No Soap
The U.S. warcaster who has sat longest at a Russian microphone during World War II recently returned to the U.S NBC's thin, quiet, earnest Robert Magidoff, ex-A.P. man, has been in Russia, except for an occasional trip home, for the last eight years. Kiev-born, U.S.-raised and educated (University of Wisconsin), he was hired by NBC two and a half year ago, sight unseen. He is married to a Russian, speaks her language fluently, ha observed her people with equanimity. Some of his observations:
>> On the radio, Russians are becoming better acquainted with U.S. jazz music. They love it. On last July 4 the nation-wide all-Russian radio featured the music of the late George Gershwin. The Russian appetite for classical music is as hearty as ever.
>> Russian listeners like a whole evening's reading from Mark Twain, O. Henry, De Maupassant, Chekhov, etc. They also like poetry readings by stage and radio stars.
>> There are no soap operas in Russian radio. Rarely are plays written especially for radio. Instead, full-length plays are broadcast from legitimate theaters.
>> Stalin, who seldom broadcasts, usually comes on without announcement. His speech is then read or rebroadcast all day by transcription.
>> There are plenty of newscasters (half of them women), but no regular commentators or analysts.
>> Loudspeakers on workers' clubhouses, restaurants and roofs of buildings blare out the news of important victories. These broadcasts have now been built into productions complete with salvos of cannon fire and background music.
>> Since Stalingrad, foreign newscasters speaking from Russia have been permitted to indulge more freely in military speculation. Most of the censors are "bright young men with a fine sense of humor."
>> Russia's foreign-propaganda broadcast service is as extensive as any other nation's.
>> Citizens of Moscow are now better dressed than before the war. Reason: they are down to their Sunday best.
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