EDITORIAL NOTES.

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 47, 8 June 1928, Page 4

EDITORIAL NOTES.

DAY by day the potency of the radio revolution is becoming more marked. As an aid to travel and exploration it is now essential. It is the handmaiden of aviation, and recent events definitely place it as indispensable in any major flight. Apart from that scientific development, the reaction from radio influence in everyday life is becoming apparent. The biggest community where its influence has been felt for the longest period is the United States. Throughout the last seven years it has steadily grown and evolved to its existing compass, and an effort can now be made to assess its influence upon the life of the community. An analysis to which we draw attention elsewhere in this issue credits to radio an important part in stimulating the circulation of newspapers. The reasoning in support of this theory is, in brief, this: Its universal audition stimulates interest in whatever subject is dealt with, and provokes the desire for fuller information in the written word. There thus has been created a more general human demand for information. In the effort to supply this, the newspaper Press itself has enlarged its service and increased its contact with the public. The fact that the general newspaper circulations of the United States in seven years have increased over 33 per cent. calls for some explanation. The Press itself ascribes a large part of its own growth to the stimulus to general education and culture given by radio broadcasting. [N the same analysis the confession is made that the first orgy of the public for jazz through the medium of its new toy, radio broadcasting, has passed, and the most popular programmes now are those which cater for cultural entertainment-those which give good or even high-class symphony concerts, classical music, ete., and what is perhaps surprising to our New Zealand ears, talks on historical, educational, religious, and instructive topics, together with outlines of national and international politics and domestic economy. The American people always have been lovers of speechmaking and the art of conversation. The British are a more reticent people. We are not lovers of verbosity. But we do think the time is coming when the demand will be for a fuller use to be made, in the interests of the community, of the outstanding public talent amongst us. READERS will be aware that due attention has heen given in the compilation of our programmes to this aspect of radio service. Tf anything, those mainly concerned with musical entertainment have objected to "too much talk,’ and that objection has been so far successful as to exclude from evening-programmes anything but the best of talks. In that we quite concur-the talks must be good, and above all "well delivered." Too much emphasis cannot he given to the point of good delivery. More than ever, when the speaker cannot he seen and his personality must be conveyed only by voice, must that voice he pleasing and effective. Time was when public speakers devoted careful attention to, the art of public spealking. With the growth of the cheap Press and the greater effectiveness of the printed word, the art of public speaking suffered a decline. Radio is going to rescue and restore the art. Radio addresses will he listened to only in proportion to their appeal and attractiveness. It is the duty of the speaker to give his message the setting of effective delivery. FRANKLY we are glad to see recorded the trend in America towards interest in solid intellectual matter "over the air." This will . widen the radio audience, will interest the intellectual as well as the musical, and will stimulate the general life of the community in encouraging interest in a wide range of subjects. To many an incessant diet of music is indigestible. They require something on which to whet their brains, apart from their senses, It will be increasingly the part of radio to supply that brain-food and promote contact with the community’s thinkers.