Evening star., 1944-03-12
or RadioL;steners
By Leo J. PauIin.

Sporadically, listeners work up 6
great lather over the perennial
soap operas"-radio's version of the
dime movie, including the "For
Adults Only" sign.
The latest outburst of this sort to
come to our attention occurred at a
recent meeting of the New York
City Federation of Women's Clubs
On that occasion Marion Dickerman
~ducation director of the American
Arbitration Association, scored the
daytime radio serials as "deluge
OF dirt, reeking with gush, gore and
gutter morals"
A mere man, one William G..
Werner, who works for one of the
big soap companies, countered Miss
Dickerman's charges with the dec
laration that Eminent medical and
phychiatric authorities, after study
ing a number of daytime radio
programs, report in substance that
they transport housewife listeners,
1or the moment, to the sort of
d1eam-and-lomance world which
gives them refreshment in mind
and spirit they so sorely need"
Torn between the mental medicine
and moral menace aspects of the
soap operas" we decided to con-
duct our own survey. We asked
several women of our acquaintance
how they liked this type of radio
fare. They were unanimous in
their disapproval. In fairness we
should add that each of the ladies
questioned was employed during
the day and never got a chance to
listen to Johns Other Wife" and
the long list of other tales of eter-
nal triangles.
We then examined the program
schedules of local stations, and
we're glad to report definite trend,
If not away from soap operas" at
least toward better balance in day.
time radio.
WMAL, for instance, now has two
excellent variety shows every morn
ing. Don McNeil's Breakfast Club
is heard from to 10 and Breakfast
at Sardi's, another variety pro-
gram with plenty of laughs, takes
the air from II to 11:30. WRC,
however, has one of the zaniest of
all radio shows in its Mirth and
Madness program, heard daily from
8 to $50 am.
You can look for more daytime
shows of the comedy-musical type,
but don't expect the soap operas" to
fade entirely, because, fortunately
or unfortunately, some of them are
here to stay.
Brain VS.. Brawn. Bill Henry.
now conservative newscaster over
WTOP-CBS, used to be top sports
writer out on the West Coast. He
attended Occidental College, in Los
Angeles IN the days when that little
school regularly drubbed Univer-
sity OF Southern California by land
slide scores in football. Always a
plugger for sports, Bill indirectly
guided such stellar athletes as Carl
Serlce (now Navy lieutenant doing
important war work in Washington)
and others to his alma mater.
Back in the early COS Occidental
lost its luster for great sport teams
and became famous for it's academic
punch at the goal line of pure learn
ing, Henry was rightfully chagrined
by this metamorphosis, and as Oc-
cidefital's teams became weaker his
distress deepened. 1t reached the
breaking point a few years ago
when, near the end Of aeparticularly-
bad season. up loomed archrival
Pomona. The old grads rallied and
held a big mass meeting on the
eve OF the game. They listened to
the college president and other aca-
demicians extol Occidental's scho-
lastic record and at the same time
cover its athletic record with Its
not the score that counts but how
you play the game"
Then came Bill Henrys turn to
speak. He reviewed the glory days
of Occidental, paid tribute to the
colleges prc@cnt high academic
standing. The professors beamed.
But their joy was short lived. Bill
wound up with Give Occidental
athletes, great athletes. and l don't
give a (censored) whether they can
read or write"