Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-11

and happen to turn on your set when
q stringed quartet il playing . Bee
thoven number. you can put an end to
1t quicker with the little trigger than any
old master ever could have done With
his baton.
There would be something lingering
IN the air. chords dwindling away to
nothingness, II the leader Of the quar-
tet suddenly siRnaled his men to cease
playing
When the electricity goes out OF
your tubes. however, there IL nothing
lingering about 1t. The tone ceases. It
is finality, without criticism, without
protest.
That Is exactly II.
There Is nothing more final. in the
world. than the end Of q broadcast.
homemade
Thousands of dollars may have been
spent upon It, A score of bright boys
may be out there, sitting on a stage,
with their musical instruments in their
hands. trying to entertain you.
II you do not want to be enterts ined.
however that settles it. as far as you
are concerned. Now this very finality.
in which every listener Is BOTH judge
and jury. Is one OF the very finest quail
ties Of the radio.
II you read a book. and do not like II.
you may put 1t down, but the chances
are that II 1t has good qualities in It.
despite your dislike. they will occur
al all fair In mind.
With the radio. everything is differ
ent
1t is case OF out CT sight. out OF
mind, or rather out OF ear, completely
gone.
Nobody knows. and nobody cares.
The timid souls offend no one by
turning off their radios when something
or other does not suit them. 1t is done
a million times a night.
Readers Of this column for the past
3 years krow which way our sentiment
leans We have consistently believed
that the genius OF radio brosdcasting
lies in the direction OF music.
This does not mean that We wouli
exclude talk, as such. As long as hu-
man beings are human beings they will
want 20 talk and 10 listen to talk.
The question OF music versus talk.
via radio. Is not to be solved bv giving
rather by q different grouping of the
two.
Perhaps this might be accomplished
by making some complete days talk
less" days, and others music free"
DAYS.
We believe. anyway. that no human
being was meant 10 listen 10 radio for
hours at time. every day. any more
than he was made for reading every
single day OF his life. or for fishing. or
any other sport, entertainment, duty.
ayocation, or what YOU will.
One station already has Sunday
morning which is almost entirely nu-
steal and We have noticed that the
speech fans" seldom turn on their
sets then, whereas these vino prefer mu-
sic seem TO look forward 10 IT.
Similarly feast day for "talkie
fans" might be arranged. during which
there could be everything from the
broadcast of a banquet with complete
set OF fiippancies by the POSTMASTER.
through a nice long playlet. a speech
on the future Of the United States.
some advice TO the lovelorn, and an ad-
dress on the best way to feed house
cats
In all seriousness, We commend this
idea to the broadcssteTs, with orr
blessing. We do not mean to attempt
to tell them how to run their business.
II Is our experience that when some
one attempts to tell YOU how TO run your
own business, he usually Is quite wrong
about it.
But helpful interest Ia another thing,
without q doubt. Broadcastins has al
ways had the help OF its interested
friends, and no doubt will keep on hav-
inc IT,