BROADCASTING AT ELECTIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 23 June 1927, Page 3

BROADCASTING AT ELECTIONS

PREPARING FOR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN The London Daily Telegraph correspondent notes with some interest a further illustration of the essential difference between broadcasting methods in England and those on the other side of the Atlantic in connection with the Presidential campaign next year. Extensive use will be made of radio in connection with this campaign, and the National Broadcast lug Co. of America is making a special' study of the matter ili view of the experience gained during the campaign of 1924, when confusion and conflict about dates arose owing to the failure of the candidates Lo plan their radio programmes sufficiently far lii advance. This is a very different attitude towards broadcasting ■from that of Britain, where political speeches are taboo. "Even though the corporation has greater freedom in the matter, than the late company, vvc have yet. to; hear a candidate for Parliament speaking into the microphone," states tho' Telegraph. "Perhaps this is a more satisfactory state of affairs than exists in the States, where serious discussion is going on concerning the respective, microphone tactics of President t'oolidge and Governor Alfred E. Smith, the Democratic, candidate. Uoyernor Smith is described as one who lias made more, effective use of radio 'than any other public man. President Coolidge, on tho other hand, is said to be the best radio speaker in the nation from the technical standpoint of the radio expert. There ai'e various other "possibilities" for the Presidential elections, and in respect of all of them their "radio strategy" is being discussed. It is calculated, incidentally, that metre, than 8,000,000 receiving sets will be in use in the States next year. About 40 or 50 stations, will be included in radio "hook ups" (shniib taneous ' broadcasts), as against 16 or 18 in 'the Coolidge-Davis campaign. But one lesson of the last campaign is that the American public do .not 'want too much political talk. ' Tho broadcasting of tho long : drawn-oiit Democratic Con-, venfion is believed to have- been a damaging blow to tho Democrats, for instance."