What has been written can be erased or altered, but the words spoken over the radio cannot be recalled. Therefore every address must be carefully written out. No attempt should ever be made to speak from notes or from an outline, not only because such a procedure might impair the delivery, but also because it may become necessary later on to recall the exact words which were spoken, if some statement is challenged by a listener.
The outward make-up of the manuscript is likewise of importance. It should, if at all possible, be typed double spaced on one side of the paper. Pages should be numbered consecutively. They should never be stapled or permanently fastened together. Any rustling of paper near the microphone goes over the air like the sound of a crackling forest fire. Last-minute insertions, or additional sentences hastily scribbled along the margin, are to be avoided.
Later on we shall mention the limitations of radio speaking which must be overcome, but we might mention here that plain, direct language and simple sentence structure serve the purpose best. Involved sentences and lengthy introductions only tend to confuse the hearer. Capture interest with your first sentence, and hold it till the last.
Correct pronunciation seems a simple matter until one is confronted with the task of delivering a radio address. Pay particular attention to simple words, commonly mispronounced, such as "often," "err," and the like. Make sure that you pronounce correctly the names of cities and individuals, and other proper nouns. Don't trust your ear, or rely on your Memory, or take the advice of a friend, who "thinks it sounds correct that way," but consult your dictionary when in doubt. If a certain difficult word gives you trouble in pronunciation,, substitute a more familiar word, rather than practice the difficult one, lest at the very moment when you are to pronounce the difficult word, you lapse into your old habit. Those are nerve-racking moments when one sees a word before him which he has repeated over and over again, but at the crucial moment his memory is a blank—and there he stands. He must say the word, but how to pronounce it ! Special care should be given the vowels, and every attempt at affectation or imitation is out of place.
Radio time is valuable. It is budgeted to the very second. To run over your allotted time is to incur the lasting ill will of the management of the station. Your congregation may not walk out if you preach thirty-five or forty minutes, but on the radio you have only your assigned number of minutes. Another program is waiting when you finish. Don't guess at the number of minutes your speech may require. Time it with the utmost care and precision. Neither drag along through the introduction, only to fall into a "Floyd Gibbons" speed toward the end. Omit a paragraph, rather than show undue haste toward the end of your address.
A radio address is not an oration. A moderate tone of voice ought always to be maintained. Emphasis should not be sought by shouting or by raising the voice immoderately. To avoid this extreme, and on the other hand the monotone, is a fine art which is worth cultivating. Particularly distasteful is the hissing of sibilants. The "s" sound spoken with a kind of whistle is not at all pleasing to the listener. Coughing and clearing of the throat should be avoided. Do not gulp when you must swallow. Remember also that the swift intake of breath is audible through the sensitive microphone. Heavy breathing may sound to the listener like the wheezy puffing of a steam engine.
In the studio you are not the boss; so cooperate with the management as far as possible. If a certain position in standing or sitting has been indicated, keep it. The position of the microphone should not be changed to suit your taste. That is the work of the engineers. Perhaps you might prefer a more comfortable position, but from the standpoint of efficient broadcasting, let the word of the man in charge be law.
Now a word or two about the limitations of broadcasting which must be overcome. You have an audience, but you cannot see your hearers. Audience reaction cannot influence your address. As you look into the faces of your visible audience, you can quickly note their reactions, and alter your address accordingly. This advantage is denied you in radio work.
Neither do you have the atmosphere of devotion in the surroundings. No stately church inspires you, none of the appointments of a church lead your thoughts to heavenly things. Perhaps a dance orchestra is waiting for you to finish. A dog-biscuit program may have preceded your address. The environment is often far from inspiring, but that handicap must be overcome.
In speaking to a visible audience you have the opportunity of emphasizing your thoughts by means of proper gestures, by the expression of the face, and your whole attitude. The microphone, however, transmits only your words; therefore your whole personality must be concentrated in your words.
Your congregation will sit docilely in the pews, but your radio listeners can quickly turn to some other station if your address lacks appeal and interest. No long digressions or ponderous explanations of side issues can be tolerated. Move swiftly and surely from one point to another, dwelling on each thought only long enough to make it clear and vivid. If you run out of pertinent material after having written a ten-minute address, by no means attempt to stretch it into a fifteen-minute address by appending half the hymnal, or by inserting lengthy quotations from some author. Keep the interest of the listener keenly on your subject by a rapid progression of thought.
A radio address is really halfway between the written and the spoken word. Do not write as though you were composing an article for a religious magazine; neither write as though you were preparing an oration. But as you write, keep in mind that the written word must be spoken.
Make attempts to secure the participation of your listeners by appealing to them. The bare recitation of facts (no matter how weighty or beautiful they May be) will not stimulate the listener to thought. Appeal to his feelings, to his sense of justice, to his own understanding and experiences. For example, instead of saying, "No one should delay his acceptance of Christ," it would be preferable to phrase it thus : "Can you, my friend, think of any good reason why you should postpone your coming to Christ?" The more you appeal to your listeners to cooperate with you in thought, the more you have succeeded in bridging that chasm between the microphone and the loud-speaker.
Since you do not know the religious background of your audience, their likes and dislikes, their problems and burdens, or their particular needs, it becomes necessary to guard against falling into abstract generalities. The average man does not care about the life of Abraham or the missionary journeys of St. Paul only in so far as these affect his own personal life. One feels that it is often difficult to make proper applications, since one does not know the character of his audience. But where the necessary applications are avoided, the whole talk "falls flat."
Radio broadcasting is indeed an art which must be learned and practiced, but the great opportunities for preaching Christ crucified to a perishing humanity make every effort toward becoming an efficient radio speaker well worthwhile.—H. H. Hohenstein, in American Lutheran, May, 1939.
