London Calling Asia (Inaugural Broadcast)
Item
Edited Title
London Calling Asia ( Inaugural Broadcast)
Archivist's Original Title
London Calling Asia (Inaugural Broadcast)
Original description
The inaugural broadcast of London Calling Asia in 1951 is introduced by Major General Sir Ian Jacob, the Director General of BBC's Overseas Service. The program aims to reflect British ideas and activities for audiences in South and Southeast Asia and the Far East, covering various topics such as cultural, scientific, and current affairs discussions. John Morris, the head of the BBC's Far Eastern Service, discusses the format and content of the program.
Transcription
Begins with tolling of bells. Woman speaker announces: This is London calling Asia (Music is played till 0:01:14) 1:15 That music introduces London Calling Asia. The BBC’s new regional program in English for South and South East Asia and the Far East which opens today. Here to speak about LCA is the Director of the overseas services of the BBC, Major General Sir Ian Jacob. 1:36 Good Evening. want to tell you why we are starting this new program and what we hope to make of it. Up to the present, we've had several English programs for all audiences in different parts of Asia. There has been the English half hour, broadcast in the BBC’s FE Service, and there have been English language programs addressed to India, Pakistan and Ceylon in the Eastern service of the BBC. We have for some time thought that we would do better for our English speaking audiences in Asia if we replaced the separate programs by a new one, to which we are giving the title LCA. It will be directed by John Morris the head of our Far Eastern Service, who has just returned from an extensive tour of SEA and the Far East. LCA, will be on the air, everyday at 13:15 GMT. It will last for 45 minutes and we hope that you will find it easily audible throughout the countries of South and SEA and in the Far East. Many of you know that the General Overseas service in English, which is a World Service mainly intended for English people abroad, can also be heard in Asia. But the new program, LCA, will be composed of items of particular interest to those inhabitants of Asia who understand English, and will thus serve a special need which the General Service cannot meet. The new program will not include any news. Because there is already a world news bulletin everyday at 1300 GMT in the General Overseas Service. That is 15 minutes before LCA starts. And you will be able to listen to that. 3:46 Let me tell you a bit more about what we hope to do in LCA. In the first place, I would like to remind you, that the BBC tries in its programs to reflect the ideas and activities of people in Britain and stimulate understanding between the people of Britain and the people of distant lands. 4:09 We therefore intend to try and interpret to our friends in Asia, the various trends of British policy and thought on current affairs and to project the different aspects of life in Britain today. We shall give you reviews of the British press and commentaries on international affairs. We shall give you a weekly review of material relating to Asian affairs which have been published or broadcast in Britain. We shall bring representative men and women in Britain to the microphone to give their views on a wide variety of subjects, including literary and scientific topics and accounts of important events in the social, academic and cultural life of Britain. We hope in this way, that LCA will build a strong link of friendship and understanding between the people of Britain and the people in the Asian countries who can hear the program. It will also help to link the peoples of the various Asian countries to each other because, before long we shall arrange radio exchange programs between speakers of different Asian centres. Another plan is to broadcast commentaries about Asian affairs recorded in the studios of the various national broadcasting organisations of the Asian countries. 5:34 Now it is not easy to arrange for a single program to be easily heard over a vast area of the world’s surface. We believe that the new powerful transmitters, recently installed by the British Far Eastern broadcasting service, which will come into operation today, will help greatly to achieve this aim. We have for some time now been testing these transmitters, and the results show that you should get reception far better than we have been able to give it to you in the past. 6:04 We are particularly anxious to know what you think of our new program. We hope you will let us know about this. We want to know whether the time of the broadcast suits you and whether you like the various programs. We want to promote a two way flow of ideas and opinions and receive the views of our listeners. Because without this direct contact, our broadcast will soon become dull and lifeless. 6:35 There are many people in Asia who take a lively interest in affairs and who are eager to hear what life is like in this country. They want to know what new ideas are going forward in every field, and they want to be able to play their full part in the great movement in changing the world. 6:56 It is to these people that we have designed LCA, and I sincerely hope that we will successfully arouse your interest. Good NIght. 7:07 That was MG ICJ, director of the BBC’s Overseas service. You may care to know that an Asian listening panel is being formed to report regularly on LCA programs. If you would like to know more about this panel, or about the new , please write to LCA BBC London England. To LCA BBC London England. 7:49 Today, in place of the advertised press review London Opinion , John Morris, head of LCA is here to tell you about the LCA plans for this week. 8:06 Before I I must tell you what a great pleasure it was to meet so many of you during the tour of which I have only just come back. Well now, as you have already heard from Sir Ian Jacob, LCA one of our chief aims is to reflect the ideas and interests of people in Britain and to stimulate interest and understanding between the people of this country and the people of the various countries of Asia. 8:34 For instance, next Wednesday, that is May the 16th, Sir John Russell, the world famous agriculturist, is going to discuss the food position as he saw it in India and Pakistan as he saw it in a recent visit, which he undertook at the invitation of the two governments. Sir John Russell who went out to advise on agriculture problems discusses among other things, the difficulty of attracting skilled young men into village life. He puts the problem in India in this way: “ You remember what Tagore said .. in the keeping of the village lies the cradle of the race. And it's true, India will always have this terrible food problem until the land holdings are improved and the villages cleaned up and made so attractive that young men will want to go back from their school or college and put into practice the new methods in their own land and things they have learned. Its a a vicious circle. you cant get better farms until the villages are improved, and you can't imrpove the villages until the farming is improved. 9:45 That was an extract from the talk that Sir John Russellwill be giving next Wednesday. He will be speaking by the way, in a the regular feature Wednesday feature called Science and Life. Now another one of our aims in LCA is to interpret the various trends of British policy and thought on current affairs. we shall therefore give you reviews of the press and regular commentaries on current affairs. For instance next Thursday, you will hear a survey of Asian affairs by Michael Lindsay. who was a Professor in Yengching University before the war. After escaping from the Japanese, Prof spent 4 years with the Chinese guerrillas during the war, and about 18 months ago he went back to China again. and he is now a lecturer of economics at the University College of Hull. in LCA on Saturdays, you can hear regularly, reviews of important events in the social, academic and cultural life of Britain. Next Saturday for instance, you can hear an account of the Festival of Britain’s exhibition of Famous books which is at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Also a talk on the interpretation of Hamlet in the contemporary English Theatre, and a review of a recent book on Indian dancing that Ram Gopal and Serozh Dadachanji. And finally, a description of the opening of the fun fair which is part of the Festival of Britain's Pleasure Gardens in London. 11:22 And by the way, this music that we are now going to play, will introduce the program every Saturday. 11:30 Music. 11:45 Also next Saturday, Lord Hailsham, I dare say, most of you know him better by his former name Quintin Hogg, Lord Hailsham will contribute to the series I Speak for Myself. In this series, we will continue to invite men and women in various walks of life to come to the microphone and discuss their personal beliefs, or their personal experiences. Now there is a recording of the beginning of Lord Hailsham's talk. 12:16 We live in an age of change, rapid, cumulative continuous, and often violent. Not an aspect of human life, political, material, technical artistic, religious, has not been revolutionised during our lifetime. Not a sign of decrease in the rate of change. On the contrary, if anything, the tempo accelerates. 12:42 Lord Hailsham goes on from that premise, to advance his own views on life today. As I was saying, he will be speaking next Saturday. Well now, that is all I want to say today, except that I do hope that you're going to enjoy these programmes. 13:04 That was John Morris, head of LCA speaking about some of the broadcasts you can hear this week. We continue with today's programme, with question time, the weekly breaks. (?).
Recording date of the original material
1951-05-13
Broadcast Date
1951-05-13
Country Name
Recording place
Resource Language
English
Performer/Speaker
Tags, Keywords
Radio Programme
Inaugural Programme
Archivist Category
Spoken voice
Recording context
Radio Programme
Collection source citation
Holding Institution of Original Materials
Licensing Institution
Accessing Institutions
Copyright Information
Original item number
C653/21
SEAH Identifier
BBC00001
Broadcast Topic
Culture | Agriculture
Description
Inaugural programme of London Calling Asia, part of the BBC's Far Eastern Service, first broadcast on 13 May 1951 and recorded from transmission. The service transmitted daily between 13.15 and 14.00 GMT to South and South-East Asia and the Far East as a complement to English language programmes already being broadcast to these territories by the BBC's General Overseas Service. Recording consists of signature theme, announcements and introductory talks by Sir Ian Jacob (Director General of BBC Overseas Service) and John Morris (Head of Far Eastern Service). Big Ben chimes and signature theme. Introduction of Sir Ian Jacobs: Reviews previous programmes to Asia which the present one replaces. Gives times and duration of programme: there will be no news bulletin. Aims of programme are to "reflect ideas and activities of people in Britain" and will include cultural, scientific, and current affairs talks and discussions. Hopes that Asian friendship for Britain will be fostered by this. Proposals for interchange programmes between different Asian Stations. Description of audience to whom programme is directed. Link: Description of listening panel to the programme and details of how to find out more about it. Introduction of John Morris: Refers to recent visit to Asia. Introduction of part of a talk on agricultural problems of Asia by Sir John Russell. Pre-recorded insert: Sir John Russell on importance of Indian village. Description of talk to be given by Michael Lindsay on current affairs. Details of Saturday programme on cultural matters. Programme signature theme. Mentions Lord Hailsham's inaugural talk in the series 'I speak for Myself'. Conclusion and introduction of Question Time, the next programme.
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Baronet Quintin Hogg | Person | |
 Ian Jacob |
Person | |
| John Morris | Person |