Evening star., 1947-02-16
For Radio Listeners
By Harry Macarthur

The thoughts set down here last
week about radio programs and CEN
sorship seem to have involved us in
a small storm. Apparently we did
not make our position clear enough.
We were accused, among other
things, of supporting those who clut-
ter the air with trashy programs
and of attacking some basic and
better institutions. None of this
was our intent, we assure you. Per-
haps our answer to 13-year-old
reader who did not like us at all last
sunday will best clarity matters.
Il goes:
Dear Catherine:
I fully agree with you that some
programs on the air are, as you put
it, "a menace to the youth of to-
day" Every one must remember
the night when Orson Welles con-
vinced several thousand grownups
that they were in immediate danger
of assault by invading men from
Mars. Remembering this, it should
be easy for any one to imagine what
some of today's horror" programs
might dc to young and impression
able minds.
The problem of doing something
about these programs is a compli-
Gated one, though. 1t is complicated
first because freedom of speech is
involved. Newspapermen may be
more jealous than some others in
their defense of freedom of speech,
but it is something that must be
cherished by every one who believes
In democracy Without freedom of
speech, no other freedom would last
long.
You know that radio has the
power to make you lie in bed trem-
bling, afraid to go to sleep. Radio
Is powerful medium for working on
the imagination, for planting sug-
gestions in the minds of listeners.
You can see then why it must have
the right of freedom of speech. The
man or group that ruled radio would
rule the thoughts of too many mil
lions of people. That man or group
would have more power than any
dictator ever had.
I do not mean, Of coursee, that
nothing should be done about
horror" programs, as they are
called. Radio broadcasters are not
using free air to carry their radio
waves when they send a program
to your home. They are using your
air and they have a license from
the Government to use it. They
have the same responsibilities pub
fishers have for maintaining decency
when they send magazines and
newspapers over your United States
mail system. But they have the
same rights to freedom of speech
as those publishers.
I still say that it is up to the
listeners to do something about
horror" programs. Businessmen
do not pay for radio programs just
because they are nice people and
want to have you entertained.
They do not pay for them because
they like to listen to them. They
pay for them so they can advertise
whatever it is they have to sell.
Every time you listen to program,
you are helping keep it on the air.
Every time you buy product ad-
vertised on program you are
helping keep it on the air.
Since getting your letter I have
heard from woman who has made
a career of child welfare and studied
its problems. She agrees that CEN
sorship should begin in the home.
"It is surprising" she writes, "how
many homes have supplied junior
(boy or girD with radio in the
bedroom where the door can be
closed and the rest of the family
not disturbed. Under such condi-
tions the family just makes no
effort to censor listening"
Since radio seems to be here to
stay. it is up to parents to guide
listening tastes as they guide read
ing tastes, morals, manners and
everything else. There are many
trashy books you need never waste