Evening star., 1938-11-01

given broad nj, ,
cast by the Pres "''"'''
ident of the United States on a ST.
multaneous hook-up of facilities,
and yet the broadcasting companies
never permit anybody to go on the
air Immediately afterward to answer
Mr.. Roosevelt.
Again and again, the President,
who is a craftsman without parallel
IN arranging statements and QUOTA
tions which leave an impression IA
Vorable to his side, has benefited by
the fact that the same audience
which hears him is dispersed and
the reply is never presented to those
same listeners.
Precedent Now Established.
The way now has been opened by
the White House itself to a much
better balanced arrangement for
radio talks. The action of the Presi-
dent and his aides on the Democratic
National Committee in putting on
the air a talk for the half-hour pc
riod after Mr.. Dies scheduled ad-
dress creates precedent not only
for the Mutual Broadcasting Co.,
Which arranged to carry both talks,
but for all the other broadcasting
chains as well.
Recognizing the spirit of fair play
in America, it would have been sup
posed that long ago the idea of give
and-take in a debate on both sides
would have been fulfilled on the
radio. In South Carolina, for ex-
ample, 1t is legal requirement that
opposing candidates must campaign
from the same platform, and in Ohio,
this year,
From the radio point of view,
nothing could be more dramatic
than to allow the Republican leader
OF the Senate or the House, or some
one designated by either one, to
follow Immediately on the air the
flreside chats of the President or the
speeches by his spokesmen in the
Government. So it could not have
been any objection from the
standpoint of so-called program
technique" which up to now has
prevented this vivid sort of feature
from being allowed by all broad
casting systems.
Is Fear Behind Attitude?
The commonly heard charge has
been that the broadcasting systems,
being composed of radio stations
which must apply every six months
for renewal of licenses to a Federal
communications Commission whose
members are subject to removal at
any time by the President, are fear
ful OF the economic consequences of
treadlng on the administration
toes. One dislikes to believe that
any American radio companies.
whose frequent boast is that the
American system of broadcastine is
better than the British, government
controlled system or any other in
the world, would permit any such
1ears or apprehensions to govern
them.
The truth probably is that the
proadcasting systems have been
feeling their way just as any infant
lnoustry would do, especially when
SUBJECT to governmental regulation
as IS the communications business.
DouptleSs when the demand for
debate on the air, or rather a direct
answer to the President or any other
Caolnet officer or Government off,
cial, actually arises from the rank
and file in both political parties, it
Will be complied with as a matter of
course.
Ihat's why the precedent actually
initiated by the administration itself
may be of extraordinary aid to the
broadcastlng systems, because in this
way one of the most embarrassing
problems they have had to deal with
IN the past has been solved by the
action OF the White House itself
Some day, therefore, when the
oroadcasting companies have the
temerlty to schedule for immediate
broadcasting after the President
speaks an outstanding speaker from
the other side, the public will have
every DOUBT swept aside as to the
earnest desire of the radio chains
to give the pro and the con in fair
debate
Advance Copy Refused.
One thing of which Mr.. Dies COM
plains certainly is unfair, and that's
the request he says the administra-
.tlon made OF the radio station for
an advance copy of his talk of Mon
day night so that the spokesman for
the administration viewpoint could
frame his rebuttal address. In fair
debate, the speakers do not allow
thelr thoughts to be expressed ahead
OF time, and Mr.. Dies was right in
withholding copy till he started
speaking. This is a DISADVANTAGE.
of course, from the standpoint of
the newspapers. which usually want
advance copy so as to catch early
editions, but 1t is a disadvantage
which is more than Offset from the
speakers standpoint by the knowl-
edge that the impression he makes