16.
BROADCASTING THE BAHÁ’Í MESSAGE
BY MILDRED R. MOTTAHEDEH
IN the year 1943 to 1944 the National Bahá’í Radio Committee was asked to undertake a series of radio campaigns in various parts of the United States. It is interesting that we should have begun this work in a year phenomenal in radio for the lack of available time which could be purchased. In spite of this condition the Bahá’ís were successful in purchasing weekly broadcasting time in hours during which the radio stations have barred all religious broadcasts. The National Spiritual Assembly chose New York, Chicago and San Francisco for their initial campaigns. Three different types of programs are now under way in order to determine which are the most effective. Difficulties, due both to conditions now existing in the radio world and to our own inexperience in this field, have been numerous. The radio stations have chosen this opportunity, when they have so many people to buy time, to get rid of all religious programs—something they had been hoping to do for many years. In past years they had to take any program in order to fill out their time. Now they are more independent and would like to push all of their religious broadcasts into Sunday daylight hours when they feel the listening audience is very small anyway. The initial efforts undertaken by the New York Assembly resulted in the development of a program which was acceptable to the radio stations at hours not usually open for religious broadcasts.
NEW YORK—A canvass of the stations
was made and the station most receptive to
Bahá’í broadcasts was WQXR, one of the
five big stations in New York City. This
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station specializes in fine music, and reaches
an intellectual audience. New York began
first with announcements consisting of readings
of the creative Word and announcement of the
Sunday meetings. These were
one minute in length and were very successful.
After a trial period of one month, the
New York Assembly decided to continue
these announcements and signed a long term
contract. Then much of the time which
was used for our announcements was bought
by large commercial firms and we were no
longer assured of a regular broadcasting
time which could be advertised. After some
initial experiments the committee bought a
regular weekly broadcasting time, fifteen
minutes in length, during the desirable
week day evening hours. The station was
not willing to accept straight Bahá’í talks
but was amenable to a program which
would consist of fine music with short
quotations and an announcement of the Sunday
meetings. This program has been under way
since Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday, November
12th. A fine attendance at the Sunday
meetings has been one of the tangible
results. More difficult to measure would be
the prestige it has brought the Faith in this
area and the number of people who have
heard the word “Bahá’í.”
This station publishes monthly a booklet listing all of the programs and carrying small advertisements of some of the larger advertisers. This booklet is mailed out to 28,000 people every month, who pay one dollar a year subscription for it. For the past few months they have been carrying, without charge, an advertisement for the Bahá’ís showing the Temple and giving the address of the New York Bahá’í Center.
CHICAGO—In Chicago the same difficulties with respect to the acceptance of religious programs were met. However, earnest effort resulted in the purchase of a half hour program on one of the five leading Chicago stations, WCFL. They, too, were not open to straight religious talks but accepted with pleasure the idea of a combined musical program and reading of the creative word. This program has been under way since December 28th and is meeting with warm and hearty approval by the listeners, both Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í. At the end of each program the listeners are invited to the Bahá’í Temple for the Sunday meetings. This is very important because many of the people in the Temple area were not aware of the fact that they were welcome to visit the Temple and attend meetings. It also provides the means for building up in the minds of listeners a realization of the importance of the Centennial. By the time of the Convention the results, both in publicity and in prestige, should be widely apparent.
SAN FRANCISCO—The two West Coast representatives of the National Bahá’í Radio Committee felt that a series of fifteen-minute Bahá’í talks would be most effective. They purchased time on a small independent station and proceeded with the development of thirteen scripts for the initial series. A new type of Bahá’í radio talk was inaugurated, a warm, sympathetic talk rather than an essay. This new method has been very successful and the California friends report increased attendance at their meetings and requests for copies of the scripts. It is hoped that this thirteen weeks’ series will give us a set of fine scripts that can be transcribed and used by Assemblies everywhere. By Convention time we should know which of the two techniques, music and the creative word, or the straight talks, are most productive of results. We are now in the laboratory stage, and upon the findings of these experiments the campaigns of next year will be built.
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In addition to these three large campaigns, preparations are now under way for a Canadian national weekly broadcast. Here it should be said that realization has come to the Bahá’ís of how effective the radio can be in small pioneering communities struggling to establish themselves in the public eye. Effectively used, the Canadian broadcasts can be of inestimable help to their many newly settled areas. It is hoped that by Convention time the Canadian broadcasts will be under way. The Bahá’ís throughout the country are becoming more radio-minded and not a day passes without requests coming in to the National Committee for scripts and information about how to proceed.
This radio report would be incomplete
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without word about the splendid work
being done by Mrs. Evelyn L. Bivins of
Greenwood, Mississippi. In a quiet, modest
way she has been broadcasting for the past
few years. This in itself would be an outstanding
example of the power of the Faith,
that these broadcasts should be going on for
so long a period in a part of the South where
the race question is so important.
Miss Agnes Alexander has been conducting a series of broadcasts over Station KGU in Honolulu, Hawaii, for some time and reports splendid results.
Every Assembly has been urged to give at least one radio program before the Centennial in order to lay the foundation of their future radio campaigns. The Guardian has spoken of the day when people would enter the Faith in large groups. In what more effective way could this be accomplished than by radio? Continued intelligent use of the medium of the New Day will make the entire North American Continent aware of the existence of the Bahá’ís and their principles.
BAHÁ’Í PROGRAM, TUESDAY, JAN. 11, 1944—9:30-10:00 P. M.
THEME
AIR BY BACH.
Announcer
The Musical Calendar brought to you by the National Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.
THEME
UP AND OUT.
Announcer
Tonight the Musical Calendar salutes the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, who was born a little over seventy-eight years ago and whose musical masterpieces have won world wide acclaim. The music of Sibelius endowed with his own unique spirit and character is highly individual, but in it is a strange charm which deepens to fascination. We open with one of his compositions perhaps best known in America. Full of poetry, melody and a shadowy beauty—his Valse Trieste.
RECORD
VALSE TRIESTE. M-484. Pons—Kostelanetz Concert.
Announcer
You have just heard the opening selection on tonight’s Musical Calendar. Now a selection from the Bahá’í Writings.
Reading from Bahá’í Writings
- "If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illuminated and spiritual; but if enmity and hatred exist within it, destruction and dispersion are inevitable. This is likewise true of a city. If those who dwell within it manifest a spirit of accord and fellowship it will progress steadily and human conditions become brighter—whereas through enmity and strife it will be degraded and its inhabitants scattered. In the same way the people of a nation develop and advance toward civilization and enlightenment through love and accord, and are disintegrated by war and strife. Finally, this is true of life itself in the aggregate. When love is realized and the ideal spiritual bonds unite the hearts of men, the whole human race will be uplifted—the world will continually grow more spiritual and radiant and the happiness and tranquillity of mankind be immeasurably increased. Warfare and strife will be uprooted, disagreement and dissension pass away, and Universal Peace unite the nations and peoples of the world. All mankind will dwell together as one family, blend as the waves of one sea, shine as stars of one firmament and appear as fruits of the same tree. This is the happiness and felicity of humankind. This is the illumination of man, the glory eternal and life everlasting; this is the Divine Bestowal.”—Bahá’í World Faith, p. 229.
RECORD
BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST. M—715.
Announcer
Reading from Bahá’í Writings
- “Thou art my lamp and my light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and
- seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.” "With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.”—H. W. 11-12.
RECORD
BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST.
Announcer
Once again we pause in our Musical Calendar to bring you a selection from the Bahá’í Writings.
Reading from Bahá’í Writings
- "The unity which is productive of unlimited results is first a unity of mankind which recognizes that all are sheltered beneath the overshadowing glory of the All Glorious; that all are servants of one God; for all breathe the same atmosphere, live upon the same earth, move beneath the same heavens, receive effulgence from the same sun and are under the protection of one God. This is the Most Great Unity, and its results are lasting if humanity adheres to it. It is certain that the radiance and favors of God are encompassing. Minds have developed, perceptions have become acute, science and arts are widespread and capacity exists for the proclamation and promulgation of the real and ultimate unity of mankind which will bring forth marvelous results. It will reconcile all religions, make warring nations loving, cause hostile kings to become friendly and bring peace and happiness to the human world. It will cement together the Orient and Occident, remove forever the foundations of war and upraise the ensign of the Most Great Peace.” —B. W. F. 257.
Announcer
The Musical Calendar concludes its salute to Jean Sibelius with the playing of his famous Finlandia.
RECORD
FINLANDIA.
THEME
AIR BY BACH.
Announcer
You have been listening to the . . .
