Evening star., 1925-06-07
BETTER PROGRAMS
IN PAST YEAR NOTED
Room for Improvement Seen
Both in Announcing
and Material.
BY CARL III. BUTMAN.

Radio broadcast programs have i'm
proved generally during the past year,
In the opinion of Secretary of Com
merce Hoover, who has become a
regular listener through his interest
In radio as a public service He and
most of his radio experts, however,
admit that there is still room for
improvement in the art of announc-
ing and in the material broadcast
Coupled with decreasing interfer-
ence and increasing power, this fact
tends to better satisfy the listeners in
the United States, even though they
are becoming more critical. Many
complaints of interference received by
the department, however, are believ-
ed TO be the results of poor tuning.
non-selective apparatus or lack of
operating instruction.
Demonstration Favored.
Some officials think radio dealers
would render a material aid to the
radio world If they demonstrated the
proper manipulation of sets sold and
gave purchasers instruction in tun-
ing. Auto statesmen, it is pointed out,
demonstrate their cars and instruct
the purchasers in their operation. 1t
is a question whether the buyer of
regenerative receiver should be per-
mitted to try it out on the air and
the public, when the owner of a tour
ing car is instructed and tested be-
fore driving on the public highway.
Probably it is because he can't
actually kill any one with receiving
set, but he can cause considerable
interference.
ManU other urifb
Mr.. Hoover. David Sarnoff, for one,
thinks this year will show a healthy
development in every branch of the
radio art. He says fans are more
discriminating than they were a year
ago and that they recognize both the
reliable and unreliable manufacturers
and merchants as we'll as their prod
ucts. They are familiar with equip
ment value and its reputation. He
predicts that this year should be a
good year for organizations striving
conscientiously to serve the public.
The greatest problems seem to him
to be improvement in broadcast
transmitters and programs. Instru-
ments for reception, he asserts, are
secondary. The responsible factors of
the industry are coming to realize
that the success of the whole radio
game depends upon it's ability to fur
nish the public with proper and sat
isfactory broadcast programs. Which
puts it directly up to the broadcasters
as a group, this Radio Corporation
official points out.
Lack of individuality.
Other critics, both native and for
eign, think that, while American sta
tions lead in interesting matter broad
cast, there is a tendency toward a
90
Many stations initiate each other,
transmitting similar types of music,
repeating the identical songs and in
dulging in the same style of announc-
ing. Many, stations need new an
nouncers, spokesman who are neither
fresh, conceited or verbose. Less
hokum, less jazz, and more natural !
humor are among the suggestions Of |
fered by fans.
A foreigner compliments us on our |
"chummy" style of announcing. which |
seems to take the listener into the !
studio with the happy broadcasting !
family, as full brother, whereas
abroad too great dignity and formality
leaves the public outside, looking in, |
as it were. Over there the general at
moSphere of the ether is reported a
bit foggy, quite chilly and dismal. |
compared with the good cheer and
brightness of American broadcasting.
With increased power assigned to
many leading American stations, !
which have brought no protests
whatever, and improved programs, it
is felt by nearly all fans that the sit
uation over here is approaching an
ideal one. The only complaint is that
there are too many stations on the
air, but there seems to be nothing
that can be done about that