THE ELECTION SERVICE.

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 13, 23 November 1928, Page 6

THE ELECTION SERVICE.

WE think it will be agreed on all sides that the broadcasting of the election results on Wednesday night last took rank as the most outstanding service yet rendered by radio to the people of New Zealand. Thanks to the co-operation of the Electoral Department, the Post and Telegraph Department, and the Press of the various centres, results were made known to the general public by radio with unrivalled rapidity. The customary crowds congregated round the various newspaper offices in the main centres, where they were served not only by the usual result boards, but in some cases by loudspeaker equipment conveying the radio announcements, or by lantern slides which derived their information from the same source. In addition to the street crowds, many, many thousands of people elected to stay in the privacy of their own homes, where they were placed in immediate possession of the results without the inconvenience of street crowding. In Wellington it was quite a sight, even after midnight, to see the illuminated windows, revealing the unseen radio audience. [JT was in the backblocks, however, that the greatest appreciation of the service was experienced. Every radio set in the country on that night was surrounded, not only by the owner’s household, but by neighbours from near and far; with the result that information was available even in the scattered parts which ordinarily would have taken a week to reach by the old methods of communication. The importance of the service rendered on the evening was intensified, of course, by the sensational nature of the result of the poll. It is outside our province to comment upon that result, but comment might be made upon the service rendered by radio in the transmission of the reception accorded the Prime Minister by the crowd in front of, "The Dominion" newspaper building. This reception emanated from only a small section of the 20,000 or 25,000 people who fronted the building-probably not more than 500 of a certain youthful element participated in the demonstration. While that demonstration inflicted the immediate disability upon listeners of not completely hearing the Prime Minister, it did render the service of conveying an indication of the treatment accorded throughout the campaign to candidates not of the same class as the demonstrators. : SOME comment has been made at various stages of the campaign upon the failure to broadcast speeches of the leaders of the rival parties. This course was dictated by the regulations under which the Broadcasting Company operates, and not by any lack of enterprise on the part of the company. The pros and cons of the policy of broadcasting political speeches are debatable. Britain makes but slight use of radio for political purposes. In the United States, on the other hand, radio was used extensively in the recent Presidential cainpaign. The Democratic Party spent no less than £25,000 in purchasing 224 hours’ time over the most extensive radio chains for their candidate, Governor Al. Smith. Mr. Hoover’s expenditure in

this -direction was on a more moderate scale, although his more important speeches were broadcast. After listening to his final policy speech on the radio, President Coolidge wrote an enthusiastic recommendation of his candidature. In Australia radio is also used in the political arena, as New Zealand listeners who have tuned in to Australian stations recently have been fully aware. What the future may hold in regard to New Zealayd’s policy is uncertain, but we think a respectable body of opinion ‘would welcome an amendment of the regulations to permit the leaders, at any rate, being heard over the air. This would provide the service of giving an tininterrupted explanation of policy to the whole country. aa