Leaving Behind The Beginner's Luck Of Broadcasting

Radio Record, 19 June 1936, Page 7

Leaving Behind The Beginner's Luck Of Broadcasting

Dr.

Keith

Barry

Says

To-day’s Efforts Are | Directed To Finding Programme Ideals.

such a thing as the ideal radio programme. In radio, more than anything else, it is impossible to please all the: people all the time. It is even impossible to please all the people some of the time, or some of the people all the time. The very most any radio organisation can ever hope to do is to please the majority of people most of the time, and it is very doubtful if even this has been accomplished to date. At a recent radio show in Sydney, the Australian Broadcasting Commission installed a complaints office. A charming lady attached to the commission’s staff sat in this office day and entered up various criticisms of the commission’s service. The result was illuminating in the lack of real information it gave, and, between ourselves, the charming lady found much secret amusement:in setting one critic off against the other. This was the sort of thing that went on: never has been, nor will there ever be,

"I would. like to protest against the inordinate amount of time given to the price of pigs and the stock market each day," someone ‘would say. "We don’t get half enough information for the man outback," would be the next complaint. "Here’s a gentleman who has just complained’ that we spend too much time on market Yreports,’ would murmur the ‘commission’s representative. . "Oh, he says that does he," . the man from out-back would exclaim in a very fierce voice.

"Just let me talk to him a few moments, and I will show him where he is wrong." And then the fun would begin. ‘Gone are the days when children were considered nitwits, and it is now more generally assumed that the child is a young adult possessed of wideawake reasoning powers, and an irresistible supply of logic. By that I do not mean that children’s sessions are being turned into extra-school hours, but I do mean that radio officials in charge of children’s sessions are aiming to interest more than the six-year-olds, Hand-in-glove with this advantage in radio is the one concerning young people. Both the B.B.O, and Germany run special sessions for those between the ages of fourteen "and eighteen. 4 This class of listener, so highly important, in that he is, the license-payer of to-morrow, has never had a fair deal in‘ radio before. Mostly he has been completely ignored and programmes have either been built for tiny tots or full-grown adults.

Incidentally, it is‘a matter of some surprise how, popular these youth sessions are. withthe. adult listener. . ton aw A very definite trend:in radio.‘to-day is directed ‘toward the "feature" programme: It is" becoming: more’ and’ more realised that long programmes are unsuitable for radio work, The family wireless set is a family machine, and it is most unlikely that a whole family will want to listen to one and the same thing for very long at a time. If you want to catch the family ear you must make things short and snappy. A play that runs for thirty minutes has a much better chance of being heard throughout than one that runs for ninety minutes. The concert that continues for an hour is more sure of a continuous audience than one that goes for two hours. Naturally there are times when the exception proves the rule, and there is no doubt that on very special occasions two-hour, or even longer programme features, can be built. Coincident with the rise of the.feature idea in broadcasting is the co-related idea that the programme is more important than the artist. Of course, you have world

artists who will always get a large audience on the air, just as they do in the concert hall. These rare birds, however, do not grow on every -bush, and in the main a broadcasting programme must appeal more because of its inherent value than of the value of the individuals performing it. The feature programme idea is being brought into all fields of radio. Especially on the lighter side hag it been a god-send. The B.B:C. ‘have had great success with’ their

‘Teature variety given uncer the guise of programmes like’ Cafe Colette. It is merely the old idea of a stage setting. The artist who stands lonely on the bare boards of an undecorated stage has much less chance of going over. than one who appears at ease in a nicely-decorated scene with artistic surrounds. The "errand concert idea" has dropped into the limbo of forgotten things, and a modern radio artist: is supposed to be a valuable part of an organised whole, rather than a lone star erying out of the heavens. Television? Of course it will completely wreck all existing ideas of radio programmes. Its expense will probably be terrific as far as upkeep and programme presentation are concerned, and it may be a considerable time before it is developed to its full possibility. Already there is talk of a "television loan" being floated in England, and it may be a considerable time before we who live on the outskirts of the Empire see its full development. Against that prophecy is the known fact that radio develops with incredible speed, and that what seems impossible in one decade becomes a commonplace in a next,

No invention in the world’s history has ever before developed with the speed of radio. Ten years ago it was considered a miracle if one was able to hear a voice coming over the air. Now-a-days itis almost a miracle to be able to escape from the sounds of a wireless set. This article tells something of the latest ideas in radio programmes throughout the world.