Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19
DILL PROPOSES
j. s. RADIO CENSUS
Offers Amendment to Senate
Bill Providing for Count
of Population.

The first legislative step for Nation
wide census of radio listeners and re-
ceiving sets, which would be under
taken as a part of the decennial GEN.
suS of population for 1880, has been
taken by Senator Dill of Washington
in offering an amendment to the bill
now pending before the Senate provid-
ing for the census of population.
When the bill was called up for con-
sideration Senator Dill, ever on the
alert where radio Is concerned, offered
his amendment. 1t provides merely
that a census of receiving sets be un-
dertaken when the population census
is in process. but the listener poll. type
of receiving set and other necessary In
formation so sorely needed by the radio
industry as whole would be automatic
If the amendment is adopted.
Such a census long has been urged
by the radio industry, as well as by all
other interests identified with radio,
governmental as we'll as commercial
Its value to radio would be tremendous,
1t is said; for 1t would establish sound
basis for radio regulation and service
to the public, make available for the
industry definite information on radio
use. and give the advertiser or political
campaigner an accurate account of the
audience he reaches by using a par
ticllar station. In substance 1t would
show in actual figures the extent to
which radio is used by the Nation,
whereas the present knowledge Is
merely based on incomplete and even
''guesswork" data.
Fate Is Doubtful.
It is doubtful whether the Dill
amendment will carry through Con-
Sress. but even if it does not it will
arouse an interest and call attention
to the need for accurate knowledge on
radio. There Is deep-seated opposition,
both within the Census Bureau, which
will undertake the population canvass,
and within Congress, to loading the
census with extraneous matters. The
bureau wants to hold the census down
to population so as to simplify 1t, but
many riders" are proposed, all OF
which admittedly. would serve def
mite purpose but at the same time i'm
pede the basic survey.
Even If the proposal for the radio
census fails 1t Is believed that the Com
merce and Post ONCE Departments
could undertake a survey jointly that
would net the same results. Rural and
city letter carriers could obtain the
necessary information in their routine
calls from house to house, and the In
formation could be compiled in that
way
The only information now available
as to the radio population" OF the
country is based primarily on . guess
work" and estimates. The latest esti-
mate places the number Of receiving
sets of all kinds in the country at
9,64o, 900 and the number of listeners
at 100000. This survey, made by
one Of the leading radio publications,
showed that approximately 10000 600
of the more than $4,000, 900 homes in
the country are without radios.
Extra Work Held Not Heavy.
Proponents of the radio census as a
portion Of the population census point
out that by merely appending q few
additional questions to the population
census sheet the necessary information
could be obtained. The radio question
probably would be whether a particular
household has radio, and, II so, how
many tubes are in the set. The latter
question would divulge whether the re-
ceiver Is a loud speaker or crystal type,
and whether it is modern or obsolete.
Information as to the number Of lis
teners would be available when the pop
ulation census question of the number
of residents in the household Is an
swered.
From the regulation point Of view the
radio census would be invaluable. 1t
would solve the basic problem Of the
number of listeners In particular areas
surrounding broadcasting stations. For
example, the census will show the num-
Der Of sets in city or town and the
number Of listeners, and the commits
sion accordingly could allocate wave
lengths and facilities on the basis OF
radio population" with the areas hav-
ing the greatest number Of listeners
afforded the best facilities and the
sparsely radio populated" areas given
facilities commensurate with their
needs.
Copyright, 1928, BY the Consolidated Press.)