The Pittsburgh Press (October 12, 1944)
Dewey buys last word time on Election Eve
Speaks immediately after President
By Si Steinhauser
No matter who wins, the election campaign will have a “rootin’,” “tootin’” whirlwind windup so far as radio is concerned. President Roosevelt’s Democratic National Committee has bought the hour from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. ET on Election Eve, Monday, Nov. 6, “across the board,” which means all networks. And Governor Dewey’s Republican Committee has bought a quarter hour from 11:00 to 11:15 to permit the GOP standard-bearer to have the last word. Next day you’ll have the “final say.”
Sponsored programs kept off the air by political broadcasts have had no choice in the matter. Radio stations are licensed “for the interest, convenience and necessity” of the listening public and the networks simply take the position that talks by national candidates are of public interest and take the time from the sponsor. Star casts are paid by the National Committees although they do not work, and the Musicians Union has demanded that orchestras thus kept out of work be paid. The sponsor who is billed for his time is given a refund.
A new angle in network broadcasts is the five-minute tag-end broadcast by national figures. Three networks have cut five-minute periods off major commercials and sold them to political campaign committees. This is done only with the consent of and by permission of the sponsor.
Tonight’s Town Meeting will lose its last five minutes to Senator James E. Murray.
Warren Atherton, past national commander of the American Legion, will speak over WCAE – for Dewey – at 10:00 tonight.
At 10:15 on KQV, Quentin Reynolds, Senator Robert Wagner and Paulette Goddard will speak for Roosevelt on time bought by the International Garment Workers Union Campaign Committee.