Evening star., 1933-05-21
MAT President Roosevelt and
his family are ardent radio
listeners as well as featured


his family are ardent radio
listeners as well as featured
\ broadcasters is becoming
generally recognized in Washing
ton.
Latest, and hitherto undisclosed
proof of this came last Monday
night Immediately following the
Nationwide network program In
which Col. Marvin H. Mcintyre
and Stephen T. Early, the Presi-
dents secretaries, were introduced
to the radio audience. Here is
what happened.
The program ended with
flourish by the Navy Band. Mac"
and Steve" coatless and sleeves
rolled up, mopped their perspiring
brows, as the announcer signaled
they were "off the air."
The telephone rang.
''The President desires to talk
with Mr.. Mcintyre and Mr.. Early"
said the voice at the other end.
After that, the President, Mrs.
Roosevelt and their daughter. Mrs.
Curtis Dali, conversed, first with
Mr.. Early and then with Col. Nc
Intyre, congratulating them on
their talks.
There are three radio sets in the
White House proper. In addition,
| Mr.. Early has small set in his
Office to tune in important broad
casts.
The Roosevelts have broken
many radio precedentS 81 n ce
March 4. The President himself
has established a new relation
ship with the people with his
'fireside chats" on public issues,
having twice appeared before the
microphone for that purpose.
Altogether he has made five talks
over Nation wide networks since
assuming the presidency and Is
scheduled to make at least four
more during the next 80 days.
Mrs. Roosevelt, herself a fea-
tured speaker In a commercial
program prior to March 4,
shattered White House radio
precedent early this month by
personally visiting the National
BroadcaSting Co. studios in Wash
ington to make a radio address
Heretofore radio facilities have
always been provided for the
Presidents wife direct from the
White House. They were offered
Mrs. Roosevelt May /, but she de-
clined.
The present regularly featured
member Of the radio Roosevelts'
is James Roosevelt, the eldest son
He speaks on public affairs over
the Columbia network from Bos-
ton every Thursday night and
like his mother, visits the studios
personally. His hroadcasts arc
not sponsored.
President Roosevelt Is scheduled
to make his next radio talk May
~, in connection with the open
ing of the Chicago Worlds Fair
On May 80 he is to speak at the
G. A. r. observance Of Memorial
day at Arlington National Gene
terry; on June ! at the graduation
exercises at the Naval Academy
Annapolis, and June II at tbs
graduation exercises at the Cath
olic University Of America.
MO longer does the American
| ~ farmer Ego to bed with. the
chickens and arise with the sun
Radio has changed all that. Al
least a few nights a week hi
I stays up as lateh as II O'Clock
and sometimes later, to hear hi.
favorite radio programs. And HI
likes to hear Just about the same
sort Of thing his city cousin does
/ Frank E. Mullen, director o1
agricultural broadcastS. for the
National Broadcasting Co., visit
| ing Washington last week to dis
cusS farm radio programs with
the new administration in the
Department Of Agriculture, makes
this and other interesting obSer-
vations about the revolution
radio has wrought in American
farm life. His conclusions, he
reveals, are based on a hitherto
unpublished survey of rural radio
set owners.
Farm folk, he declares, are the
most discerning Of all radio lis
teners. They differ radically from
city people in their reactions to
radio programs only in one par
ticular-they apply the yardstick
of usefulness in addition to the
usual evaluation of radio as a
medium of entertainment. To
them radio has a definite dollars
and cents value, the market re-
ports alone having vastly i'm
proved their bargaining power.
Farm people," said Mr.. Mullen,
"are gre ter beneficiaries OF
broadcasting than any other class
of listener unless it. be the occu-
pants Of sick beds. While they
receive the same thrill from hear
ing a great orchestra or a famous
artist as city listeners, they also
receive important information Of
decided economic value. Today
the farmer Is as well informed on
the condition of the market as
the buyer, who used to make a
living leaning ON the barnyard
A SPECIAL
| rIyYrKEN DYNNEn