Education by Radio (1932)

EDUCATION BY RADIO VOLUME 2. NUMBER 1, JANUARY 7. 1932 Radio Administration— at Home and Abroad Armstrong Perry Director of the Service Bureau of the National Committee on Education by Radio Information gathered by interview¬ ing radio officials of every national government and broadcasting com¬ pany in Europe indicates that the opera¬ tion of broadcasting stations on a basis of public service, instead of for advertis¬ ing purposes, keeps the stations and pro¬ grams in the hands of radio experts, as they are in America. It seems evident that the same executives, engineers, and talent are functioning as would function undpr any conditions. They are the groups which, because of their interest in radio, have risen to positions of leader¬ ship. The main differences between re¬ sults in Europe and those in America are: [ 1 ] Most broadcasting organizations in Europe have assured incomes instead of lawsuits and losses, and many of them are making good profits. [2] The listeners in Europe have plenty of good programs of the kind they desire and are comparatively free from | the advertising nuisance which, in Amer¬ ica, has become so obnoxious that com¬ mercial broadcasters and government officials are releasing publicity stories stating that they are trying to abate it. [3] The listeners in Europe pay, thru their governments and in convenient small installments, much less than the American listeners pay indirectly for the programs which they receive. [4] There is plenty of competition to keep the programs up to high standards but it is based on proper national pride instead of on the desire of commercial broadcasters to secure advertising patron¬ age and exploit the public. The administration of American broad¬ casting handicaps broadcasters, listen¬ ers, business concerns, the press, and governments, according to their own testi¬ mony. This statement is made on the basis of interviews with radio officials, broadcast listeners, business executives, editors, publishers, and public officials representing the United States and each of its states, Canada, Mexico, and every one of the several European countries. American broadcasters handicap¬ ped by short-term licenses — The American broadcaster is handicapped at the start by a short-term license. He must The Department of Ele¬ mentary School Princi¬ pals of the National Education Association urges that educa¬ tion by radio be given imme¬ diate attention by teachers, school officers, and citizens to the end that a fair share of radio broadcasting channels may be reserved exclusively for educational purposes; that the quality of educational broadcasting be improved; that broadcasting facilities be extended to schools and to pro¬ grams for the education of adults; and that the introduc¬ tion into the schoolroom of any radio program, however fine its quality, which is announced or titled so as to gain “goodwill” or publicity for its sponsor, or which advertises a sponsor’s wares, be forbidden by statute. Radio is an extension of the home. Let us keep it clean and free. — Resolution adopted by the Department of Elemen¬ tary School Principals of the National Education Associa¬ tion at its meeting in Los An¬ geles, California, July 1, 1931. invest his money with no guarantee that he can carry on his business for more than a few months. He is attacked fre¬ quently by others who want his privi¬ leges, and he is compeled to spend much money in defending what he believes to be his rights. In Europe broadcasters united and secured concessions from their governments under contracts which will continue in some cases for twenty to thirty years. They developed radio on a sure foundation. Wavelengths are as¬ signed by a voluntary, representative or¬ ganization. Hearings and lawsuits, such as absorb a considerable part of the energy and funds of American broad¬ casting organizations, were not reported in Europe altho no country on that con¬ tinent has as many wavelengths as the United States. European broadcasters have as¬ sured profits — The American com¬ mercial broadcaster depends on the sale of advertising for his income, and is handicapped by the fact that listeners seldom if ever demand advertising. In order to satisfy advertisers he must at¬ tempt to force upon listeners advertising which they do not want. The listener often shuts out the advertising or lets it pass unheeded. Reports are unanimous on this point. Radio advertising keeps many listeners talking against the adver¬ tising instead of praising the things ad¬ vertised. It may prove to be an unreliable source of revenue. Protests of European listeners against radio advertising are so vigorous that it is prohibited in twelve countries and lim¬ ited in seventeen others. Only from five to twenty minutes per day of advertising are permitted in most of these seventeen countries, and it is seldom permitted to interrupt programs. Most European broadcasters receive regular, assured incomes from their gov¬ ernments. Comparatively few American broadcasters have reported satisfactory profits, but in fifteen European coun¬ tries broadcasting officials report profits ranging from “satisfactory” to fifteen percent. Only one country reported a deficit. That was only $25,000, and it was paid by the government. The European broadcaster usually has only the listeners to please. Advertising revenue, if any, is too small to affect [1]