The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-07-24
CAMP AICN BY
RADIO DIFFICULT
Experts Say Managers Fail to
Figure on Expense and Limita-
tationS of BroadCasting.
WlNDJAMMER IS NOW DOOMED
Radio Listeners Says Expert, Would
Tune Out Perpetrator of old-Fash-
Toned arangue-PoIiticians
Face New Eituaton.

New York.-Managers of national,
State and local political organizations
who have recently focked forward
with announcements that they intend
ed to make radio campaign" are
doomed to some Disappointment, &C.
cording to opinions expressed in the
offices of the big broadcasting COM
panies Discussion of the subject was
preclpitated by announcements in the
newspapers from William M. Butler,
Republican National Chairman, that
President Coolidge would make few
public appearances during the cam
paign, but devote his speech-making
largely to the microphone.
"That makes it unanimous" said
one broadcasting manager Now
they've al said they're going to do it.
The demand is going to exceed the
facilities by far. and some of them
are going to be disappointed. We
have not only Presidential candidates
and the national campaign to handle,
but we have State campaigns and
others of a more local nature. 1t
simply cannot be done. Radio men
in touch with the various national
committees have found out one thing,
and that is that their officials know
almost nothing about the practical
problems involved 1t devolves upon
us to straighten out the tangle. They
announce they are going to broad
cast, but it is we who will have to
deliver the goods
1t was learned that SO far no def
mite arrangements have peen made by
any of the national committees for
broadcasting. The subject is being
actively considered, however,by the
radio men, who realize the unprece
denied problem they have to face.
They pointed out that national
campaign by radio is complete nov
city There never has been one be-
fore. There are no rules. The rules
will have to be made up as they go
along. Nor are there any data on
hand as result of past experience to
serve as guide to what may be need
ed The whole question will have to
be studied from the ground up.
An Official Of one Of the largest con-
Germs that broadcasts, who Is known
for the broad viewpoint with which he
looks at all the problems Of the indus
try. consented to discuss the subject
for publication provided his name was
not used nor his company identified.
Radio provides an important utility
campaign this man said, land, of
course, we want to make it available
to the greatest possible extent. But
the fact remains that the demands all
the political managers have expressed
would swamp US if we attempted to
fill them. They cannot be filed as
they stand. What we are faced with,
therefore, is the necessity of adjusting
the existing facilities to give the ut
most possible service.
This being a national campaign, Of
course, the national committees are
talking about broadcasting the
speeches of their candidates all over
the country They are faced with
disappointment right there, for that
cannot be done except in very limited
instances.
"The trouble seems to be that the
political managers believe broadcast
ing to San Francisco is as simple as
getting a through telephone wire
there. Those who know radio know
that is very far from the truth.
ut is obvious that a Republican
campaign speech is not going to be
devoted to the merits of the Demo-
cratic Party, nor that the Democratic
orators are going to spend much time
extolling the virtues Of their oppo-
nents. How and where can the line
be drawn in fairness? We don't know
now That is one of the things we
shall have to learn about as we go
along, as we shald have to learn a
good many other things in this unpre-
cedented situation"