Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21
TO OPERATE
RADIO IN CANADA
Some of Best Minds Approve
Move for Reorganizing
and Matchmaking.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

= Spontaneous, vigorous and bearing
the Endorsement of some OF the pest
minds in Canada Is the movement 1or
the reorganization and Naturalization
of the Canadian radio broadcastlng
structure launched by the newly formed
Canadian Radio League. To American
radio listeners, broadcasteTs and Cow
eminent officials, it bears tremendous
significance, for in some respects 1t rep
resents a revolt against American broad
casting practices under what UniIeo
States Senator Dill has aptly called
radio by the American plan"
Ultimate success of the CANADIAN
Radio Leagues campaign Will mean the
establishment on the North American
Continent of a somewhat modlhed
counterpart Of one OF Europes great
broadcasting systems - the British
Broadcasting Corporation. The plan
contemplates government ownership
and operation of the radio, pure and
simple, though the Canadian govern
ment monopoly would be given the
powers of q private enterprise and
kept as free from political sway as Is
the British Broadcasting Corporation
under its charter.
Only Refined Advertising.
Success Of what the Ottawa Citizen
calls young Canadas cause" Will mean,
moreover, that there will be established
to the north of this country, but within
tuning range of American receiving
sets, since the basic Canadian stations
must necessarily be of extremely high
powers to serve the Dominion's widely
scattered population, a system of broad
casting free of all advertising except
the more refined forms that are under
taken, as are most of the programs on
the American networks, by the lead
ing national advertisers primarily for
goodwill purposes.
The Canadian Radio Leagues plans
do not contemplate eliminating adver-
Using sponsorship, but minimizing it.
Presumably, although the leagues re-
port does not say so, the new govern
ment broadcasting organization would
be supported by such indirect advertis-
ing, but also very largely by license fees
on receiving sets, as in England. The
British Broadcasting Corporation, how
ever, carries no advertising whatever
Canadians must now pay an annual re-
ceiver license fee of only 81.
Practices that have grown up under
the American system are cited over and
over again in the Canadian Radio
Leagues pronunciamento as horrible
examples" to be avoided in bordering
radio in the Dominion. And these Ca
stations cover the whole of Canada"
and that "only three out Of five Cana
dian families can hear Canadian pro-
grams" Even the Canadian programs
are unsatisfactory, for "the programs
of the best quality are few and the
majority of them are mixtures Of adj
Vertising announcements and ph0no-
graph records" Referring as well to
Canadas present 10 broadcasters as to
the American influence, the report
remarks:
canadian public opinion, so far as
it may be influenced by the radio, Is
in the hands of irresponsible authort-
ties, however public spirited, and Is at
the mercy of American chains" This
indictment is aimed primarily against
Canadas own broadcaSters and incl
dentally to those in the United States,
but the Ottawa Citizen goes even fur
ther In expressing its fears Of the
American radio invasion:
Debasing New Gift.
Commercial interests in the United
States are debasing this new gift of en-
cheering scence to the Hollywood level.
The Canadian radio field will be
absorbed into the American orbit, Just
as surely as the motion picture field has
been absorbed, unless there Is national
action through Parliament to hold the
fort during the experimental years
ahead under public ownership"
If any American believes that there
is little of substance behind this radio
revolt in Canada, let him glance at
some Of the names making up the coun-
Gil Of the Canadian Radio League:
Louis st. Laurent, president, Canadian
Bar Association; Col. j. H. Woods and
w. M. Birks, past presidents, Canadian
Chamber Of Commerce; DR.. w. Harvey
Smith, president, British Medical As
ISOLATION; Tom Moore, president, Trades
and Labor Congress OF Canada; F. w.
Wood, president, United Farmers Of
Canada and director of the Canadian
wheat Pool; Fred N. Southam, presi-
dent, Southam Publishing Co.; Gen. Sir
Arthur Currie, principal, McGil Uni
versity; DR.. r. @. Wallace, president,
University Of Alberta and the Associa-
ton of Canadian Clubs; the Right Rev.
Archbishop Matheson, former primate
of all Canada, and nearly twice as
many more persons equally prominent
AS If their Endorsement were not suf-
flcient the Canadian Radio League pub
fishes q list showing that the leading
national clubs and associations and
several score leading Canadian news
papers are on record in support OF a
national system of broadcasting for the
Dominion.