RADIO ADVERTISING

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21420, 12 March 1935, Page 7

RADIO ADVERTISING

TO TUB EDITOR OF THR PRESS. Sir, —Great prominence has lately been given 1o the merits and defects of radio advertising. Popular opinion seems to be definitely against it; that is, the kind of advertising which urges the unfortunate listener, in between items, not to forget to call in at Blank and Company's sale when he next goes shopping, to see their marvellous bargains in shirts. We hope that we can trust the Broadcasting Board to exclude this sort ot thing from their programmes. But there is a kind of advertising which most of us realise to be hopelessly inadequate, and that is, the advertisement of our own country arid its tourist attractions. The only suggested means of improving it seen: to be window displays in English cities. These attempts are practically useless. Anyone who possesses one of the all-wave radio sets, now becoming so popular, will realise how amazing arc the clearness and volume of the shortwave stations and what a terrific distance they carry. Why should not this type of broadcasting be used to advertise cur own country? If such a question were put before the Broadcasting Board, it would no doubt object on nnancial grounds. But we read that tenders are to be asked for a new and powerful station near Wellington. We have enough long-wave stations; besides, Ihose who know say that this new station will be so powerful as to cause inteiference throughout NewZealand. Surely this is a useless project. It 1 add be far better to set up a powerful national short-wave station, whence advertisement of our country, done judiciously and originally, would do far more to attract tourists than window displays thousands of miles away, which, in all probability, are not even planned by New Zealanders, Let New Zealand advertise itself from its own country, and enter the homes of thousands of listeners all over the globe. This, I am sure, would bring results.—Yours, etc., BRAINWAVE. March 11. 1.935.