Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29

belief, and thus contribute TO the
improvement of the financially
handicapped rural station.
Only through the use Of re-
Gently developed methods of cleo
trical recording has it been pos
Sible to make records which would
reproduce with sufficient fidelity
for broadcasting. The problem is
that when a disc is transmitted
1t is literally second hand" hav-
ing been recorded on wax, matted
and then broadcast through the
radio tranSmitter. BY the time it
reaches the listener it is third
hand. Because of this repetition
OF reproduction, it is essential that
the original be prepared with the
greatest amount of care to insure
good quality when the program
is broadcast.
While the recorded program
idea has been under conSidera-
ton for more than three years, it
did not gain impetus in its pres
ent form until last month when
several OF the recorded programs
were placed on the schedules of
New York broadcasting stations
as a regular feature.
The large broadcaSting compa-
MES are watching the develop
ment OF recorded programs with
keen interest. Neither the Ma
tional nor the Columbia systems,
however, has made plans for en-
tering the recorded program bust
ness in the immediate future. 1t
Is reported, however, that the N.
B. G. Is prepared to enter the field
upon a moments notice.
Il 4 ~
In addition to census of radio
receiving-Set owners in the United
States, the 1880 Federal census
will include the first complete
Government record ever made Of
radio sales.
The radio census of 1880 is be-
ing made at the direct request of
the Radio Manufacturers AsSoci-
alton, first, to secure data on the
market for radio products; Sec
ond, to ascertain accurately the
radio audience and for radio adj
vertiSing data, and third, to Sc
cure more accurate figures on the
1929 sales of radio products.
The question, Have you ra-.
dio set in your home?" will be
asked in the Government census
Of all heads of families. This will
give data on radio population,
with accurate detail by States and
counties as well as nationally. It
will be of assistance to the Fed
eral Radio Commission, to broad
casting interests and also to radio
advertisers, giving them the COW
erage Of broadcasterS.
The cooperation Of radio own
erS in making the Government
census complete is being urged.
The information cannot be made
the subject of either congressional
or State taxation. This assurance
has come from the Department Of
Commerce and Census Bureau Of
f1cialS. The possibility of taxation
of radio receiving-Set owners has
blocked previous attempts to take
an owners census. The census
law has a specific provision that
the data and information secured
in 1880 cannot be used for taxa
ton purposes. Efforts in Con-
greSS in the past to have a radio
owners census taken, and also
through the Post Office Depart
ment, have been opposed because
Of the possibility of taxation Of
receiving-Set owners, which is OPP
posed by radio industry interests.
The radio owners census also
will give the manufacturers reli-
able data regarding potential
markets in various States and
communities. It will show the
districts where radio is not ex-
tensively used as yet, d,