POLITICS ON THE AIR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 6, 7 July 1938, Page 8

POLITICS ON THE AIR

Though Jiis protest was expressed in strong terms, Mr. S. G. Smith's complaint of too much politics on the air will be endorsed by many listeners. There can be no doubt that the Government party has had much freer use of the radio than has the party opposed to it. We are not considering only the set broadcasts of political addresses —though even on this the Opposition has claimed that the balance was against it. There must come into the reckoning also those other ; occasions when Ministers speak at broadcast public functions, and praise the Government's achievements, and the attention given to Ministerial utterances at other times. Admittedly, the Government, being the Government, must be heard more than the Opposition to some extent. But the amount of the "more" is becoming tiring to the public. Excessive use of the radio for party politics is likely to defeat its own purpose. It is probably doing this already. Unfortunately, the Government, obsessed with its own idea of putting politics on the air and hearing only the applause of its supporters, does not hear the click as listeners shut off the radio when, instead of a football description or music, they hear political speeches.