Pilkington Committee on Broadcasting
Encyclopedia
The Pilkington Committee was set up on 13 July 1960 under the chairmanship of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 industrialist Sir Harry Pilkington
Harry Pilkington
William Henry Pilkington, Baron Pilkington born 1905 - died 1983. Glass manufacturer and former President of the Federation of British Industries but who is remembered politically as chairman of the controversial Pilkingon Committee that produced the Pilkington Report of 1962...

 to consider the future of broadcasting, cable and "the possibility of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 for public showing". One of its main conclusions stated that the British public did not want commercial radio broadcasting and it offered criticism of the existing commercial television licensees.

Pilkington Committee

The members were:
  • Sir Harry Pilkington
  • H Collison
  • Elwyn Davies
  • Joyce Grenfell
    Joyce Grenfell
    Joyce Irene Grenfell, OBE was an English actress, comedienne, diseuse and singer-songwriter.-Early life:...

  • Richard Hoggart
    Richard Hoggart
    Herbert Richard Hoggart is a British academic and public figure, whose career has covered the fields of sociology, English literature and cultural studies, with a special concern for British popular culture.-Career:...

  • EP Hudson
  • JS Shields
  • RL Smith-Rose
  • Elizabeth Whitley
  • WA Wright
  • Professor FH Newark (from March 1961)
  • John Megaw (resigned 5 January 1961)
  • Peter Hall (resigned 27 January 1961
  • Sir Jock Campbell (resigned 2 February 1961)

For Consideration

  • renewal of the BBC Charter;
  • Licence Fee
    Television licence
    A television licence is an official licence required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts...

     funding;
  • extending radio hours;
  • adult education broadcasting;
  • a third television channel;
  • colour television on 625 lines;
  • local broadcasting; and
  • better commercial television regulation.

Television conclusions

The Report, published on 1 June 1962, recommended the introduction of colour television licences and that Britain's third national television channel (after the BBC Television Service and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

) should be awarded to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

. BBC2 was launched two years later. It also criticised the populism of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

 by attacking its American originated acquired programming such as Westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...

 and crime series.

Radio conclusions

The Report recommended that the BBC should extend its activities to the creation of local radio stations in order to prevent the introduction of commercial radio.

Unintended consequences

In deciding that the British public did not want commercial radio, it slammed the door to licences that were being sought by over 100 British registered commercial radio companies. Its immediate result was historic in nature because it inspired both the creation of a trade lobby group for commercial radio, and the establishment of the first British pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...

 station that was financed and managed by dissenting members of the British Establishment. Their commercial radio station was situated outside of British jurisdiction in international waters on board a ship that broadcast to Britain under the call sign of Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...

.
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