FOR THE MINORITY

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 30, 1 February 1935, Page 5

FOR THE MINORITY

THE general use of wireless has induced us to believe. that nothing is suitable for broadcasting unless it appeal to thousands. There might be occasions, however, in which broadcasting to hundreds might have farther-reaching results. Roughly speaking, the func-! tions of wireless are considered as three: to give entertainment, information. and education. The listening’ public simplifies matters by putting the programmes under two headings, the good and the bad. But the practice of shutting off the set when the "bad’’ number is broadcast is dying; listeners just disregard it’ by talking, or going on with their game of bridge or eating their supper. And, for this reason, the "‘good"" number is often missed too, so that, in time, all wireless programmes, whether good or bad, become just a back-! ground for a family’s -vening activities. But there will always be a minority that is v-illing to listen, intelligently and carefully, and for this reason the broadcast that has not a "popular’’ appeal may be more deeply appreciated than the one that is intended to reach the "heart strings’ (as the film advertisements say) of every, listener in the country. "Man of ‘Aran," the British picture that wan the! American film award for 1934, and ‘The Guardsman," ! the picture which starred those two superb players, Alfred Lunt and Lyn Fontane, were not big successes, but the joy they gave to a few thousand discriminating picture-goers more than compensated for their failure as "box-office hits.’ ‘And so it is with broadcasting,