Evening star., 1929-09-06
SHOREPROGRAMS
BECOMING VOGUE
Demand for Chain Time
Forces Broadcasters to
Cut Their Periods.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

BY mAhlAN NODEL'
NEW YORK, September 6 tN.A.N.A).
Shorter program periods, especially
during the daytime and early evening.
are becoming the vogue in chain broad
casting, Both NJ. H. Aylecworth, presi-
dent Of the National Broadcasting Co.,
and Sam Pickard, vice president of the
Columbia Broadcasting System, say that
this trend in program development is
due to an increased demand for net
work time and to the response of present
program sponsors to the demand of the
radio audiences for more diversified
offerings.
The two chain executives are agreed
that half-hour programs, rather than
those of one hour duration, are becom-
ing more and more popular with radio
listeners. Examples are also fast crop
ping up of highly successful 15-minute
programs. The shorter network periods,
while costing more proportionately, ap-
parently are satisfying the program
sponsors as being just as effective as the.
longer periods.
Some Disappointing.
Certain types of programs, of course,
do not lend themselves to half-hour or
15-minute presentation. Dance orches-
tras that go on the air during the latter
part Of the evening usually d1Sappolnt
il they remain for only half hour.
Certain types of concerts, such as SYM
phonies, often disappoint their follow
ers If they are too short.
Mr.. Pickard asserts that skits and
dialogues must usually remain short
subjects If they are to hold the audi
ence. Talks, of course, must always be
kent short The shorter they are the
more likely they are to sustain interest,
according to MIR. Pickard. The time
appears to be near at hand when prac-
tically all the hours of the two Nation
wide networks will have been taken up.
The balance of programs necessarily
will be of sponsored character-that is,
furnished by commercial companies
but fair proportion of sustaining
hours. regularly furnished by the chains
themselves will have to be maintained.
An example of the latter type is the
Walter Damrosch musical instruction
period for reception in schools and
homes every Friday morning. 1t Is now
sponsored by the National BroadcaSting
Co. Another example is the Saturday
on the Columbia chain.
Prepare for Big Events.
Mr.. Aylesworth is arranging with his
companys clients to relinquish their
broadcast periods when great news
events are occurring which lend them
selves to radio description. Thus the
chain is assuring the radio audience
that word pictures of all big happen
ings, such as the forthcoming world
series games, for example, will be Of
fered on the radio.
This chain demonstrated during the
recent arrival of the Graf Zeppelin on
the Western American shore that it was
prepared to offer its news broadcas.s
even at hours when people are presum-
ably not expecting radio entertainment.
The president of the National Broad
casting Co. insists that the radio is no
rival of the newspaper, either in its
news or advertising aspects. Radio
news presentations, he told the writer,
merely whet the listeners appetite for
the more complete reports the news
papers alone can furnish. AS for ad-
vertisipg appeal, the audible will never
replace the visual, according to Mr..
Aylesworth. 9.
ing the element of sales plugging" in
sponsored programs; that is, he would
cut the announcements of the sponsors
to minimum. The rule on their pro-
grams now generally is that announce
nents shall be made at 15-minute in
tervals, and that these shall not exceed
IS seconds in duration.
Place for Announcements.
The sponsors, however, often demand
more frequent announcements and more
time for them, and Mr.. Aylesworth
thinks this detracts from listeners in
terest
Mr.. Aylesworth is now trying to con-
vince sponsors that short, newsy and
tntelligently presented statements at the
beginning and at the end of each pro-
gram are just as effective as long
effusions in the midst of presentation.
He says he is thoroughly convinced of
this himself, and believes such a de-
parture from present practices would
enhance program values considerably
without detracting from the impression
left with the audience of the identity
OF the sponsor.
copyright, 1929. by North American News
paper AllianceD