Radio broadcast .. (1922-30)

Radio Broadcast graphs would be substantially increased by offering them on time payments, or on a club plan. This is bound to follow at a very early date in the radio business; as a matter of fact, it is being done at the present time to a modest extent by a number of enterprising merchants. Of course it is needless to state that just as the phonograph business was not confined exclusively to the phonograph and the musical trades, but was merchandised frequently through the sporting goods shop, the hardware shop, gas and electrical companies, jewelers and the like, so radio will be handled by a miscellaneous line of trades; but in the course of a very short time I am of the opinion that we shall see the bulk of the radio trade, that is with reference especially to the completed sets, handled through the phonograph and musical trades. SELLING OF RADIO NOT YET WELL DEVELOPED IT IS only natural that in view of a quarter of a century of experience in the phonograph and musical trades, I am partial to this particular field. But I am certain that an unbiased observer acquainted with the situation would be convinced that as soon as experienced merchandisers take the time to survey the radio business it will require more than the fullest capacity of all radio manufacturers in the country to cope with the demand and requirements. I truly do not feel that the radio business has been seriously taken into hand up to the present time. There are very few firms who are in a position to do it full justice; and if other lines of trade had been conducted in the way that the radio business has been conducted during its early days, they would never have had the success of such trades as the automobile, motionpicture, and phonograph industries. During the past season it has been diffi cult for many interested buyers to locate a responsible merchant through whom they could secure guaranteed radio apparatus, although a great number of little merchants profess to be radio dealers and in the majority of cases confined their efforts and display to an assortment of miscellaneous parts for the "build-your-own" customers. This was undoubtedly prompted by the shortage of completed sets during the early days, and by the great interest of the younger generation, who were educated to build their own because of the extraordinary emphasis laid upon the great difference between the cost of the completed set and the cost of the parts required to make a similar set at home. This feature of the radio business, however, is rapidly passing, in the writer's opinion, and 1 do not under any circumstances recommend this class of merchandising for the musical industies. It is distinctly a separate business and may be handled by such wide variety of merchants, embracing everything from the junk dealer, hardware store, electrical store, electrical contractor, to the department store, but in no case does this feature of the business belong in the musical trade. That the radio business will come into its own, and be embraced principally by the musical and phonograph trade during the coming winter, I am firmly convinced, although a number of the better electrical firms which have all the elements required to merchandize and service radio properly, will also secure their share of the trade. In our organization we have developed a complete service training school, in charge of competent engineers, and we recommend to all merchants that they send their salesmen and service department men into our laboratory, without cost, to secure the necessary training for the proper exploitation, sale and service of radio receiving sets. What Would You Like to Have in RADIO BROADCAST? The editors would be pleased to bear from readers of the magazine on the following (or other) topics: 1. The kind of article, or diagram, or explanation, or improvement you would like to see in RADIO BROADCAST. 2. Wkal has interested you most, and what least, in the numbers you have read so far