Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22
ANNOUNCERS TOLD
BREWITY ESSENTIAL
Radio PunSters Warned to Be
1.-TWO Short to Tune
Ma Off," II.
By MARTIN CODEL.

By MARTIN CODEL.
''Too brief to tune off," Radio being
ever watchfu1 for new ideas, this cr1-
terion for radio program announce
ments, particularly commercial, is COM
mended to the broadcasting industry. II
Is the brainchild Of volney Hurd, the
well known radio editor and critic OF
current commercial broadcasting prac-
tees. To brevity should be added also q
new criterion of good taste.
That many Of the broadcastefs ere
continuing to permit common sense end
good taste to be offended by lengthy
and blatant advertising announcement
is only too painfully evident to any lis
tener. Not even some Of the network
programs are free from Objectionable
matter, say what the network of1ciAls
viii about their determination to set
standards for radio Is . whole. High
grade programs designed TO promote
saturated with violations Of what may
be termed, for want Of better phrase,
good radio manners.
Time Must Be Short.
~I think" suggests Mr.. Hurd, "that
the time on the air for advertising
should be less than the time it takes for
q man to listen for q brief moment and
then cross the room to shut on his radio
SET If you can get back to the music or
feature before he has time to do this
you can hold him, for he VIII not try to
turn the set on q second time II the adj
vertistng Is kept short"
Broadcasters, advertising agencies and
the advertisers are beginning Ia realize
that many thousands Of radio sets ere
being kept silent much Of the day and
evening because Of lengthy and offensive
advertising announcements. Radio deal
eTs, It Is said In the trade, are beginning
to complain that this may account, in
part at least, for the depressed radio
set business.
When, while sitting at the dinner
table, radio listener in the East must
be RECALLED with vivid descriptions OF
bleeding gums, pyorhea and whatnot
danger to the teeth before he can enjoy
Amos n Andy he experiences natural
revulsion toward radio. When he must
perforce listen to frequent interpretations
about the beneficial effects of q certain
brand Of cigarettes upon the throat.
obviously unconvinced and I1nconvir1c-
ing announcements by a throaty an
nouncer-in order to enjoy one Of the
finest dance orchestraS on the air, his
resentment justihably mounts.
Hurries to Radio.
With q gesture Of ifApatience he htir-
ries to his radio set and switches It OF
or tunes to another station. The afore-
mentioned are only few Of the grosser
violations They can be multiplied mani
fold. Many local stations are even more
offensive, but happily their broadcasts
are much more confined.
They are enjoying q fools paradise,
those broadcasters and advertisers who
think the American radio audience Is
prep0nderantly happy with the current
commercial mode. There are few Aneri-
cans who can begrudge the broadcast
ers that modicufn of profit they are
only now beginning to earn after 10
risky and penurious pioneering years.
Untaxed for the right to own radios,
listeners cannot reasonably object to
the commercial support Of broadcasting
what has aptly been called radio by
the American plan"-unless they are
convinced that Government operation
and taxed radios offer preferable syS-
tenn.
Good Manners Asked.
But they have an undoubted right to
demand good manners on those radio
waves which penetrate unlimited to the
home and Preside. On the whole.
Americans are getting splendid pro-
grams under the American plan, with
its keen competition for listener atten-
ton as between chains and between the
rival local broadcasters. But bad man
ners are all too prevalent--and the
remedy may soon be looked for.
selves.
"Just give us time" network on
cial told the writer the other day. For
tunately, or unfortunately, there are
only about Is hours to the broadcast
ing day, and there is no immediate pos
stbility of burdening the wave lengths
with more stations. Fortunately for u.s.
our commercial hours are fast being ex-
hausted by demands for time. We will
Der OF sustaining, or commercial,
features, and We will always have to
reserve time, whether 1t has been sold
or not, for broadcasts Of national
events.
THE day will soon be here when all
our hours on the air will be taken up
In fact, we already have long waiting
lists for certain periods deemed most
favorable for catching the public ear.
Curb Sponsors Zeal.
"Even now we are beginning 10 curb
the zeal of our sponsors to get their
names and their products mentioned as
often and as lengthy as possible. Soon
we will be able to dictate to our spon-
sors just how much time they may con-
sumo with commercialism. Better than
that, much as we hate to think of CEN
soring even commercial programs, we
will be able to tell them just what they
may or may not say on the air.
American broadcasting is only now
its second decade of exist
ence. As an advertising medium, 1t is
less than half dozen years old. An.
other year or two may bring about
needful changes in present practices,
If it doesn't, an uprising
Is inevitable among radio listeners.
With the dial tuned elsewhere, the Of
Tending broadcaster loses his audience
to the unoffending. With the switch
turned OF, radio receiver is useful to
nobody.
Radio Paradise Formed.
pYrf.n~ss. 4. - Ia ,.~,~ a.. 49, &, AIasfro