The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-11-09
Today
AND
Tomorrow
BY
Frank Parker Stockridge

Frank Parker StOckridge
RADIO magic
There are more than 81 million
families in the United States. OF
those, more than rs million own
radio receiving sets. The estima-
ted proportion of families owning
radios is 81 out of every 100 IN
the cities and large towns, SO out
of a hundred families in rural
an average for the
whole nation of 81 radios to ev-
cry 100 families.
There are IT'S radio broadcast
ing stations sending programs
through the air to these millions
of listeners. All of them are in
range of two or three or more
stations. Nobody has figured out
the number of words and of bars
of music which go out every day
ION the air." but the total must
run more than ten million words
and as man musical phrases,
reaching the ears of perhaps a
hundred million Americans ev-
cry "a hours.
Of course, no one listener can
hear all the programs, but there
is surely an infinite variety as
well as a vast volume of enter
tainment and information avail
to everybody in this country
by turning a switch. It
is the dream come true of the
magical world pictured by Ed
ward Bellamy fifty years ago.
REGULATION uncenSOred
radio sets all the news of all the
Americans can hear on their
world. That is not true anywhere
else. In all other countries broad
casting is either operated by the
or what is sent out
is subjected to censorship by
government agents. Nobody can
express an opinion, in most coun-
tries, which differs from the Of
fetal opinion.
Broadcasting is, to be sure, re-
gulated in this country. There are
only a limited number of wave
lengths available, and it is the
concern of the Federal Commune
cations Commission to license
oroadcasting stations so that
there will be least possible inter-
ference between two stations.
There is no censorship in
of either radio or any
other means of communication.
Any station which permits broad
casts that offend public decency
or stir up racial or religious anita
gonisms is likely to have trouble
in getting its siX-months license
The broadcasters have
to be constantly on their guard
to prevent irresponsible or care
less speakers from overstepping
the limits.
ADVERTISING advantages
In most other countries owners
Of radio sets have to pay a tax
to government for the privilege
of using them. The tax maintains
the government broadcasting sta
tons, which put on programs
with no advertising. The Ameri-
can system of free broadcasting.
so far as the listener is con-
cerned, is based on the free Sc lie
Of time on the air for what the
trade calls commercial plugs"
Most of us would rather not
have to listen to advertising with
our programs, but it is only be-
of the advertising that
American programs are so much
better than those anywhere else.
Advertising revenues enable sta
ton owners to hire better talent.
Just as newspaper advertising
makes it possible to give readers
better newspapers.
1 have long believed that the
newspapers of America over
looked a good bet by not taking
control of broadcasting when it
was in its infancy. Many of them
have walked up, however, and
nearly a third of all the stations
are now newspaper owned or
COMPETITION licensing
The minute any enterprise
shows signs of being profitable,
plenty of other people try to COM
pete with it. If there were no
Federal licensing and ALLEGATION
of wave-lengths, anybody could
set up a broadcasting station any,
where, and the air would be so
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