We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
134 The Big Audience
program. A breakdown of station operations indicates that in nine cases out of ten, sustaining programs are rejected in favor of local commercial shows, and there is no indication that the stations create any sustaining programs of their own.
Printed criticism and defense of radio have both been largely beside the point because they refer to network programs and to metropolitan areas where listeners have a choice of six or more stations. The quality of local programs naturally varies; but even key stations in big cities fall below network standards. The listener accustomed to the mature handling of news in the New York area can hardly believe his ears when the big Boston stations (owned by or affiliated with the networks) launch into a morning news program with ten or fifteen items of New England news, all petty crimes or small fires and accidents, leaving a few moments for national and international affairs. The tradition that news, especially in the morning, shall be transmitted without bias was steadily violated by major stations in the Los Angeles area a few years ago, and still may be. The equally important tradition that radio shall not be used to foster prejudice of any kind has not been ignored on a national scale since the Coughlin broadcasts ended, but local zealots come perilously close to it. The time limitation on advertising is respected only by network stations, even in big cities; in small communities the bulk and the sour subject matter of the commercials are appalling. Fragile as the code of the broadcasters may be, it imposes at least superficial good manners; but no network code can be forced upon affiliates, and stations independent of the chains are content to stay within the bounds of common decency as construed by the FCC. Deprived of the occasional superior program by the whim of local station owners, listeners outside the range of multiple transmission find that their own regional interests are scantily served except for news items and sports. Even the charitable institutions of the region have a hard time getting anything but routine announcements, and the main currents of community life are either noted in an unimaginative and perfunctory way or totally neglected.