From the ABC report of 1956/57
At the end of 1956, the ABC was the host organisation for the third Commonwealth Broadcasting Conference, the two earlier Conferences having been held in London in 1948 and 1952. The Conference began in Sydney on 7th November, 1956; and the final Plenary Session was held in Melbourne nsa 2851s November. The Conference was attended by delegations comprising chief executive officers and: other senior members of else staffs of the national broadcasting organisations of Canada,. Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia.
As on previous occasions, the main purpose of the meeting, was to provide an opportunity for discussion of closer collabora- tion among Commonwealth broadcasting organisations; arranging exchanges of programme material, and information, and of exchanging ideas on common prob1ems. Discussion of television occupied a considerable part of the Conference sessions and proved to be of very real value not only to those Commonwealths organisations already undertaking television services, but also to those whirls have yet to begin such S service. Arrangements were made for the fullest possible interchange of programme material and plans for the joint production of programmes were initiated. In the field of sound broadcasting, existing arrangements for programme exchanges, for the use of transcription services, etc., were fully: discussed, and, further specific plans were made for the exchange of material, including programmes for children. All organisations represented will participate in these projects.
The Conference expressed the view that the devlopmene of television should not be allowed to overshadow sound broadcasting, which will continue to have a very important function even avhlesa television is fully established. The delegations exchanged information on a wide range of activities of common interest. They also reviewed and reaffirmed agreements reached at earlier Conferences concerning exchanges of staff, and contractual, copyright and other legal problems were fully discussed. Developments to facilitate collabora- tion in the field of news, particularly eye-witness accounts of current events to supplement basic news sources, were agreed upon.
At each Commonwealth Conference, a Technical Sub-committee is estab lislsed, in addition to the main Conference, and also a Sub-committee in one of the special programme fields. On this occasion the programme activity selected was Rural Broadcasting—an activity of keen interest to all the organisations represented because sound broadcasting and television are a valuable means of disseminating information on ways of increasing food production and the general output of rural industries in all Commonwealth countries.
The Rural Broadcasting Sub-committee made plans for an increased exchange of programme material in that field and also set on foot arrangements for a regular exchange of information among, farm broadcasters throughout the British Commonwealth; the ABC undertook to organise the circulation of information bulletins for the initial two years, and it is hoped that this project will later result in the formation of a professional association.
The Technical Sub-committee covered the engineering aspects of programme exchanges in se-sod broadcasting and television; technical developments in television; recording and transmission in sound and television; shortwave ret-el,. tion, etc. There was, also, it valuable exchange of views on the training of technical staff. At the end of the Conference all the delegations expressed the view that it had been most valuable and that further meetings should be held at more frequent intervals, in order to maintain close understanding and collaboration.
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