Ads Out

Almost unable to believe their ears, long-suffering French radio listeners heard with joy last week a characteristic order from the government of tall young Premier Pierre Etienne Flandin: After Jan. 1 no more broadcasting of advertisements by any French station.

Advertising broadcasts have long since been banned in most countries which, like France, charge listeners a license fee on their sets. Money thus collected pays for all broadcasts, state-produced and always more or less loaded with stodgy stuff which the state considers good for citizens.

In England listeners with bootleg sets are caught and forced to pay their tax by an adroit ruse. Science has evolved no means of detecting a listening set, but Scotland Yard has evolved a van full of impressive looking gadgets. This vehicle rumbles about, stopping here & there at random. "Our detector indicates that perhaps you have a wireless," a courteous bobby tells an English householder who is paying no tax. "May we inspect your premises?" Premises are inspected until sooner or later a bootleg receiver is found, and Scotland Yard scores again with its purely psychological detector.

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