AMERICAN RADIO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22224, 26 September 1935, Page 14

AMERICAN RADIO

ADVERTISING UNPOPULAR PEOPLE PREFER OWN MUSIC Speaking in Christchurch of his experiences during a recent visit to the United States, Mr. Malcolm Beaven, well-known business man, said that in private homes where he was entertained he heard the piano more often than tho radio. Ho considered that the wireless was declining in popularity because of the advertising included in the broadcasts.

"The whole of the radio programmes are sponsored for advertising purposes and there are no licence fees for receiving sets," said Mr. Beaven, "but peopl.o do not take much notice of the advertising. At the present time advertisers were employing staffs of girls to call up owners of radio sets in tho evening and ask them which station they were listening to, with the result that it was found that most-people did not know. "Probably this type of broadcasting is at its peak," said Mr. Beaven. "Tho artists employed are splendid, but people are sick of the advertising. America will probably settle down to a Bysteai like New Zealand's." "There is a general improvement in conditions in America," Mr. Beaven added. "All prices are rising and wages, too, are rising, which is tho only way to'put money into circulation. The average man who travels gets a wrong impression of conditions, for he sees only tho travelling public and tho newspapers, which are inclined to bn down in tho mouth.. When you go into the homos of the people you realise that prosperity is returning."

One of tho reasons for the riso in the economic tide was tho payment by the .Agricultural Adjustment Administration to farmers in the Middle West of 760,000,000 dollars for corn they did not grow and pigs they did not raise, so as to keep production down and prices up.