Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-11
RADIO SET CENSUS
URGED BY LEADERS
Value Of Survey Is Attested to by
Governmental and Com
mercial Groups.

A Nationwide census of radio lis
teners and receiving sets, to be under
taken as part of the national census
of population for 1880, Is urged by
leaders in the radio industry and has
the unequivocal support of all interests
identified with the art, governmental
as well as commercial.
Such an accomplishment would be Of
inestimable value to every branch OF
radio. 1t would establish a sound basis
for radio administration and service to
the public, supply the industry with
the information it has long sought for
marketing, give the advertiser or polit-
ical campaigner an accurate account
of the audience he reaches by using q
particular station, and, in effect, show
conclusively to what extent the people
use the radio.
$4,000 Sets Estimated.
At best the only information now
of the country is the result. of haphaz-
ard guesswork The latest Of these es-
Inmates place the number of receiving
sets Of all kinds In the United States
at 9.640,0 900 and the number Of listeners
at 100000 This survey, made by q
leading radio publication, showed that
approximately 100000 of the more
than 100000 homes In the country
are without radios.
The house-to-house census of radio
would substitute for this approximate
data, obtained by valiant but hopelessly
futile efforts, actual statistics. The cost
of the radio census would be negligible,
in the opinion Of its sponsors. The
tremendous organization which takes
the population census could very easily
obtain the additional information for
the radio census, they point out.
BY merely appending two or three
additional questions to the population
census sheet the radio census could be
accomplished, for the population census
itself would provide a portion Of the
information. The radio questions prob
ably would be whether particular
household has a receiving set. If not,
the questioning would end there. Should
It have a receiving set. the second
question might relate to the number Of
tubes in the set. and in that manner 1t
could be ascertained whether the re-
ceiver is a crystal or loud-Speaker type
and whether it IS modern or obsolete.
Information as to the number Of lis
teners for particular receiver naturally
would be had in reply to the popula-
ton census question as to the number
Of residents in the household.
Plan Appeal to Congress.
Plans for the population census now
are being made by the Census Bureau
law census is required every 10 years,
the last one having been as of 1920
Inasmuch as the 1880 census must be
undertaken in that year, there now Is
current report that legislation will be
requested with the special session Of
Congress, which convenes next mouth,
for authorization and an appropriation
for the work. A provision for the radio
census could be included In the legisla-
ton.
The population census has as one OF
its detectives the rrapportionment Of
representation in the House OF Repre-
ticular areas throughout the country.
The radio census, which would divulge
the actual number Of listeners and re.
ceivers in every village and hamlet IN the
country, might precipitate o reappor-
tionment of radio facilities, with the
areas Of greatest radio population af-
forded facilities commensurate with
their needs, and the sparsely radio sec
tions with correspondingiy small facili-
ties. The present radio law provides
for equal distribution OF radio factli-
ties among States and zones, irrespec-
tive Of size Of population, but much
opposition to this provision exists. The
National Association of Broadcasters,
meeting In Chicago, went on record
against the zone system Of adrainistra-
ton, charging that It Is responsible for
the great majority OF evils which have
developed In radio since the passage
Of the law in 1927.
tcspyrisht. 1919. ~ TIE ccnsulidsiea rsess.l