Evening star., 1934-03-11
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.

~ ESPITE generally depressed
conditions, radio has shown
enormous growth during the
- last four years with nearly
one-half OF the Nations
population and more than one-half
OF the homes making up the radio
audience of today
That is the finding of William S.
Paley, president of the Columbia
Broadcasting System. BY this Sum-
mer, he said, industry surveys indi-
date there will be 100000 homes
equipped with radios in this country.
serving at least 54,000.000 potential
daily radio listeners. This compares
with 14627 900 radio-owning families,
or 43,88l 900 potential listeners as of
1890, when Uncle Sam made his first
and only radio receiving set census.
Since the 1880 census, Mr. Paley
said. reliable trade estimates are that
q total of 100000 radio sets have
been sold, exclusive of 100000 automo-
bile receivers. The increase in sets
In use for the three and one-half
years is estimated at % per cent.
In all other phases of radio activity
Mr. Paley reported substantial progress
in spite of the fact that broadcasting
was a victim of the economic depres-
sion. Il am happy to be able to tell
you that. just as we were the last to
be overtaken by the depression We
have been the first to recover" he
asserted.
These industry figures and records
for the last year, Mr.. Paley said are
particularly interesting lin view of
the sporadic efforts here and there
to spread a belief that the public's
interest in radio is diminishing
Mr.. Paley pointed to marked pro-
gram improvements during 1888, and
how all radio stations met the
demands of the audience for "ever
better entertainment" In addition
to symphonic music offered in
greater abundance than ever before,
he said there has been phenomenal
development in dramatic programs.
In popular entertainment, the worlds S
foremost artists have been offered,
with more and more programs
emanating from Hollywood, with its
wealth of talent.
Advertising Improves.
"Along with a marked general i'm
provement in program quality has
gone an improvement in the adver-
tising incorporated in radio pro-
grams" he said. The results we have
achieved in this direction could
have been had with the gradual and
intelligent cooperation of our adver-
tiSers and their advertising agencies,
just as advertisers and agencies have
made distinct and distinguished con-
tributions to programming itself. There
has been an increased willingness on
the part of the advertiser to recognize
that the llstener-in tunes his set
primarily to be entertained and in
formed and that his home must be
entered with Difference, tact, good
taste and good manners
Mr.. Paley criticized those who have
suggested censorship or too rigorous
regulation of broadcasting. Censor
ship, he said, is an unnecessary evil
which should never be allowed to be
substituted for the editorial rather
than censorial function voluntarily
exercised by radio networks and
stations.
with regard to over-regulation. I"
he concluded, Il believe that achieve
ments of broadcasting in its few years
of existence form the best bulWark of
evidence against the wisdom of put
Ing too much of straitjacket on
our operations. There is about over
regulation a flXedness and rigidity