Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

RADIO Critique of Politics on Radio (Continued from page 8) has almost ceased to be an ADVERTISING SENSATION It has settled down to being an ADVERTISING SUCCESS Share it with CLEVELAND'S PIONEER BROADCASTING STATION *Says FORTUNE the politicians, for radio is probably the most rigidly regulated of industries coming within the purview of the federal government. With so many eyes — and ears — focused upon it, radio has sought to keep all the party leaders friendly by offending none. This year especially it seems to have succeeded, for the accusat i o n s of partisanship so often voiced in 1928 have hardly been heard in this campaign. For radio the campaign has not been a source of great profits, as in 1928 when time on the air was not at such a great premium. For the main part, the parties have purchased the most favorable periods, or time already under contract, which has meant that the regular sponsors had to relinquish their scheduled programs. Naturally those sponsors did not pay for the time they could not use through no fault of their own. But the obligation to recompense the performers engaged for those programs has devolved upon the radio people — a dead loss to them until the latter part of the campaign when they prevailed upon the parties to foot the bills. The lack of professionalism in the staging of the political broadcasts was very marked. One party tried interviews and dramatic sketches that, except for a few bright spots, were noteworthy for their amateurism, sometimes bordering on juvenility. Hours have been selected without regard to "Anyone interested in radio will be repaid for reading this entire book!" — Broadcast Advertising. RADIO AND ITS FUTURE Edited by Martin Codel Twenty-nine acknowledged leaders of radio tell here, in their own words, what they are thinking, what they expect of the future. They present an authoritative and fascinating picture of the present significance and probable development of the radio industry. Broadcasting, television, and how they expect to meet its problems, short wave telephony and telegraphy, manufacturing and selling — every angle of the radio industry and science is graphically described. Among the contributors are David Sarnoff, M. H. Aylesworth, Roy S. Durstine, Lee De Forest, William S. Hedges, etc. "The most interesting, complete and readable publication of this character I have ever seen." — The late H. P. Davis, V. P., Westinghouse Electric and Mfg. Co. FULLY ILLUSTRATED Price $4.00 FREE EXAMINATION COUPON Harper & Brothers, 49 East 33rd St., New York. Please send me one copv of Radio and Its Future, $4.00. I agree to remit $4.00 in 10 days of receipt of book or return it. I enclose remittance of $4.00. Send C.O.D. Name Address Business Connection whether they are favorable for catching the listeners' attention. Even the presidential candidates themselves have not always been presented to the radio audience as effectively as they might have been. Governor Roosevelt comes to office without the experience with radio that President Hoover has had, both as a radio s p e a k e r — though his improved radio style is only a recent development — and as an administrator of the radio industry. Comparing the manner of handling the two candidates on the radio, it must be said that President Hoover's appearances have been handled best, though he has all too frequently overspoken his time. This is directly traceable to the fact that Hoover has insisted upon having the same announcer accompany him. That announcer is Herluf Provensen, of the NBC Washington staff. President Hoover never ascends a platform until a signal is given him by Provensen, who times the entrance so that he (Provensen) can give the audience the descriptive story in sufficient time before he introduces the first speaker. Nor do the speeches start until Provensen gives the signal. Added to this, a special master microphone has been constructed at the President's suggestion, which enables all radio hookups and all recordings for films or disks to come from the same pickup unit without cluttering up the rostrum. Criticisms that Governor Roosevelt's broadcasts have not been handled in so professional a manner have been met by the radio people with the assurance that they would assign any announcer Roosevelt wanted to his entourage, including Provensen when available and if asked for. But no such aid was asked by the man handling the broadcasting of Roosevelt's speeches until the latter part of the campaign when Norman Sweetser accompanied him. I.R.E. Elects Hull DR. LEWIS M. HULL, vice president of the Radio Frequency Laboratories, Boonton, N. J., has been elected president of the Institute of Radio Engineers for 1933, defeating Capt. S. C. Hooper, director of U. S. naval communications, in the recent mail balloting. Dr. Jonathan Zenneck, of Germany, was elected vice president, an honor annually accorded a distinguished foreign radio scientist. Directors elected for three-year terms were R. A. Heising, Bell Laboratories; Dr. Frederick A. Kolster, International Communications Laboratories, and Prof. H. M. Turner, Yale University. C. W. Horn, general engineer of NBC, was elected for a two-year term, and M. C. Batsel, of RCA Victor Co., won the one-year term. MUSIC Corporation of America, Chicago, orchestra booking agency, this year is again circularizing radio editors to vote their selections of orchestras to comprise an "All American Radio Orchestra Eleven." RMA Plans to Promote Stations in Advertising MORE ADVERTISING in the copy of local dealers and jobbers of radio sets as well as manufacturers' national advertising of radio programs was recommended by the Radio Manufacturers Association to its membership following a meeting in New York of its board of directors. This new departure in advertising methods, designed to increase set sales, will play up programs and stations and put less stress on technical features. According to Bond Geddes, vice president and general manager of RMA, the industry also will do its utmost to conduct promotion activities in a way that will benefit the station. M. H. Aylesworth, president of NBC and RKO, suggested that the industry develop radio sets designed to fit harmoniously into business offices. Mr. Geddes said the industry will consider this and other suggestions. RMA has been promised the cooperation of broadcasters in drafting programs of definite appeal to the business man with an office set and to the motorist with a radioequipped auto, he declared. Mr. Geddes said that special efforts are being made to promote broadcasting of athletic contests and other special events which stimulate set sales. Initial work also has been done by the RMA to develop advertising of radio by electric power and utility interests, similar to their present promotion of electrical refrigeration. "Pre-hearings" Started By Manager of CKOK JOSEPH H. NEEBE, vice president and general manager of CKOK, DetroitWindsor, is responsible for an innovation in radio which he calls the "pre-hearing". Mr. Neebe recently decided to emulate the motion picture producers in the matter of pre-views, to which critics are invited. He held a luncheon, attended by Detroit radio editors, after which a "pre-hearing" of "Honey Boy and Sassafras", a new black-face program was presented. The "prehearing" was enthusiastically approved by the newspapermen, who suggested that the idea might well be adopted generally. "Honey Boy and Sassafras' went on CKOK as a daily feature Nov. 7 under the sponsorship of Purity Bakeries, Inc. Although ar newcomer in the north, this act played by George Fields anc Johnny Welsh, was carried bj WFAA, Dallas, for 18 months anc built up a large following in tht southwest. SOUTHERN California Radio Music Trades Association wil spend $5,000 on several Los Ange les stations to stimulate radi< equipment sales, in lieu of the an nual trade show. Joseph V. Guil foyle, one of the first announcer: on WGN, Chicago, succeeds A. G Farquharson, who died late in Oc tober, as secretary of both th radio and music groups and man aging secretary of the combine' organization. Page 36 BROADCASTING • November 15, 1931,