The Press: Ink v. Air

When the radio committee of the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association proposed at the last convention that newspapers publish radio programs as paid advertising only, Radio replied through Merlin Hall Aylesworth, president of National Broadcasting Co.: “The public will get its information, if not through the newspapers, then through a new medium created for the purpose” (TIME, May 4). Fortnight later the Cincinnati newspapers began to skeletonize their radio programs to such terms as “Dialog” for Amos ‘n Andy; “Commentator” for Lowell Thomas; “Dance Orchestra” for Paul Whiteman. Result: within a week appeared Radio Dial, an eight-page weekly selling for 5¢ and presenting news and programs of broadcasting. Three weeks ago Radio Dial declared a press run of 16,000.

Last week the Manhattan dailies tried to approach the A. N. P. A.’s end—elimination of free advertising—by less violent means. By agreement of the Publishers’ Association of New York City all newspapers continued to print fairly complete radio programs but struck out all names of sponsors. Thus the Camel Quarter Hour became simply “Morton Downey, tenor; orchestra; talk, Anthony Wons” ; Lucky Strike was not mentioned in the listing of “B. A. Rolfe Orchestra.”

The publishers offered the explanation that the radiaudience’s interest has shifted from the name of the sponsor to the name of the performer. Naturally the names of Singers “Olive Palmer” and “Paul Oliver” would be a certain clue to the Palmolive program. Hence one zealous radio editor printed the performers’ real names (Virginia Rea and Frank Munn).