THE STATE OF AMERICAN RADIO TODAY

...The sponsors include tho Screen Writers Guild exl ecullve Mary McCall, Jr., the president of the National Lawyers Guild Robert W. Kenny, and assorted authors anc actors...

...In a speech which he made at the Newspaper Guild of New York, he said that "the people...

...Therefore, the sponsors had to look for other programs which the people wanted to hear, Henry Wallace confirmed recently the fact that this truly democratic process had worked, though he did not understand its meaning...

...when invited by station WOR (New York) to "select any time desired from all the periods remaining in WOR's evening schedule, "he did not find a convenient one...

...Krharht, entitled, Hitler'* Magician...

...Directed by Milton Robertson, this agency also follows tho party-line closely, although it poses as a progressive organization...

...among the speakers were Sam Moore, the president of the Radio Writers Guild...

...Raymond Swing had to retire for reasons of health, but made a comeback in February...

...The nature of his broadcasts, however, soon made stations and networks unwilling to sell him time at any price...

...FM and the Party-liners Main target of attack is at present FM broadcasting, where the Soviet pressure group hopes to have its own station soon...

...However, the people did not have to use this system until now...

...Edward Brodsky, William Cropper, Fred V. Field, Samuel J. Novick (the sponsor ol William Gailmor), Albert Kahn, Norman Corwin, Margaret Webster, Dean Dixon, Margaret Halsey, Eugene O'Neill, Jr., Marc Rlitzxtein, Peter Lyon, Edward Chodoruw, William Feinberg, Fritz Mahler, Leverctt Cleason...

...In Europe, he worked as a Journalist in a number of countries...

...Why did they sign off ? The general interest in commentators has somewhat decreased since the war...

...And James Roosevelt begins his regular comments over KLAC (Hollywood) after a short pause on February 23rd...

...Some commentators—liberals, non-liberals, and anti-liberals—have been dismissed, whilo others—liberals, nonliberals, and anti-liberals—aro still going strong...

...Now it's the turn «f the Soviet propaganda to get on the air by that method...

...7*e Dropped Commentators / From the nation-wide networks disappeared four newscasters of long standing, John W. Vandercook, Robert St...

...Furthermore, Quentin Reynolds, Orson "Welles and Henry Morgenthau, Jr., three men known and publicized in fields outaide the radio, tried to bank on their names in the promising commentator's business, but were out of the job again after the audience had been given the opportunity to listen and be bored...

...He has written a biography of Dr...

...And the economic law Worked: the "marginal producer," tho eoramentator with the smallest audienco er with the most decreasing audience, had to go out of business...

...The *f/st article was on "advertorials"—or editorial adrertlsemlSUC TtH next ItTths aeries, to appear soon, will he en KM...

...As a short but catchy commercial, I propose a quotation from their teacher and master...

...Fortunately, it isn't true...

...Morgenthau, Jr., was •Imply a bore, whatever his' politics...

...Wallace's statement, however, was only a naff-truth...

...Sponsors want to reach tho mass audience, not only the subscribers of the Daily Worker, or the admirers of the former Secretary of the Treasury, or the decreasing listeners of some lame-duck commentators...

...It is very interesting to note that it remained the last refuge of revolutionary rabblerousers who did not find sufficient access to the air by more traditional means...

...Arch Oboler, a mediocre radio writer, Kmi...

...On the independent stations, a number Of commentators also were fired...

...Their loss Of listeners reflected tho changed preferences which many people showed between the siege of Stalingrad and tho agressions of Stalin...

...Another affiliate is Adventure Radio, allegedly a producer of radio drama* of "public sci vice character...

...There is Max I.erner, who should be considered a "liberal" even by Wallace sinco he defends the Soviets after introducing himself before his broadcasts in admirable modesty as 'speaking for a democratic America...

...This, in short, is the aim of a new campaign the strategy of which consists, in confusing the issues and thoroughly befuddling the public...

...In New York City, the National Citizens Political Action Committee, the chairman of which, Frank Kingdon, happened to be one of the frustrated commentators himself, also protested "vigorously...

...The Federal Communications Commission which sees to it that every transcribed announcement or program is labeled as such, so that no listener might mistake it for a live voice, should also request that the transcriptions of the Kremlin's Voice over the American radio l>e especially labeled as such, whether a commentator, a drama, or a discussion forum is presented...

...Johannes Steel, Lisa Sergio, Sid Walton, Estelle Sternberger got the axe in New York, while on the Pacific coast the contracts of Averill Berman, Alvin Wilder, Peter de Lima, Sam Baiter, John Dehncr, Bill Pennell, and in Chicago, the contract of Gerhard Schacher, were" not renewed...

...On Station WHN (New York), which dropped Johannes Steel, one can still listen to a truly liberal commentator, George Hamilton Combs, as well as to an all-out party-liner, William S. Gailmor...

...In other words, while most radio commentators of today are middle-of-theroaders who inform the public without antagonizing parts of it by too strong a stand" on controversial issues, some commentators aro definitely leaning to tho liberal side, some others to tho onservativo side...

...THE RADIO LISTENEPNorbert Muhlen is a Ph.D...

...Here," the- Daily Mfarker described Adventure Radio programs, "wsfs radio that packed punch, that spoke a redblooded piece...

...In New York, Johannes Steel is pro paring a similar organization to pul himself and his buddies on the metro politan air...

...my forth coming article "The FM Era Begins,' in The Mew Leader...

...The Council which has already sponsored Sam Baiter (five times a week over 2 Los Angeles stations, and onci a week on tho ABC Pacific coast network), and is sponsoring Averill Bermat (five times a week on KXLA, Los Angeles), plans to spend $250,000 a yearcontributed by California "labor anc civic groups,"—on a daily coast hook -u[ of 4 commentators...

...A purely Communist propaganda organization, it celebrates Soviet policies, plugs party controlled committees anl ridicules the party's adversaries...

...He is the former editor of The Radio Audience, a newsletter on radio...

...Tie Pro-Commun/sr Commentators SoME of tho fired pommcnlators were fanatically pro-Communist...

...Its stars and songs have been" heard over unsuspecting stations...

...J ' Minorities and Radio It is a healthy idea that groups can buy time for, and pay the salary of, commentators or programs which cnnnot find a sponsor or a sustaining station...

...THE STATE OF AMERICA RADIO TODAY By Norbert Muhlen THE Soviet-controlled pressure groups in this country are trying hard to reconquer their radio positions which they lost during the last year, and to gain more influence on the airlanes than they had before...

...from the LTniversity of Munich...

...To keep tho balance of opinion on tho fringes, tho few Soviet party-liners and fellow-travelers ' aro duplicated by Upton Close and a very few other extremists of the reactionary Right...

...While it was true that the people did not dire enough for the fired commentators—some liberals, 30ms Communists, some conservatives—it is also true that the people care still very much for many other commentators who, according to present standards, must be classified as liberals...

...For this, the Common Man got quite a scolding from his uncommon and unchosen spokesman...

...and there are Drew Pearson, Kinder Davis, Cecil Brown...

...Charles E. Coughlin whose fans, organized in the Radio League of the Little Flower, paid 114,000 a week for hia personal hook-up over 26 stations...

...If the Soviet propaganda tries to sell the people on Its views by buying time OP the radio, one cannot objert to it— under one condition: they have to Inbel themselves publicly and unambiguously as Soviet propagandists, not as lil>era!s, progressives, or peace-loving Americans...

...It is planned to collect local funds for "liberals on tho radio," and to buy time for Soviet propagandists...

...Thus, the liberal innocents are led to the belief that tyranny rules on the air waves, before their support is requested...

...liberals, while a few others worn without political colors, or rather leaning to tho Right And Mr...

...While in Tide magazine, tho trndo weekly of the advertisers who allegedly run the Reds out of radio, thu same program was approvingly reviewed as "a forceful fantasy about the threat of atomic warfare...

...Since the radio-baiters and antihucksters deplore the "radio commercialism" all the time, these programs should, instead of commercials, present their real sponsor's message—the aim of world revolution, world war and world domination, as formulated by Stalin and the Comintern...

...1 Red Baiters AND Radio Baiters The Big Radio Scare The Big Radio Scare, the legend that radio is -purging its liberals, is being publicized to bring back to the air those anti-liberals, pro-Soviet commentators who have been rejected by the public...

...The percenlago ef American radio homes listening to tho average commentator fell from 6.5 in the first half of 1944, to 4.9 in the first half of 1946, yahile tho audiences of Straight newsreports gained in the same period (according to an analysis of . Hooper ratings...

...Corwin and William Robson, a CBS producer...

...In the typical Soviet pattern, the will of the people is counteracted by small pressure groups, through mass meetings, protest statements and similar media...

...Under the appealing name of Peoples Radio Foundation, Inc., it applied for one ot the remaining five New York area channels...

...Tho radio-baiting campaign against red-baiting that didn't exist serves as the build-up for a public drive to put well-chosen commentators back on their spots against and over the will of tho big listening audience, tho sponsors, tho stations, the netwoiks...

...In Hollywood, the Writers Mobilization organized a mass meeting of this sort against staion KFI (Los Angeles...

...How tha respectable and public-supported New York Institute for Education of tho Wind found its way into this company, alongside the Communist-controlled Congress of American Women and tho Communist International Workers Order, is a minor mystery...

...Fiorello LaGuardia lost his program sustained by A.B.C., but still broadcasts on Sunday mornings under the sponsorship of a cheese manufacturing company...

...A few other commentators were curtailed in their program times...

...There is Raymond Walsh, probably the ablest apologist of the Soviets on the American air...

...John, Dan Hollenbeck and Don Goddard...

...Their radio influence had never amounted to very much, and while the trend goes toward further decreases, they fight bitterly for increases...

...Behind tha pose of public servtcs, the purpose of Soviet service remains well-hidden...

...The public is given the impression that the liberal commentators are being chased off the air, that radio goes reactionary, that sinister forces—alternately called the National Association of Manufacturers, the Powerful Networks, the Hucksters and/or the Reaction—are at work killing progressive expression in broadcasting...

...Quincy Howe, though still on other Columbia network stations, was dropped from WCBS...

...The public, which docs not listen to sll of the commentators nor recall their political shades, could not know that the planned outcry about the fired liberals wssjfljsiipportod by tho fuels...

...This system allows audience minorities to hear what they like, independent of sponsors and stations...

...In Hollywood, the Western Council for Progressive Husinc.HS, Labor and Agriculture was recently formed to pay the air "Time, advertising costs and the salaries necessary to keep tho ft rod commentators broadcasting...

...Mas Yergan, Corliss Lamont, Dr...

...Finally, Frank Kingdom's sponsor, a men's clothing retail chain, wanted a new time spot...

...Tho project plans to operate >n a $200,000 fund, of which $6(5,000 are already paid, ami $.'15,000 pledged, Two organizations already operating aro tied op with the People's Radio Foundation One of thern is People's Songs, Inc., allegedly a publishing house, talent agency and musical troupe for folk songs...

...Even all three groups together are too small a market for the cleansers, cigars and fur-Coats which they want to sell...

...have not cared enough for liberal commentators, liberal columnists, and liberal newspapers to support them vigorously...

...The sponsors include the usual mixture of innocents and do-gooders, fellow-traveling and partycard holding notables such as Herman Shumlin, Rockwell Kent, Dr...

...If this were true, there would indeed be given every cause for alarm for those who believe in freedom of opinion, and who think that -the adversary should be attacked, exposed, corrected, but not be denied, his right of speech...

...A few of the disappearing commentators were real...

...This program," the announcer may say, "was presented as a public service by the party which must, according to I^nin, 'use any rime, running, unlawful method, evasion, concealment of truth.' Yes, we've shown yon bow well this party line works...

...It is a safeguard of free radio...

...This article in the second In a series on radio Muhlen has written for The Sew Leader...

...There is Walter Winchell, still the most listened-to commentator of all of them, who has lost nothing of his appeal...

...The system was invented by the Rev...

...ami was not afraid to make pertinent remarks about our atomic bomb games...

...However, Kingdon is still on the air every Sunday morning, sponsored by a fountain-pen company which is arranging for a 20-station hook-dp...