RADIO ANNOUNCING

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21991, 15 January 1937, Page 8

RADIO ANNOUNCING

TO THE EIIITOB Of THE PRESS. Sir, —Your contributor, "Listener," is taking to task and dissecting the opinions of a correspondent of his in the columns of last Saturday's issue. With much of the correspondent's opinion I am in agreement and quite fail to understand "Listener's" mental attitude. , The main contention of his .correspondent was that a standard ought to be set for the guidance of listeners who desire to speak both correctly and well. It is met with something about this being a time for goodfellowship, as if that had anything to do with the desire to have the pleasure of listening to announcers who are really worth their pay. * "It would be a waste of time to pronounce Italian perfectly," he blandly states, and doubts whether the average farmer would give his apprisal or condemnation as to how weather reports were given over the air. That statement condemns the average farmer as an ignorant, uncultured clod. Anything is good enough for him. I know some farmers who can give many points to "Listener" at his own job, and then have something to spare. What listeners have a right to expect and have, is the very best service that money can. buy in the shape of cultured and efficient announcers. We pay a handsome fee yearly and we have every right to have in return our full money's worth. "Listener" states that announcers are not to have a personality. Who is responsible for that rule? Certainly not the present director, in whom I shall be very disappointed if he does not soon clear out? of these important positions all who are so grossly incompetent, and who are lacking the rudiments of the special qualifications for these important positions. At present they cannot deliver the goods and should be superseded at the earliest possible moment. As regards pronunciation, this should be as near correct as is possible so that we, who are less informed, may thereby correct our errors. He adduces as an excuse "That the cadets must learn their trade somehow." Their imperfections cannot be eradicated, for, to them, their audiences are silent; they have no means of expressing either their approval or dissatisfaction,' except by means such as "through the medium of the press." Wireless, above all other professions, demands, at the outset, capability and culture. The use of such a vital instrument, for good or ill, should not for a moment be in the hands of an incompetent learner. There are other ways of training aspirants before they make their debut before their millions of listeners To draw an analogy between a young doctor learning his profession and a young announcer his profession, is insufficient justification for the hourly and daily infliction to which we are subject, and is quite beyond the mark. —Yours, etc.. j DOUBLE X.X. January 13, 1937.