I began radio work in Allentown, Pennsylvania nine years ago. A friend urged me to try it, and I soon saw the Lord's hand in it all. We made a host of friends, secured thousands of dollars for Harvest Ingathering and other church activities, baptized nearly ninety converts, and broke down prejudice as a direct result of our radio work there.
We were connected with a small station which grew, and we grew with it; that is, we stayed on the air as it expanded. Our expense at the beginning was small, almost nothing; but when we closed our work there last year, it was costing us $65 a month for one hour a week. However, most of this was paid by the listening public.
On coming to Harrisburg I called on the two stations here and made myself known. One is a chain station, and they turned me over to the local ministerial association to be assigned a place to speak as they would call upon me. This might have given me an opportunity once in two or three months, and it would only have been broadcast locally, not in the chain. So I went to the other station, which has considerably less power. But it happened that a minister who had been using one of their free vesper half hours was moving to another part of the country, and they thought perhaps I could fit in there. I told them I would be glad to try. They sent for me within a week, and arranged for me to take this free period once a week, and I have been on regularly ever since.
I have also taken on a paid period of half an hour on Sunday afternoon, but will continue the free time. The paid time costs me $10 for the half hour. While I feel free to present any and all the truth on this paid Sunday period, yet I confine my free work on Thursday to practical subjects. This local station has a good carrying range, and I am reaching thousands of people within a radius of fifty miles, and some as far as a hundred miles away.
It is better to secure time on a local station, even if the power is small, starting with fifteen minutes if we cannot pay for more time, and then grow. If the speaker is able, he will receive the attention of the public, and can ask them for contributions that will help defray the expenses. My voluntary offerings have run from 10 cents to $100 from one individual.
As to regularity, I would suggest that five or ten minutes at a given time each week is worth more than an hour once a month. It takes some time to become known to the radio public, and only as you become acquainted can you accomplish much.
With regard to the material presented, there should be no trouble if one uses the tact he would ordinarily use in conducting a public effort in a theater or tent. Some stations expect that the matter to be presented shall be sent in beforehand for inspection, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Now as to the technique of broadcasting. Make your moments before the microphone count. Do not generalize; be direct. If you speak ten or twenty minutes, give your audience full measure. Don't leave them guessing as to what you have presented to them. This is more true on the air than in any other method of reaching the public. There is much offered the radio listener today, and unless you have something really worthwhile and different, it will not find a hearing. The dial knob can be easily turned. Measure your words, and study carefully.
The importance of logically and clearly presenting your theme cannot be overstressed. Boldly but with wisdom are you to declare our blessed message. Pray until the Master stands by your side, and then with the conscious burden of bearing a message to thousands, tell your story simply, earnestly.
The voice should be of the right radio quality to make the best impression. Be natural, enunciate clearly, do not speak too fast, stand still, and do not rattle papers.
Have every detail arranged in advance with almost painful minutiae. Do not waste a second, but do not appear to hurry. Time costs money on the air, and people do not want to wait. Immediately after announcing a song, let your pianist strike the chord, and after a few measures let your singers begin. Two stanzas of a song are usually sufficient, unless a special message is desired to be conveyed by song. When the music is over, you should be ready at the microphone to tell what is coming next. I do all the announcing of my programs after the regular announcer introduces me. I offer a short prayer immediately after the Scripture lesson, and another short prayer to close. "Short" means from forty-five seconds to not over a minute I use a speaking outline, and usually have the striking paragraphs written out. I may add to or "interline" as I speak. The interlining becomes easier after you have become accustomed to addressing "cold steel," as the microphone may be termed. At the beginning, I would advise you to write out your talk quite in detail, and then time yourself so you will know just how long it will take you. During the last few moments of my discourse I stand with my watch in hand, and arrange to finish a few seconds before my time is up. Don't run over time. Begin on time, and quit the same. I suggest herewith, a sample program for a thirty-minute broadcast:
1. Station announcement by regular announcer.
2. Minister announces his music.
3. Short Scripture lesson. Announce location of lesson both before and after reading.
4. Prayer. "Let us bow our heads for the evening prayer."
5. Music. Two stanzas.
6. Announce your subject. Read your text, then deliver your sermon. Don't waste any time with unnecessary preliminaries. It is well to repeat the text several times during the discourse. Whenever any text of Scripture is used or referred to, always give the exact location. Show that you are building upon the Word. Close discourse with short prayer.
7. Make your announcements, such as public lectures in church or hall, free literature on subjects given, make requests for letters giving names and addresses of those desiring pastoral call or visit from Bible worker. After becoming somewhat acquainted with your congregation through a few broadcasts, make requests for contributions toward expense.
8. Station announcer speaks.
As to subjects, I would suggest: The Bible as the Word of God, Signs of the Times, World Conditions, Second Coming of Christ, Bible Prophecy, etc. I have given almost everything that I would give in a tent meeting. Much more tact is needed, however, in presenting over the air subjects peculiar to our faith. Catholics are listening in, and greater wisdom is needed than if facing them in a tent effort. A dozen people might walk out of your tent if you were injudicious, but a thousand could turn you off their radio sets, and you would know nothing about it. Read "Testimonies," Volume IX, pages 239-244, on "Words of Caution," before you prepare your talk.
One feature that I have found very helpful in securing and holding a radio audience is the question period. Five minutes out of a thirty-minute period or ten out of an hour could be profitably spent with questions. Prepare "leaders" from questions that have come to you, and which would give you opportunity to present subjects that they might accuse you of unduly stressing if in a sermon. For example, after I have presented strong studies on the law of God, I state that next Sunday night I will answer the questions that have come in concerning the day we ought to keep as the Sabbath in this age. This will break down Prejudice, and gather round you a large number to hear what you have to say. Wonderful openings come to you in the questions. Short answers are in most instances sufficient; but as in the matter of the Sabbath question, of course you may spend an entire evening on it.
I used a printed slip [duplicated on this page] advertising the radio broadcast, when I was in Allentown. Our church members handed them out by the thousands to the public when out in Harvest Ingathering and similar campaigns. Then, after the broadcasts are well under way, it is well to have a neat rubber stamp made, with which to stamp all the Present Truth, Signs, tracts, etc., sent out in response to requests for literature, giving name of the church, location, name of pastor, broadcasting station, and time of weekly broadcasts.
Harrisburg. Pa.
