Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Radio on the Highway THE APPROACH OF SUMMER ISN'T THE death blow to radio that it used to be. Not many years ago, when the hot weather set in, we used to put the loud speaker away on the closet shelf, keep the radio in the front room for a flower stand, heave a sigh, and think, "Well, no more radio until fall." And go outdoors to escape the heat. The strides that radio has made toward being an all-year form of entertainment were impressed strongly on us the other day when we were riding along in the car, listening to the auto radio. It's a relief to sit back and sail along in the cool breeze and laugh at Ed Wynn's wisecracks or be soothed by Lombardo's music. For some reason or other, radio programs have a better taste when you hear them outdoors on the highway. Auto radios have done one thing for certain — they've cut down the number of back seat drivers. We've always thought that a tonneau • pilot got that way because they simply liked to talk and be the center of attraction. With radio in the car, it gives the driver a reasonable excuse to yell "Shut Up! I'm listening to this program." Radio and Politics THE 1932 REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC conventions this month are significant as more than mere incidents in everyday broadcasting. Radio this year definitely takes its place as an important and almost necessary factor in American government. For generations we have depended solely on the Press for our political and governmental news. Our opinions have been largely influenced by printed reports of political activities. And in some cases, the prejudice behind this news rendered it anything but unbiased and uncolored. It is one thing to read a written account of such important gatherings as these conventions, but it is quite another to sit at the radio and listen to the gathering itself. No reportorial prejudice can exist there; only a true, actual reproduction of the words of the men themselves. The establishment of radio as a non-partisan, irreproachable reporter of such important speeches and events directly from the scene of action may well go down as one of the greatest accomplishments towards better government in this century. * * * Sponsored Programs Favored FROM EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION AND listener surveys, the National Broadcasting Company has proven satisfactorily that the American public doesn't mind radio advertisements half as much as is supposed. In every instance, in response to NBC surveys, the great majority preferred those programs that were supported by advertising. Don Gilman, vice-president of NBC, in an address before prominent advertising men, told of a well-known writer, engaged in interviewing the famous persons of Europe over the radio. This gentleman, upon his return to America, had this to say: "I wish the European plan of non-commercial broadcasting could be tried just once over here. It would show Americans how lucky they are to have the system now in operation in the United States." TSew Radio Plays? COLUMBIA IS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO Discover a new type of radio drama. It's about time. So far, only three or four types of plays have been used on the air: dramatization of fiction, miniature dramas adapted from the stage, dramatization of biographies, famous occasions and news. Don Clark, continuity chief of Columbia, is going to try something else. In a new series of programs, which began Sunday, June 12, at 4:00 p. m., is going to experiment until he finds something new in radio plays. "We want to prove that mature radio drama can be produced to hold and intrigue an audience for a half-hour," Clark declares. "It isn't easy. The radio, confined to audible appeal, requires skillful and vivid impressions, fast action, and a swift climax." Nobody seems to know just what to expect, but we'll be looking forward to success in the experiment. At least, it shows that at last, radio is stepping out on its own in search of something that it can claim for its own — that wasn't borrowed from stage, screen, or vaudeville. RADIO DOINGS Page Five