Evening star., 1924-07-11
RADIO TO Feature
NATIONS POLITICS
Westinghouse WBZ Station
Plans PIebiscite Referendum
on Choice for Presidency.

who will be our next President"
Will the people return Calvin Cool
idge as the nations leader for an
other term or will they choose the
candidate of the Democratic party as
their political guide?
These and countless other ques-
tions will be turning over in the.
minds Of the people from now until
November, when the public will go to
the polls. There will be intense in
terest in the coming presidential
campaign and no little anxiety and
waiting among big business concerns
and other moneyed interests through
out the country as well as abroad.
Business policies will await the cleo
tion before formulation. What the
consensus of public opinion is on this
all-important question is OF some
concern at-this season. But how is
this weight of popular sentiment to
be obtained?
Within recent months station WBZ
has participated in the nations most
important political events Of the day,
events which are preliminary only
to the election of the countrys presi-
Dental choice. The WBZ station re-
layed the doings Of the Republican
convention and served thousands of
people over the country with this
news hot from the Cleveland as
sembly hall.
Vote on Democratic Choice.
Then came its novel plebiscite vote
by radio to determine who was the
popular choice for Democratic presi-
Dental nomination. For a week WBZ
pioning the various major Democratic
candidates. In fact, the station con-
Quoted a miniature convention of it's
own. The band was present. The
singers were there. The ballyhoos
were about and listeners must have
had real thrill from the way in
which the unique radio vote was con-
Quoted. The Springfield Westing-
| house station took the lead in this
stunt and no other station in the
| country attempted anything like it.
| The poll by radio proved very sue
ceSsful and votes were received from
many states in the Union.
The Westinghouse broadcastin sta
tion had arranged to have it's poll
close just before the Democratic con-
would be informed of the peoples
choice, at least of that portion of the
public who cast ballots in WBZ's poll.
The poll was closed just before the
New York convention opened and the
results were communicated to all
points by radio and press comment
WBZ then turned on steady
stream of news from the Democratic
convention and stayed with the party
through all of its numerous ballots.
Had 1t stopped here, it's participation
in political matters would still have
been a very active one. but the West
inghouse station at Springfield has
another leader on tap.
Arrnnges Another Referendum.
Complete arrangements have been
made for conducting another plebi-
scite vote by radio on the presidential
| election. This campaign will be on a
much larger scale than the recently
concluded ballot. Speeches for the
two major candidates will be in order
No doubt their champions will be put
on the air for certain period each
night. The entire country will be
asked TO cast ballots by radio. The
tahulation of votes will be under eX-
perienced supervision and each night
| WBZ Will go on the air with an an
nouncement of that days balloting
state by state.
Every effort to enroll the sentiment
of the entire nation will be made by
WBZ, and at the close of the poll 1t is
hoped that the Westinghouse station
can, by the results of its radio poll,
give the country and the world at
large an Indication of what the out
come of the presidential election will
be. WBZs power and it's consistent
ability to reach all parts of the coun-
try assures a large return of votes
and is a virtual guarantee that what
ever president WBZ elects, the result
will be barometer of public opinion.