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June 6, 1931
AMERICiiN PLiiU IS BEST (Continued)
divided the use of all the broadcasting wave lengths between 200 meters and 550 meters, xvhicli we use in the United States, But, in addition, they ere using 12 long wave lengths between 1000 meters and 2000 meters. They are broadcast¬ ing on these wave lengths because they can be heard in daylight just as far as at night, and, in my judgment, sooner or later we will find it desirable to use these wave lengths for broadcasting in America.
"That is one of the subjects that the radio delegations were discussing in Copenhagen last week when I talked with them there. It will come up for deci¬ sion in Madrid in 1932. But, even with these 26 nations using all these wave lengths, there is a great waste of radio facilities. For instance, England with 10 wave lengths and 17 stations only gives two different programs for En¬ glish listeners, one a national, and one a local program. Germany ?/ith 23 wave lengths and 16 stations only has two German programs available to her German listeners. Sweden v/ith 22 stations, 1100 miles in length, only has one program.
"Vfhat does it mean? It means that radio listeners of every country in Europe tune in regularly on foreign stations. They do this especially for music programs because music is the one language that needs no interpreter. Music is understood by all, and I cannot but believe that when the people in their homes throughout Europe listen to the great symphonies and operas which they love, coming first from one country's capital and then from another, that these old national hatreds and even the bitter memories of past national quarrels fade into insignificance, and slowly but surely there will grow up a better international relationship in the minds of these people than would ever have existed without radio.
"But of course there are still twenty-six nations v;ith twenty-six systems, each using radio to foster national ideas, and national pride, and that is the insurmountable barrier, in my judgment, to the highest development and best uses of radio broadcasting in Europe.
"With all the overturning of royalty here and all the overturning of parlia¬ mentary government in Europe, and all the embracing of democratic ideas of govern¬ ment by all peoples, their traditional habit of go \ernment as coming down from above is strikingly illustrated in their attitude regarding radio. They take what the radio authorities give them. They know of rnthing better. They have no means of learning of anything better because there is no chance for the ini¬ tiative of the individuals to show them or for the competition and the new pro¬ gram features to develop such as we have used in America.
"The great trouble with radio programs in Europe is that they are stiff; they are formal; they are government-made. They lack the human element and they are too heavy and serious. In England they don't begin radio programs until 10:30 in the morning and often there is no program on for hours. For whole hours in the afternoon in all London, ^'ye , in all England, no radio program can be heard; while programs in Germany begin at 7:00 a.ra. as they do in Sweden and Denmark, with exercises, in Germany they stop at 8:15, and they don't broadcast until 11:00. In Sweden there is no broadcasting from 2:00 to 5:00 in the after¬
noon