terminal or airport your ticket will be waiting for you and so, if necessary, will an exchange order for excess baggage. Foreign currency will be waiting for you at one of the banks at the air- port.
There is, of course, the problem of passport, visas and health certificates. If you're a regular traveller the chances are you already have these. If you're not, Mr. Cavendish, like every- one else, has to operate within the working hours of the embassies and the Passport Office, but, since he has moved whole opera companies, orchestras and a ballet company round the world, he should be able to send you on your way with- out much difficulty or delay.
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