Evening star., 1947-09-12
Cooper Urges Radio
To Join in Guarding
Freedom OF Press
BY the Associoted Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., Sept. H..
Kent Cooper, executive director of
the Associated Press. suggested to-
day that the broadcasting industry
disseminate news abroad" free from
Government supervision as to form
and text"
Mr.. Cooper made the suggestion
In addressing a convention lunch
eon of the National Broadcasting
Co. He urged press and radio to
recognize a mutual interest in
guarding against encroachments
on freedom of press and freedom of
speech.
Commenting that the United
States Government was now en-
gagged in broadcasting news abroad,
Mr.. Cooper said "the people need
TO be watchful" of continuance Of
trend toward propaganda in the
g,lise of news dissemination by gov
ernments in peacetime.
Mr.. Cooper said the broadcasting
industry "is seeking to be healthily
independent of Government and is
appealing to the public to confer
upon it the same freedom and in
dependence that the American press
enjoys"
Urges Radio Consistency.
IF this same freedom and inde-
pendence are to be conferred" he
said, then, it seems to me. radio
should be consistent and insist upon
an opportunity to prove its character
and integrity by conducting foreign
news dissemination free from Gov
ernment supervision as to form and
text. If the Government retains
control, then the foreign news ennis
sions become Government propa-
ganda.
If radio establishes consistency in
its news operations, certainly the
public will demand that it be given
the same freedom and independence
our free press enjoys. The instru-
ment that has made mass communi-
cation of speech efficient must not in
any way be restrained or censored
by Government, which should be
" al UlldO CllC Sl IdO1O v
has been generously and trustingly
hailed by the people. When awak-
ened to the realities, they will insist
upon radios complete independence
from Government Intervention and
dictation."
Discussing his proposal for a mu-
tuality of interest between press and
radio, Mr.. Cooper said he was con-
vinced that the greatest mutual
security for both the radio and the
press would arise out of a news
paper and radio station fellowship
that made the collection of truthful
unbiased news its common cause -
Disturbed by Rising Costs.
Neil H. McElroy of Cincinnati,
general manager of Proctor &
Gamble Co., told the convention
that increasing costs of radio ad-
vertising may force makers of
mass-used products to change to
other media.
I'm a nutshell, we are deeply con-
cerned with the advancing cost of
idOlo uuFcA CloAAlS, AiC Solu'
Talent and time costs have in
creased, Mr. McElory said, and
restrictions have been or are being
proposed on the length of COM
mercial time, on how a purchaser
shall use the time he purchases"
Since 1888, Mr.. McElory said, the
cost of radio advertising per listener
increased, but "the cost of reaching
the consumer through the other
major media has remained rela-
lively level or has declined"
Sigurd S. Larmon, New York,
president of Young & Rubicam,
Inc, advertising agency, said in
another speech that major networks
should produce "a more satisfac-
torily balanced daily sequence Of
1rorrannS"