Evening star., 1948-06-20

Southern Senator won SORT OF
lasting fame in radio. Every roll
call at the deadlocked Democratic
convention was launched by dele
gate firmly supporting a favorite
son, who intoned Alabama casts "a
votes for Oscar w. Underwood.
This was the second nominating
convention covered by radio-the
Republicans had met a few weeks
earlier-and those words were car
ried far by new sort of magic.
They were carried often, too, and
If any one had taken the trouble
to note it at the time they forecast
the great power of radios persist
ence. Whatever else he ever did,
Oscar w. Underwood still is known
and will long be known to early
radio listeners as the man Alabama
kept casting "a votes for.
Radio, in 1924. held its audience
more by being technical marvel
than by being the vast and varied
entertainment medium it is today.
Those were the days when you could
get started in radio listening with
an oatmeal box. a spool of copper
wire. a piece of galena, pair of
headphones and enough manual
dexterity to assemble them. Or
you could, by studying the daily
lesson in The Star and by follow
ing diagrams carefully, construct a
multi-tube set that was only little
more complicated than the early
commercial television receivers and
could be operated easily by any one
sufficiently practiced in electrical
engineering.
You could buy radio set, of
course, but that was for those Of
more money than spirit. In 1924,
adventurers stayed up until mid
night and boasted of their proves
the next day because they had
tuned in the Coon-Saunders Kan
cas- City Nighthawks.
~ II
These 1924 conventions did a great
deal for radio, especially the wildly
dramatic Democratic one which went
10 1O3 ballots before naming a
candidate. Broadcasts Of them had
. part in sudden industry boom.
This often -howling and ever-tricky
gadget. people saw, was no mere
toy for tinkerers who liked to sit up
late. 1t was more than q replace
ment for the phonograph. This
was an extension of your ears that
could sit right down beside far-off
event of great public Importance
and listen for you.
Television today is in much the
same position that AM radio was "a
years ago when it was the only
kind-more a technical marvel than
4 dependable medium of entertain
ment and information. The Repub-
lican convention starting tomorrow
In Philadelphia and the Democratic
conclave to follow may we'll increase
considerably the video popularity
which already has started to squirt.
Television's supporters are sure that
those who look as well as listen will
know more about what goes on at a
political convention and will more
enjoy following what goes on there.
All of radio-AM and FIN as well
as television-has made vast and
careful plans for convention cover
age. 1t Is impossible to list now the
broadcasts sthat will originate in
Philadelphia during the sessions,
since they naturally must follow the
course of convention affairs. Many
programs already have been sched-
uled, of course, but many more will
occur spontaneously as the conven-
ton proceeds.
You can depend on finding con-
vention news at almost any spot
on any radio dial. All the networks
(ABC. CBS, MBS, NBC and Conti-
mental FM), all the television sta
tions tWMAL-FM, WNBW and
WTTG) and several local stations
WINK, WGAY and WOOK among
them will be on the scene.
The only worry Of the ABC tele-