Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
Behind the MicrophOne
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.
Building, New York City, will
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Persistent use of so-called
canned music" may ultimately
result in the deterioration of radio
broadcasting programs unless
checked by Federal action, Is the
belief of Commissioner Harold A.
Lafount.
Increased use of photograph
and mechanical methods Of re-
producing entertainment have
created an alarming situation
among the smaller broadcasting
stations throughout the Central
West. In a statement made pub
lie last week, Mr.. Lafount poin..s
out broadcasters selling time to
advertisers can quote such low
prices that the merchant will
choose the inexpensive station.
rather than the one which spends
considerable time and money for
original material.
while the broadcasting Of mu-
sic performed through the agency
of mechanical reproductions, such
as records or perforated rolls, is
not in itself Objectionable, the
failure clearly to announce the
nature of such broadcasting Is, in
some instances, what is in effect a
fraud upon the listening public.
I'm view of the scarcity Of chan
nels these valuable Government
franchises should be used in such
a manner as to render the broad
cast public service"
A general order issued by the
commission two years ago requires
broadcaSting stations to designate
whether or not So-called canned
music" is being transmitted. The
basic reason back of the commits
sion's diSapproval of such pro-
grams is that such reproductions
are available to the general public
and their broadcast does not offer
them any more entertainment
than could be obtained through d
standard photograph or piano.
"a station which devotes the
main portion Of its hours Of oper-
alton to broadcasting such phOno-
graph records is not giving the
public anything which Is cannot
readily have without such a sta
ton" says the statement. IF the
station is located in a city where
there are large resources in pro-
gram material the continued oper-
alton of the station means that
some other station is being kept
out of existence which might put
to use original program material.
"Of course, the situation is not
the same in some OF the smaller
towns and farming communities.
where frSt-claSs original pro-
gram resources are not available.
Ingenious and subtle methods
are often resorted to by broad
casters to hide the fact that me-
chanical reproductions are being
used. But the most alarming fea-
ture of the situation is the fast
that stations using phonograpl
records. which are sponsored by
advertisers. are able to quote such
low prices that other stations us
ing original material cannot COM
pete with them.
THE result is there is a decided
drift of advertisers apparently to
stations offering low advertising
prices because of the extensive use
of photograph records, so that
there is a grave danger that the
present high-grade original pro-
grams Of stations not connected
with chains NAV soon be seriously
hampered for lack of Sponsorers.
Because of the fixed Govern
ment policv not to tax listeners"
continues the report. broadcast
ing in this country depends to 9
large extent upon revenue from
advertisers. If the advertiser feels
he can get fair results from a
small outlay by sponsoring phono-
graph record programs then he is
not in the market as a sponsorer
for original programs with high
educational value.
UNLESS this situation is rem
edied broadcasting programs will
RAPIDLY deteriorste in this coun-
try"
Most radio listeners know Lois
Bennett--that is, they know her
voice, heard frequently in various
programs on both the Columbia
and National chains.
She now appears before the
microphone as the Quaker girl in
the Armstrong Quakers' program.
In the past she has featured hours
sponsored by Fada, La Palma, Dr..
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