Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01
REACTION
TO RADIO WATCHED
Close Check to Avoid Adver-
Using Excesses Kept by
BroadcaSters.
BY MARTIN CODRL-


DETROIT, Mich, October 3is-HUw
keenly sensitive many American broad
casters are 70 the listening public's re-
actions TO their offerings was demon
strated during discussions Of CONNER
eial broadcasting, especially objection
able radio advertising. that featured the
annual convention of the National AS
ISOLATION Of Broadcasters here this
week. Broadcasters joined in with pub
I lie officials in condemning excuses Of
commercialism. both on the networks
and on local stations.
With broadcaSting thriving as o bust
ness as never before. the radio men were
highly pleased with the laudatory COM
| ments on the fulflllment of their public
service obligations contained in an ad-
dress by Senator wallace White, jr, of
Maine, co-author of the radio law How
ever. they took close heed Of Senator
Whites warnings, supplemented by vari-
Gus remarks by industry leaders from
the moor. that excessive and objection
able sales ballyhoo on the radio might
bring upon their heads an undesirable
censorship from the Federal Radio Com
mission or some other governmental Au-
thorities
Senator White said that the alterna-
| tive to a public sentiment reacting
against certain forms of radio adver-
! Using might be regulation. and indicated
that he believed 1t was within the scope
of the Federal radio authorities TO i'm
pose such regulation.
Regulations Feared.
Regulation Of their program matter Is
the one thing that broadcasters do not
want, fearing that 1t win strike at the
foundations Of freedom Of speech. The
discussions revealed that the better
class OF broadcast managers are reject
ing constantly more accounts than they
are accepting, for the reason that they
DO not believe the public will stand for
| their advertising content. On the other
hand, broadcasting Is such O relatively
young industry that the broadcasters
often feel constrained to accept doubtful
material because Of the revenues derived
ana the necessity Of maintaining their
expensive plants.
The discussion Of commercial prac-
tices started the day after Senator
White made his address, in which he
denied that broadcaSters have any prop
erty or priority rights and asserted that
II Is within the scope Of the Federal au-
| thorities to take any station of the air,
without compensation, should d fail to
meet its public service obligations. Elk
amples OF this are sighted in the fact
| that the Federal Radio Commission has
recently ordered q number Of stations
on the air for failure to provide what
| the commission regards az adequate
service to the public.
In the discussions actual programS
both on networks and on local sta
tons were named and condemned for
their advertising content. One radio
broadcaster said that he believed many
attention TO the maintenance of their
local advertising on q high level than
what the networks were doing He
said that in many instances the net
works were allowing forms of sales
| plugging" that many stations would
not accept. He urged the broadcasters
TO refuse to accept such programs from
| the networks.
There also was considerable ado
when another broadcaster objected to
the mention Of personalities, as the
discussion waxed hot at times. A st.
Louis broadcaster suggested that local
stations should check with their local
| Better Business Bureaus and medical
societies before accepting programs In
| which sales talks of doubtful truth or
merit are contained. This seemed to
gates.
Warns Of Keeping "CIean House."
Henry Bellows, vice president of the
Columbia Broadcasting system, report
| ing on legislation, warned the broad
casters that they must pay more at
tention to maintaining q clean
house." or else face possible restriction
by Congress. He agreed with Senator
White that the next Congress prob
ably viii see little, If any, legislation
enacted, because Of the concentration
on other economic problems and on
the forthcoming presidential cam
paign. He warned, however, against
overlooking the constant surveillance
| that Congress has maintained over the
| radio industry.
Bond p. Geddes, executive vice pres
ident Of the Radio Manufacturers As
ISOLATION, declared that the broadcast
erS must keep their public satisfied
customers" even if that public does
not pay a direct admission charge.
The radio public" he said, Tex
poets progress and improvements In
your programs, as well as in our prod
ucts. The history of both In their
rapid development Is replete with
marks Of public approval and con-
fdence But what satisfied the radio
public last year and the year before
will not meet their expectations and
demands in the future"