Evening star., 1922-05-14
GROWTH OF RADIO,
PROVES AMAZING
Broadcasting Stations, Man
-ufactories Periodicals
\ Spring Up.

NEW YORK, May 13-Amazlng
figures, applying to the rapid ex-
pansion of popular and commercial
interest in radio telephony, appear
in the comprehensive survey of radio
in its merchandising and advertising
possibilities, prepared by Arthur
Wiesenberger, director of the bureau
of research and information of the
National Retail Dry Goods Associa-
ton.
Broaticasting stations of the 800
meter wave length number now well
over 100, an increase of more than
SO per cent within less than one
month. Department store broad
throughout the United States have
increased 100 per cent within the one
month period and constitute nearly
IS per cent of the total number.
There are Visited in the report 202
manufacturers of radio apparatus, in
cluding thirty-f plants producing
complete receiving sets, eighty-hve
manufacturers of accessories and
special units for receiving sets.
twenty-three manufacturers of raw
materials and parts used in construc-
tion of radio apparatus, and thirty
four manufacturers of A and B bat
teries and battery recharging devices.
A vast literature of radio has been
born. almost overnight. Nine new
magazines devoted to radio are listed.
Numberless popular monthly and
weekly publications, together with
all trade journals even remotely con-
cerned with the new field of indus
trial and commercial activity. are
,devoting departments to the subject.
Newspapers in all large cities and
thousands in smaller centers feature
radio information for the general
public.
Success Hangs ON Service.
The National Retail Dry Goods
Association survey, entitled Radio
Merchandising in Department Stores"
covers radios Industrial and COM
mercial development to date. The
keynote throughout is that radio can
be made commercially profitable only
In so far as the merchandising of it is
conducted on the basis Of consistent,
practical service to the entire COM
munity.
OF all merchandise. the foreword
points out, radio is essentially serv-
ice business. Radio equipment is SO
varied in nature and use; the radio
art Is still so largely in process of
development and the instruments re-
quired are of construction and adjust
ment so delicate that stores which
would successfully deal in radio goods
must be prepared to give real service
and to stand behind the merchandise
sold. knowledge of the principles of
radio telephony and a sales force es-
pecially intelligent and trained are
Indispensable.
The survey informs the merchant
fully as to the underlying principles
and supplies the latest data compiled
with regard to radio in it's national
aspects. The directory lists all broad
casting stations licensed by the gov
ernment to broadcast, on a 360-meter
wave length. news, music, lectures,
market reports and time signals. and
broadcasting internationally. and occa-
sionally with special programs, on
200 meters. y
1O5 Stations Listed.
These latest figures make it evi-
100-station mark, but is we'll ad-
vanced in the second hundred The
360-meter stations listed number 105.
In the Atlantic seaboard states there
are twenty-eight stations oof $50
meters: in the middle west there are
tharty-six; ip the Pacific coast states.
thirty-six and in the gulf states, five.
OF these government-lfcensed sta
tfons, fourteen are maintained by de-
partment stores. ten by newspapers
leges. with Ohio State University and
the University of Iowa maintaining
each a 2OO-meter station. The 3e0-
meter stations include even one
church-the Church of the Covenant,
in Washington, D. C.
From the merchandising standpoint.
the number, character and location of
these broadcasting stations are of
major Importance, because, as the
survey observes:
See One Radio Per 20 Families.
IF a broadcasting station is To-
Gated in your city, the sale of all
kinds of radio goods will be very
brisk and you can count on at least
one in every twenty families owning
a receiving set within the next five
or six months. If a broadcasting
cinity, the sale of crystal sets''-
ranging in cost from SIS to $40 and
receiving up to twenty-five miles
will not be at all practical. Only
the higher-priced vacuum tube and
arhplifying SETS ranging in price
on" -
Cities having 36O-meter stations In
clude: Atlantic seaboard: Maine-Au-.