The Press and Radio

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 30, 8 February 1929, Page 7

The Press and Radio

Points from an American Controversy [THE great part that radio played in New Zealand on eléction night will be remembéred by all listeners. In the United States it was relatively equally or more important. There, as here, the press co-operated in supplying the radio services with advance figures of election results, thus enabling millions of people to know the main decisions and the general trend even before the next day’s papers were published. In spite of that fact, ‘all newspapers reported record circulations on the day following the election, thus proving that the advance information over the radio simply whetted the appetite of the public for more detailed and accurate figures. The same out,come was apparent, we believe, in New Zealand, in.that metropolitan papers, at any rate, enjoyed record sales on the day following the election. Following the American election, the part played by the radio and the press has become the subject of definite controversy, the point of argument being: Is it wise for the press to supply the.radio with news, election or otherwise? A questionnaire on this subject was issued by "The Editor and Publisher" to forty representative newspaper men, fifteen being newspaper owners and 25 prominént executives of newspapers. The replies and views of these mén are given in full in a long special article, but a summary of the views expressed is as follows. The diversity of outlook is at any rate quite refreshing and shows that. the matter has many angles :- _ . Eight of. those. replying either approve the radio as an adjunct of newspaper publi¢ation through pre-announcement of news bulletins, or are indifferent to it as a menace t the press, Fourteen of the newspaper’ men would approve eliminating of advertising trade nantes from radio programmes published in newspapers, while six believed that the trade names were news in that they were needed to identify programmes in which the public was interested. . Some pertinent. extracts from the opinions expressed were: — "] think the radio has more potential danger to newspapers as a rival advertising medium than as a rival distributor of news."-William R. éearst,: "| consider radio programmes important news."-George B. Parker. "Radio stations aré soliciting advertising in direct competition with newspapers."-A, L. Fish, "Salt Lake Telegram." ; "To make a daily habit of giving out news in advance of is not only undesirable, but it is foolish.’--Clark Eowell, "Atlanta Constitution." ° "I have quite gotten over my fear of the radio hurting the news-papers."-Julian S. Mason, "New York Evening Post." "Radio programmes in newspapers will disappear in time or be placed in space advertising."-George B. Longan, "Kansas City Star."