Evening star., 1932-11-06

ROM the radio standpoint, this
| u years national political cam
paign, surprisingly free though II
! i has been of the usual recrlm-
nations against the broadcasters
on the score Of favoritlSm toward one
| candidate or the other, has proved
many things. Most significant Is the
fact that an adequate radio staff is as
necessary an adjunct to campaign as
trained publicity staff. In fact, II
| is as important to have trained radio
| men attached to party headquarters as
| almost any other class OF worker.
Back of the scenes of the radio cam
| paign. the picture presented is one OF
| floundering effort noteworthy for three
great faults. All are probably attrib-
utable to the fact that the party head
quarters either have not seen fit to
recognize or simply do not know the
peculiar demands OF radio.
Three Present Faults.
These faults may be summarized as
follows:
/. Candidates and their spokesmen,
except toward the end Of the campaign,
have repeatedly overspoken their sched-
uled periods on the air. Not only is
this highly expensive, but it frequently
taxes the Patience VI d 4d1kC S1lolC Va
the radio audience.
2. Radio has cleared all wires for
! political speeches, regardless Of the fact
that favorite programs of millions OF
listeners might have to be shunted
aside. There is no question but that,
as no less capable a newspaper and
radio commentator than William Hard
has pointed out, substantial propor-
ton of the radio audience grows re-
sentful when politics consumes too
much of an evenings radio schedule.
When Ed Wynn, the March OF Time
and similar popular programs are can
celed in favor of a political speech,
even if it be by presidential candi-
date himself. any number OF listeners
are reSentful.
8. Political speeches have been
booked on networks and local radio
stations without regard to their pos
sible conflict with other radio speeches
on behalf of the same candidates at
the same time, thus dividing the at
tention of the audience. Thus 1t has
frequently occurred that national head
quarters has scheduled speeches by
candidates or their leading spokesmen
during the same periods that local
speeches, sometimes scheduled far in
advance on stations that might other
wise have Joined the network. are be-
ing delivered on behalf Of the same
candidate
Co.ld Have Been Avoided.
All this could have ben avoided by
more careful Planning and more ex-
pert knowledge Of radio Almost with
out exception. the fault has rested with
party headquarters and the men as
signed to handle the radio phases OF
the campaign The advice and CO.
operation Of the broadcasters, experts
in radio showmanship, audience psy-
cholcgy and the relative values of radio
hours, have not been sought. Radio
time has been ordered as casually as
a housewife might order staple she
suddenly finds she lacks from the
neiqhborhocd grocer
The radio people on their part, have
been all too eager to please the poll
ticians, for radio is probably the most
rigidly regulated Of industries coming
within the purview OF the Federal Gov
ernment. With SO many eyes-and
ears-focused upon it, radio has sought
to keep all the party leaders friendly
by offending none This year especial
" it seems to have succeeded. for the
accusations of partisanship SO often
voiced in 1928 have hardly been heard
in this campaign
TIE radio law. of course, safeguards
to the politicians their right to get
sn "even break" on the air It d1-
rects that when one candidate or his
spokesman is given the right to employ
the microphone. all others must be
given an equal opportunity under the
same conditions The condition i'm
posed has been that the parties pay
for the time they consume just as any
other sponsor might pay Even the
addresses Of President Hoover, always
given the right Of way on the radio
without cost, are paid for without dis
pute when his speeches are Of . purely
political character.
Loss to Radio Owners.
To this requirement the parties have
interposed no objections, indeed nave
budgeted themselves in advance for
broadcasting. Republicans and Dem
ocrats are both supposed to have ex-
ceeded their budgets Of S25O,000 apiece
for radio time, but apparently they
consider this money well spent.
For radio the campaign has not been
a source of great profits. as in 1923,
when time on the air was not at such
a great premium. For the main part,
the parties have purchased the most
favorable periods. or time already
under contract, which has meant that
the regular sponsors had to rellnquiSh
their scheduled programs. Naturally
those sponsors do not pay for the time
they cannot use through no fault OF
their own. But the obligation to
recompense the performers engaged for
those programs has devolved upon the
radio people, dead loss to them.
The lack of professionalism in the
staging of the political broadcasts has
been marked One party tried inter-
views and dramatic sketches that. eS-
cept for few bright spots. were note
worthy for their amateurism, some
times bordering on juvenility. Hours
have been selected without regard to
whether they are favorable for catch
ing the listeners attention. Even the
presidential candidates themselves have
not alWays been presented to the radio