RADIO IN POLITICS

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 49, 29 June 1928, Page 16

RADIO IN POLITICS

A YANKEE PREDICTION NEW era of political campaigning by means of radio broadcasting | and the talking motion picture is dawning, Dr, A. N. Goldsmith, president of the U.S.A. Institute of Radio Engineers, declared recently in New York, in commenting on the announcement that Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover will use both in. his campaign for the Presidency if he is nominated by the Republican Party. "Democracy, for its successful operation, depends upon intimate contact between candidates for office and the electorate body," he said, "In the past such contacts were extremely’ limited because large audiences had to be assembled to see the candidate and the candidate himself had to travel over many thousands of miles. Secretary Eloover, as an engineer, has seen the great advantages to be gained through the wide use of radio and motion picture facilities. "Through recently developed means of communication the candidate need not travel around to effect direct contact because .his voice and appearance can reach audiences in large theatres or halls ov radio listeners in the home. In effect the homes and theatres are transformed into vast auditoriums. The talking motion picture and radio broad- casts, even in the vast countries of to-. day, restore that intimate contact of the ancient Roman forum, where all the people gathered to hear all the. candidates. Im the very near future we may also add the wonders of television to the facilities at the command of the political campaigner." : A representative of the National Broadcasting Company said no arrangements had been made as yet for political broadcasts over its facilities, but declared that’ an announcement would probably be made in thé near future.