Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
I INTO sectional politics this year
and national politics next year
..,AYH - n

4
lively new sort of radio speech
making technique. It is the broad
cast interview, whose vogue gives
promise of increasing to the point
where 1t may very largely displace
the broadcast address. Not only IN
politics, but in the radio treatment
of other subjects, tremendous ad-
vantageS are to be gained by en-
ploying the conversational method
rather than straightaway speeches
| Having spent nearly $1,000, 900
for radio time during the last pres
idential campaign, the major
political parties, through their
headquarters in Washington, are
already turning their attention to
the possible uses of radio in the
1882 electioneering. Informal ad-
vices from their headquarters are
to the effect that radio will be
used literally again next year, al
though the amounts to be spent
on that medium of publicity have
yet to be determined.
From the headquarters OF at
least one of the parties 1t was
heard that plans are under way to
test the radio interview with the
idea of employing that technique
regularly when party proponents
go on the air. Out in Iowa Sena-
tor Brookhart, who has already
begun stumping the State for re-
election next Winter, is going on
the air in a series of interviews on
political subjects over Station
WHIT, Waterloo.
The question and answer meth
cd Is so simple and so obviously
effective in holding listener inter-
est in subjects that might other
wise be dry to the majority of the
radio audience that it is amazing
that only few commercial Spon-
sors of programs have thus far
employed 1t, except in a few iso-
lated instances. Its first use in
discourse on public affairs on the
networks was Frederic William
Wile's recent interview with Sena-
tor Borah over the Columbia SyS-
TEN.
Grantland Rice's interviews with
sport notableS and Louella Par
sons interviews with screen celeb
rites are established and popular
features on the networks. Now
the network executives are asking
themselves why the same tech
nique should not be applied to
obviate the tedium Of radio
speeches, which, II the truth be
told, are regarded inside radio cir
cleS as being among the least
popular features Of broadcasting
with the rank and file OF the lis
tening populace.
In England the interview has
long been used in political broad
casting. Sir John Reith, chief OF
the British Broadcasting Corpora
ton, during his recent visit here
said that he himself very often
interviews the party leaders OF
candidates during the British ma
tional elections. Each party in
England gets the same political
equality" on the air, so far as time
is concerned, that Is guaranteed
by the American radio law, but
the radio is not used at all in the
by-electionS or to promote local
candidates, as in this country.
The chief advantage of the in
terview is that it renders CONVEX
Sational a discussion that might
otherwise trend toward the ora
torical. Psychologically, it also
has the effect of keeping the lis
tener'S mind better keyed or at
tuned to the Subject-matter, eSpe-
cially if the subject is heavy one
For example, when the interviewer
asks a question, the listener him
self often frames reply as he
would make it, then hearkenS
closely to the reply Of the person
being interviewed to compare il
with his own.
Henceforth, the American radio
public may expect many more in
terviewS on the air, both from ma
tional and local sources, and COW
ering, perhaps, dissertations on
| the merits of various brands OF
pickles, perfume and whatnot, as
well as shedding simple light on
various theories or facts about
politics, Government, economics
science, adventure and other sub
jects hitherto left exclusively to
speechmaking.
WITH As broadcasts from IL
w cities in 8 European coun-
tries, the Columbia BroadcaSting
System set a record during the
first six months of 1891 for trans
atlantic radio events.
Programs brought to American
listeners from the Old World
ranged all the way from a 49,
year-old opera, performed on the
stage of the Royal Opera House
Covent Garden, to a description
of the scene on the eighteenth
green at Carnoustie, Scotland
when Tommy Armour won the
open golf championship for the
United States, Jose Jurado missing
the three-foot putt which he
needed to share the honorS.
Speakers have, included Pope
Plus, heard both when the Vati-
can City radio station was opened
and when he outlined his encycli-
cal on labor; the Presidents , OF
Austria and of the Irish Free
State; the Prince of Wales, the
prime minister of England, the
foreign minister of Poland, George
Bernard Shaw, who refuses to
visit America, but has broadcast
twice over the Columbia network
|
WHEN a company advertises
w radio sets for sale, it must
specify whether the prices quoted
include an outfit of tubes with
each set. The Federal Trade Com
mission so ruled last week in the
case Of a manufacturer, whose