Emily Faces Radio

"Dear, oh dear," sighed Emily Post, "radio is such a social problem."

By last week perky, 72-year-old Emily, after careful study on four radio sets (including a pink one in her bathroom), was contemplating additions to the radio manners section in her book, Etiquette. New radio Postscripts:

P: "Now when you're traveling, one of the beastliest things is to have to listen to the blare of someone's portable radio. Portables should be tuned way down and held on the shoulder, right up next to your ear."

P: "Say you're a visitor. When you come in the room, you should watch how your host turns off the radio. If he turns it off snap! with alacrity, then you can stay. If he switches it off sn-a-a-ap, you should try to leave right away."

P: "And if you're the host, and you want to go on listening to a program after a guest arrives, you should tell him so. People should have as much respect for a radio program as for a play, concert, or the opera. Why one time, when neighbors kept dropping in on a friend of mine who liked to listen to the radio, I made a sign to put inside her door: "Radio Program on the Air . . . Please enter silently."

P: "When two members of the family like different programs, the only solution is to have two radios. You can get a portable quite cheap, and they're little lambs to carry about."

Emily also curled a little finger at broadcasters: "Remember, radio is a guest in the house and should always be on its best behavior. Why, not long ago I heard a man pronounce 'heck' over the air so that it sounded just like 'aitch-ee-ell-ell.' "

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