But Do Listeners Want Sugar Coats Without the Pills?

Radio Record, 5 August 1938, Page 6

But Do Listeners Want Sugar Coats Without the Pills?

‘66g ISTENERS do not want pills witheut sugar coats," said a contributor, L. A. Macintyre, in an attack fast week against NBS talks. ..This week, J.B. says if he had to make the choice he would prefer the pill to the sugar coating.

"I the peculiar fashion of the times, it seems to be a positive delin"quency to: be honest and" frightfully bad form to:be worthy. . .

One’ can imagine the sage of- the- 20th century addressing his disciple: "OQ, my son, I would give you a word of warning. You possess, I ‘observe, leanings towards honesty and. worthiness... Now these qualities, once praised above most: others, to-day are under grave suspicion. "Tf a man.is honest to-day he is automatically suspected’ of dullness, and if he is worthy he is suspected of being old-fashioned. Conceal these traits in your character, my son, and you may attain eminence in the world about you. ‘Cultivate, if you can, the shiny surface of superficiality, ‘the glib tongue of the prattler, the shallow mind of the sensationalist. Then you will be what the age calls A Success,’’ ‘The advice of the sage is not unlike the advice of the ‘"‘Record’s’" contributor, L. A. Macintyre, in last week’s issue. ‘‘Not even the advertisements or the blatancy of the commercials at their feeblest,’’ wrote Mr.. Macintyre, ‘"‘have caused me more chagrin than the honest, very worthy talks policy of the NBS." The talks policy is honest and worthy, yet it causes Mr. Macintyre chagrin! "The main thing that causes him chagrin is the ""Whirligig of ‘Time’’ series. "Tt seems,’ he says.in.a pretty phrase, "‘to have got the NBS giddy." ; ---

As it happens, though Mr. Macintyre blissfully | ignores the fact that the "Whirligig’’ series makes up only a small part of the NBS talks. ‘Only. one

a week is given from each station in the winter months of March to October. They are unashamedly educational. It is not too much to hope that once a week, for 20 short minutes, a few listeners want to be educated, is it? At the same time, those who have spoken in the series are well aware that the service does its best to see that the talks are as entertaining as possible as well. ' Considerable effort is made to ensure: that the talks do not become mere dry, learned dissertations. The scripts are submitted, revised. returned .to the talker with amendments and suggestions. The talker is given a voice test and coached in the manner of speaking into the microphone. He is exhorted not to forget the human interest in his talk. Often he rewrites his talk so that it will be easy and conversational. Alas, in spite of all this effort, Mr Macintyre found reason to praise only the talks by Mr. S. K. Ratcliffe and Professor Alexander. Why. he cries, are all the whirligig talks not like these? The answer is simple. Why are not all the novels published ‘‘Citadels’? Few writers are A. J. Cronins; few talkers are Ratcliffes and Professor Alexanders. These men are noted radio "‘bestsellers.’’ Mr. Ratcliffe is a BBC favourite and a platform lecturer of renown. Professor Alexander isan American radio talker (Continued on page 42.)

Sugar Coats

AND NO PILLS. ‘(Continued ° from page’ 6.) who speaks every night of his life on the air in the United States. With these exceptions, Mr, Macintyte ~ apparently found the talks "as dull «ts their titles." What were . those . titles? I remember some at random jrom 2YA: "The {dea of a Gentleman," ‘The Idea of A Lady,. "As Drunk as a Lord," "Do You Quarrel, Sir?" I did not find these titles dull, but then neither do I find the talks dull One must’ grant, of course, that the

_best authority on a certain. subject, is _ "by no means as good a radio talker as he is an authority. The man who knows . Most -about "Fish-in New Zeuland"-or "What is the Gold Standard?’ may ' sometimes make listeners wish "he knew a good deal less, At the same ‘time against his poor efforts as an orator, one must balance his fame as . an.authority. The mere fact that a man is a well-known expert gives his voice value over the air. H. G. Wells is alleged to have a thin, reedy voice. but-even if he were the worst speaker in the world-who would not want to hear him? I would by no means, however, suggest that the talks are perfect. The technique of radio talks in New Zea-

land,, at least, could be_ considerably improved without detracting trom their . worthiness. Hirst the. eoaching systetn’ could ° be Bach’ radio station hag’ a number of ‘ fairiy~-regular talkeis.: These men and women could’ well. be ealled ‘together mere for "talks classes," at which they might practice the art, more fully. Secondly, where the voice of the ex pert is too weak to balance against his: reputation, provision should be made for a trained radio speaker to give his’ talk for him. . Thirdly, the interview system could be used much more frequently and effectively than it is, particularly by. employing shrewd and trained men as interviewers. . Fourthly, the vast-field of.dramatisation and musical effects in talks. has not yet been sufficiently: exploited. ; There is much still.to be found’ out about the radio talk technique .and- I. believe it would be a good. thing if the. NBS pushed on more ‘rapidly ‘with some of their experiments to find’ out’ these things. Meanwhile, however if we are: to choose between the slapstick and superficial versus the honest ‘and worthy, Mr. Macintyre may hare the sugar coating. I prefer the pill.