Evening star., 1937-03-08

renewed his efforts by requesting that
the opponents in Congress of the Presl-
dents plan to enlarge the supreme
Court be granted radio facilities OF an
identical character with those given by
all three broadcasting companies, both
to the President and to Attorney
General Cummings.
In order to ascertain the exact posi-
ton of the broadcasting companies,
this correspondent telegraphed the
executive heads of all three systems
an identical message as follows:
Am planning to write an article
about the advantages possessed by an
administration in power with refer
ence to grant of simultaneous net
work facilities to the President. Would
appreciate your telegraphing me
whether your company would be will
ing to join with other broadcaStlng
companies in granting simultaneous
hook-up to speaker or speakers pre-
senting other side of controversial
questions discussed by Mr.. Roosevelt.
Also, if simultaneous hook-up is grant,
ed would your company be willing to
allow same audience to hear other
side of questions by permitting faclll-
ties Immediately after Presidents talk
and would your company be willing to
announce to audience in advance that
both sides will be presented to the
same audience by permitting same
facilities to be used by other speaker
or speakers Immediately after Presi-
dents talk
None of the companies has been
willing to say yes"
The Columbia BroadcaSting System
for instance, in its reply said:
I'VE have presented to date eight
speakers in favor and nine against
the proposal. Right now two more
speakers are scheduled to speak
against and three more in favor-total
ii for and IL against.
Naturally We like to present these
features exclusively, just as news
papers seek exclusive interviews, but
we have no control over the use OF
other facilities by speakers either
simultaneously with the use OF ours
or at other times.
There is something to be said for
simultaneous use and good deal to
be said for the presentation OF dlf-
ferent arguments by different speak
ers over different networks and sta
tions. Since there naturally must be
some limitation on speeches if any
thing like program balance on
broadcasting is to be preserved. it IS
quite possible that in the end the
use of different facilities by differ
ent speakers would result in the radio
audience having heard a given sub
ject more thoroughly argued.
Since the start of radio broad
casting it has been the practice of
the President of the United States TO
make his radio speeches available TO
all broadcaSterS, none OF whom Is
compelled to carry them. Facilities
will always be available for those who
disagree with the President to answer
anything he says"
But while the three broadcaSting
companies were willing to give At
torney General Cummings a simul-
taneous hookup over three networks,
they did refuse, nevertheless, to give
Senator Wheeler the same privilege in
reply. They insisted that he repeat
his speech on different nights.
The fact remains, too, that Sena-
tor Wheeler was ready and anxious
To allow his broadcast to 60 over all
three systems. He did not withhold
permission to any broadcasting COM
pany. Attorney General Cummings
on the other hand, was invited by one