Evening star., 1933-03-12
PRESIDENT AIDED
BY RADIO CHAINS
Virtual Wartime Dictator.
ship Extended to Him by
Broadcast Chiefs.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

N cf American radio was placed
/ at the command Of President
Roosevelt to order into use at
his will. On an instant's notice the
wires of all the networks and the time
Of any or all American broAdcasting
stations are at his disposal under .
virtual wartime Dictatorship. which the
radio executives offered him the day
after he was inaugurated.
Spokesmen for the organised broad
casters and networks have assured the
President that. no matter what Is on
the air, he can command the wave
people.
I'VE deem it a privilege" President
Alfred j. McCosker of the National As
sociation Of Broadcasters, wired the
Nations new Chief Executive. Ito place
our facilities at your disposal whenever
you desire them"
Assurances Of Others.
Telegrams also from M. H. Ayles-
worth. president of the National Broad
casting Co., and William 8. Paley, pres
ident Of the Columbia Broadcasting
System, gave similar assurances.
Shortly after receipt of these mes
sages q movement was on foot at the
White House to establish the closest
possible liaison with the men who oper-
ate the Nations broadcasting services.
In the time Of war the President of
the United States Is empowered by ex-
plicit laV-actually exercised against
radio amateurs during the World War,
which was before modern broadcasting
began-to commander all the wave
lengths for national purposes. Radio
did not wait for any such executive fiat.
1t proffered its services fully, freely and
| qualifedly in such prompt manner
that the wartime radio power undoubt
edly will not be invoked by President
Roosevelt.
Nor did the radio leaders fail to eau
ton their own rank and file against al
lowing their facilities to be used by
| slarmists. cranks and self-annointed
saviors OF the peoples veal and pock-
etbooks. Both of the major networxs
and many of the local stations report
that they have been besieged by people
In high places and low. for time on the
air to PROFOUND to the listening popu-
lace their particular brands Of nos
trums IN the present financial emer-
gency.
Caution Strongly Urged.
"As a measure of protection to your
station against criticism or possible ut-
| cation" the National Association of
Broadcasters has warned its members,
| "and also as q service to the country In
restricting the output Of unfounded ru-
mors, it Is strongly urged that you care
fully scrutinize In advance all news
broadcasts and speeches, for the pur-
pose OF eliminating all statements
which may reflect inaccurately on the
position Of financial institutions.
When such advance scrutiny is I'm
| possible, 1t is suggested that you eau
ton news commentators and speakers
| against giving currency to rumors
which may have disastrous results both
for the public and for your station"
How eagerly the American public was
awaiting word from Washington after
President Roosevelt declared the ma
tional bank holiday is evidenced by the
tremendous reaction the radio execu-
tives had to the short broadcast made
to the American Legion by the Presi-
dent the night Of March 5-his FIRST
ton hook-ups. Shortly after his talk
the major networks also carried the full
text Of his bank holiday proclamation
and his later utterances. Through the
week radio reporters were on hand to
get for the audience every oflcial pro-
nouncement emanating from the White
House.
It cost the network broadcasters more
than $25, 900 actually and more In los
Of commercial hours that had to be sus-
pended to handle the all-day radio cov-
erage Of the Inauguration. It was the
most elaborate single broadcast in radio
history. The way radio handled the
event evoked high praise from Harold
A. Lafount, acting chairman OF the
Federal Radio Commission, who called
it radios ''high-water mark" ane who
also assured the new administration
In the present national crisis radio will
play an important part in permitting
those in authority to call together our
whole family to talk to them freely
and frankly"