THE EDUCATION OF A BROADCASTER

Brisk lessons are here in the profession of salesmanship, both of ordinary consumer goods (at which he earned his early livelihood) and broadcasting time. Bannister's first effectiveness in radio was in time sales, and much of his broadcasting career has been spent teetering on the thin line of sponsor-station-audience relationships, about which he has many a peppery anecdote. He writes of his opposition to ""hard sell"" and of his determination to uphold quality and self-regulation as the answer to various forms of agitation for government control of the industry. He tells of the careers of other broadcasting people, such as C.C. Bradner, among the best-rated newscasters although heard only in Detroit. He was eyewitness to the birth of radio wire services, and had a hand in the rise to popularity of the first real programs on the air. He turned his hand to engaging conductors for the Detroit Symphony's broadcasts, and helped sportscasting on its way. All the while he was observing and coping with the problems of unionization, and creating places on his staff for members of minority groups, he found time variously to serve the National Association of Broadcasters, work for the war effort, launch a program for A.A., and develop a passion for winter croquet. With some nostalgia he relives the history of television, and the bright patchwork of his autobiography will be food for thought for those who wonder about the future of the media in which he has relished working for 35 years.