Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-15
TO PLAY
BIG ROLE IN RADIO
Bid for Favors During 1882
Campaign May Save
Present Set-Up.
BY MARTIN CODEL

BY MARTIN CODEL
OLITICS and the radio may +,
- strong bedfellows, but their
destinies appear to be mex
i tricably interviewer. Recent
political developments and the
forthcoming presidential campaign are
destined to have profound effect on
the progress Of radio in this country.
Thereby hang various complex ramifica-
lions Of profound interest, which no one
Is in a position at the present time to
fathom with absolute certainty. Sufice
it here to outline few of the facts
and probable causes, and effects.
BY winning control of the House in
the recent elections the Democrats will
place their own men In the chairman
ships of the various House committees
In the Congress that conveneS next
month. One Of those committees is
Marine and Fisheries, which has charge
OF radio legislation. Ranking Democrat
OF that committee and its probable next
chairman Is Representative Ewin L.
Davis Of Tennessee.
Davis Opposes Crust"
Now Mr.. Davis is well known in radio
circles for his opposition to what he
, believes to be a radio trust, for his
convictions that the spread of high
! power broadcasting is a menace and
| for his amendment Of two years ago
requiring zone and State equalization
OF broadcaSting facilities. He will sue
ceed to the mantle of Wallace White,
IT., Republican, of Maine, co-author Of
the radio act OF 1927, who goes to the
Senate in the next Congress.
In the upper chamber Senator W. to
may or may not win a place on the
important Committee on Interstate
Commerce, which has charge of radio
1 fhnro oTad Of xxyk1f0Ia
crat, Of Washington, also co-author Of
the radio law, Is member. At any
| rate, the Senate will have two of the
best informed men on radio subjects,
while the House is led by one of the
! most harshly outspoken critics Of the
radio powers that be.
Just what effect this will have on
broadcasting and the radio industry
It is too early to say. In view Of the
| fact that Congress will be absorbed
| with war debts, unemployment and
other major probleunS-Y1ot to forget
the coming political year-it is more
than likely that the subject of radio
will not go much beyond the talk stage
In this session. But the fact that so
many opponents Of present radio are
conducting vigorous Hobbies and pub
! Lefty campaigns probably will pave the
way to much dabbling with the radio
laws in later sessions.
That the opponents of radio trust
and of present broadcasting practices
Will receive ready ears from some men
on Capitol Hill may be expected. Men
like Representative Davis are crusaders
and vigorous and outspoken.
Likely to Ask Favors.
On the other hand, this fact must
be borne In mind: Democrats and Re-
publicans alike, with depleted war
chests and with depressed business
promising to yield them no great
amounts Of money to spend In next
years campaigns, win undoubtedly ask
many favors Of the radio interests,
particularly the broadcast station
owners and the network broadcasters.
stature as campaigning medium, they
Will need all the time on the air they
can get-and they will want as much
of 1t without cost as they can get.
Politics is a subject of tremendous
interest on the radio, and stations and
chains can hardly overlook the neces-
sity Of programing it. Yet those sta
way, for the American Government
lends radio no financial support in any
way, as do other governments. The
party leaders, Is business men, know
that radio cannot give away too much
of its substance-which' Is s.time on
|
In the 1928 campaign something like
| 100000 was spent by the parties on
radio, most of it going to the two net
works and their af1liated stations.
Then, however, radio did not have as
much Of its time "soldY as 1t has now.
To put politics on the air during
| favorable hours today would mean to
displace paying programs. Even II the
| politicians can pay for their time, the
radio people must yet pay the con-
tracted performers on sponsored pro-
grams whether or not they perform.
| So politics, at best, cannot mean any
great amount Of revenue for the broad
casters and may actually mean dead
| losses.
In view of the favors the politicians
will ask from radio, it is doubtful
whether their party leaders will be dis
posed to attack too vigorously radio as
it is now conducted in this country.
Among some leaders the thought seems
to be to give this youthful art and busi-
ness more time to establish ITSELF
After all, broadcasting Is only IL years
old this month, and broadcasting as q
business really began i've years ago
this month also, when the first regular
network came into being.