Evening Star Newspaper, September 7, 1930, Page 58

Behind the Microphone BY THE RADIO EDITOR. NTERNATIONAL brotdcufln‘ received its second practica application in the dispatch of information across the At- lantic when the reception of the French transatlantic flyers, Dieu- donne Coste and Maurice Bel- lonte, was broadcast upon their arrival last week in New York. Engineers in charge of the transmission declare the results obtained were far better than ex- gected and compare in impor- ance only with the rebroadcast- ing in the United States of the five-power Naval Conference in London early this year. While American short-wave stations repeatedly have sent pro- rams to foreign countries for re- groadcls'.lng, the reception for the French flyers is said to be the first important news event ever to be transmitted across the At- lantic_from this country with a high degree of success. ithin a few minutes after their arrival the French aviators were ushered before the micro- phone connected with the trans- atlantic circuit and, in addition to being heard throughout the United gtntes, their voices went to their native country and other European nations. Reception in France was reported to have been unusually good. * kK % 'NCIDENTALLY President Hoo- ver's official greetings to Coste and Bellonte at the White House tomorrow will be broadcast by networks of the Columbia and National Broadcasting Systems, Both companies also will make an attempt to transmit the proceed- ings to Europe for rebroadcasting. The reception is scheduled to begin at 12:30 o'clock. It will be held on the south lawn of the White Housé, where the President and other prominent Government officials, in addition to America’s most famous aviators, will greet them. * k% % 'ELEVISION, continuing its drive for recognition, is get- ting into the news columns pretty regularly nowadays. Both New York and Chicago joined in the latest moves in the demonstration looking toward the introduction of vision by way of radio. In Chicago WMAQ started up its companion short-wave televi- sion transmitter, through which it plans to present a regular schedule of sight broadcasts of some of its sound programs. In New York there was another dis- play of the Jenkins pictures, with signals being sent to Broadway from W2XCR in Jersey City. This demonstration was similar to that last Spring when, during a week’s test, television signals were sent out by the same station from a television theater, with sound '011:8 from W2XCD in Passaic. the New York test, an-|by ¥ nounced as the “first serious effort to put visual broadcasting into the home,” receivers were set up at two or three points along Broadway where passersby would get a ek at what was being transmitted. The received pic- tures, which were accompanied sound sent from W2XCD, were about four inches square and were descrived as fair when viewed at short range. Both di- rect pick-up of images and mov- ing picture films were put on. The film transmission was said to be somewhat better than the other. . * ok x AY what they will to the con- trary, the radio broadcasters— and especially the national net- works—invariably do their best jobs during the Fall and Winter months, This year is provin exception to the rule, and p- tember finds the chains busily en- gaged in preparing big new fea- tures for the season of superior reception conditions and larger home audiences. From covering great sports events to presenting the finest in muste, the range of feature pro- rams promised for the ensuin ew months holds interest for al classes of listeners. Sports dom- inate the Fall season, though the autumnal equinox will also herald important new offerings in the musical line. Nor is the radio industry over- | tal looking the tremendous oppor- tunity for the sale of new sets, accessories and replacements that arises whenever something out of the ordinary goes on the air. ‘With more than 12,000,000 receiv- ing sets already in use in the United States, the 1930-1 market has been variously estimated:at 3,000,000 4,000,000 new sets, which means the addition of many more millions to the Amer- ican radio audience. Foot ball and the world series are the biggest features of mass interest in prospect. Beginning with the Army-Boston game at West Point September 27, the Columbia Broadcasting System will offer a schedule of foot ball games that will continue un- broken each Saturday afternoon, with the possible exception of one day turned over to the world se- ries game that may occur on a Baturday in early October. ‘While Ted Husing is covering foot ball for Columbia, Graham McNamee and Bill Munday will cover at least 21 games on the two networks of the National Broadcasting Co. The N. B. C. opens the foot ball season October 11, when Munday covers the Army-Swarthmore game for the ‘WEAF network and McNamee covers the Navy-Notre Dame game for the WJZ network. Thus no interference with the world series is anticipated by N. B. C. ‘This year brings no champion- ship prize fight, but the chains expect to turn over their facilities for the America Cup races Sep- tember 13, the national amateur and professional golf champion- ships and various other major sports classics. Both chains will devote considerable time to “doping” the big sports events, will some excellent all-star pro- grams be offered over the net- works from the Crystal Studio annually erected at this greatest of radio’s exhibitions, but shortly thereafter the two chains embark on a series of new concerts which should delight the most fastidi- ous of music lovers. The New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will go on a nation-wide network for the first time October 5 in the first of a series of Saturday and Sun- day night concerts direct from the Metropolitan Opera House and Carnegie Hall, New York City. The series will be heard over the C. B. 8. until April 19. Conductors include Arturo Tos- canini, Erich Kleider and Barnar- dino Molinari. There will also be children’s and young people’s concerts on Saturday mornings. The N. B. C. has arranged a series of four concerts by the Phlladelghla Symphony Orches- tra, led by Leopold Stokowski, the first to be heard Sunday after- noon, October 12, and the others November 16, Christmas day and Easter Sunday. With the resump- tion of school N. B. C. also is ar- ranging another musical course for Walter Damrosch, who will continue his instructional pro- grams designed for school room reception. Then, too, N. B. C. is offering Mme. Schumann-Heink in a series of 17 Sunday night programs, which are to begin to- night. Columbia’s big school room fea- ture this Fall and Winter will again be the American School of the Air, which, however, will be heard every school day at 2:30 ;Lm., instead of twice a week, as rmerly, Fifty stations will carry the School of the Alr. Q. T am an old lady 92 years of age, and I would appreciate it if you will advise me if “Mystery House” is near an end, as I should like to know what the conclusion will be before I die.—“A Radio Fan,” Washington, D. C. A. May all your faculties remain with you until many such programs as “Mystery House” have run their courses and been sent to storage in the memory of listeners. But no end has yet been fixed for this program. It has proved so popular with the radio audience that it has been extended several times. Finis Farr, who writes it, says he really wishes the fans would let him off, as he'd like to his hand at something else for a while. However, while I am sure the program can be carried on in- definitely, my own guess is that it won't last a year more. Q. Can you tell me hing about the poet.r{ recited at the opening and closing of “Aflbesl.qr!" dn At t 117 —F. M. timore, A. I know neither the tif " the authorship, but it has been ascribed to David Ross, the announcer. The severed her connection with the pro- and &) ntly from broadcast- , 8t least the time being. . Is it true that Floyd Gibbons makes more money than Amos 'n’ Andy? —T. L. M., Oak Park, Ill. A —Amos 'n’ Andy are probably still ahead, but Floyd is giving them a run for their money. It's a matter of & few thousands a year one way or the other, not making much difference. Q. Is there any other string dance orchestra on the air besides Len Joy's? —Florence Lister, South Bend, Ind. A. I don't know of any other big 3 has more than 30 men in his 1 it makes him sound like a Chinese. Q. What has become of Ruth Wat: son, who did a series of solo programs ;'m:‘n two years ago?—G. F., Newark, ‘A, If you mean Ruth Ann Watson, she is still on the air, doing some solos 0 [ and singing with ensembles. She was ‘microp] away from the hone about & think. year, I Q. Do sports stars get paid for tak- Ef-pnt in the Coca Cola program?— L., College Station, Tex. A. Yes, and rather well. You can take it for granted that any one ap- pe:eréu in luehh- - ity '}.‘n & spon- sored program for the appear- ance. Business men and others ’:pve“tb_ lic iife, speaking on te sub- Jects, -ng‘:npnfinl in ms where the lumphem is '-r‘:gt entirely e;leumln- ment, wi er program spon- sored or not, do not receive pay. Q. Is Floyd Gibbons a_ student of science? If not, why was he picked to Ik in the General Electric program?— Merle Simmons, Mobile, Ala. A. He is a student of science only insofar as he wishes to keep abreast of what is going on in the world. If he were a speclalist in science it is un- likely that he would be able to make his subjects understandable to ramk laymen like the most of us. And he wouldn’t be a good newspaj man if he couldn’t get at the meaning of diffi- cult subjects and make them clear to the uninitiated. That's part of any good newspaper man’s job. Q Is John Seagle, baritone of the Citles Service Cavaliers, related to Os- car Seagle?—"Curious,” Phoenix, Ariz. A. Yes; he is Oscar Seigle’s son. Q _Is Ludwig Laurier, who conducts the Slumber Hour, American or foreign born?—S. T. P., Spokane, Wash, A. Born in Buffalo, N. Y. Q. Are regular telephone wires used for distributing radio programs to net- work stations?—P. W. 8., Minneapolis. A. Regular wires are used, but the equipment on the ends of the lines is different. Broadcasting circults are equipped for one-way, rather than two- way, transmission, and the wire car- ries only the program, whereas in tel- ephony the same wire would be made to carry several conversations. (Copyright, 1930.) — BERLIN RADIO SHOW EXHIBITS “PEG” TUBE New Type Baid to Be Far Cheaper to Make Than Any Now on the Market. BERLIN (#).—A new type of radio tube, said to be far cheaper to manu- facture than any so far put on the market here, was shown at the Berlin Radio Show. In this tube the grid, or control ele- ment, is not inside the glass, in the vacuum, but outside in the form of a metal coati on the glass. Because of its flat shape the tube is termed a the N. B. C. continuing to feature Grantland Rice’s interviews with sports celebrities on Wednesday evenings and C. B. 8. offering a series of Friday evening “predic- tion interviews” about foot ball by Knute Rockne, Tad Jones and “Pop” Warner. Tge radio world’s fair at New York September 22 to 27 opens a series of musical broadcasts the Tfi’l! “peg” is not intended to displace the present type of tube entirely. Its development is merely another ste) the direction of economy. Its shape also makes possible economies in set construction and design. —_— A Lady Globe-Trotter. NEW YORK (#).—A woman writes the sketches known as the Globe Trot- ter, a series of adventures experienced by a mythical New York clubman on & the world, like of which has never be.gl pre- tour around sented on the chains. only Backus. " 3 Cas? of > '/\Aoonsuma and HONEYSUCKLE?) RADIO BOARD READY FOR FALL HEARINGS No Plans Afoot to Disturb Broadcasting Structure in Radical Way. BY MARTIN COLEL. Getting down to cases. after more than two months of comparative quietude the Federal Radio Commission plunged last week into. its Fall and ‘Winter docket of hearings after re- newed assurance had come from Chair- man Charles McK. Saltzman that the commission has no plans afoot to dis- turb the present broadcasting struc- ture in a radical way. Another broadcasting upheaval, carry- ing ‘with it the necessity of learning new dial settings for favorite sta- tions, is furthest from the thoughts of the commission, according td Gen. Saltzman. If station wave length, power and eperating hour changes are to be ordered, they will be “gradual rather than sweeping,” said Gen. Saltz- man, reiterating the assurances he gave to the radio industry and the public last Spring. 100 Cases ‘Scheduled. More tfan 100 cases were scheduled for hearings before Chief Examiner Ellis A. Yost and Examiner Elmer A. Pratt during September. Nearly half represent applications for authority to build new stations, mostly local low- powered airs. Others are for fre- quency, power and time shifts which, except for those involving high power and cleared channels, are locally im- rtant in various.parts of the coun- , but relatively unflnporum to broad- casting as a whole. Midseptember will find the commis- sion embarking on five weeks of special hearings devoted to the 25 applica- tions filed during the last few months for powers of 50,000 watts. The rush for maximum power grows out of the commission’s order last June limiting the number of cleared channels that may be used with that power to four in each zone. Though this order is designed to hold maximum power to only 20 of the 40 cleared channels, hardly a cleared channel station in the coyntry has failed to join the rush for power. Eight cleared-channel stations are now operating with 50,000 watts, namely, WEAF, New York; WTIC, Hartford; WGY, Schenectady; KDKA, Pittsburgh; WLW, Cincinnati; WTAM, Cleveland; WFAA, Dallas, and WENR, Chicago. Six others have been au- thorized to build to that power, namely, WABC, New York; WLS, Chicago; KMOX, St. Louls; WOAI, San Antonio; KNX, Los Angeles, and KFI, Los An- geles. Under a recent ruling of the commission these stations are all as- sured the retention of their power status, so they are not involved in the {orthwminumnrlnu. ‘The commission last week also authorized KDKA to ex- periment with 400,000 watts, the high- est power ever attempted anywhere in the world, during the hours from 1 am. to 6 am. These experiments may furnish the final proof of the ef- ficacy of superpower and will be watched with keen interest by the whole radio world. Weekly Hearings. ‘The hearings will be held weekly in the order of the zones, and the ap- plicants in each zone will be heard jointly. On September 15 hearings will begin for the applicants from the first zone. Seeking the one assignment avallable for maximum power in the first zone are WJZ, New York; WOR, Newark; WBZ, Springfield, and WHAM, hester. Second-zone applicants will be heard the week of September 22. Seeking the one assignment available there are ‘WCAU, Philadelphia; WHAS, Louis- ville; WRVA, Richmond, and WWJ, Detroit. - ‘Third-zone applicants will be heard the week of September 20. Seeking the two assignments available there are WSB, Atlanta; WBT, Charlotte; WSM, Nashville; WREC, Memphis; WAPI, Birmingham, and KVOO, Tulsa. Fourth-zone applicants will be heard the week of October 6. Seeking the two assignments - available there are WMAQ. WBBM, WGN and Chicago: WTMJ, Milwaukee; WHO- WOC, Des Moines-Davenport (tempo- rarily synchronizing): KTNT, Musca- tine, Towa, and WCCO, Minneapolis. The application of KYW was withdrawn last week because its counsel have a stay order from the Court of Appeals here restraining the comntission from assigning its channel to any other sta- tion or holding hearings on its channel. ‘Whether the station’s owners intend to press priority or .vested rights claims to the channel, and then later seek the higher power, remains to be seen. . Fifth-zone applicants will be heard the week of October 13. Seeking the two assignments available there are KFRC, S8an Prancisco; KGO, Oakland; KHJ, Los Angeles, and KDA, Denver. Chief Examiner Yost will hear the testimony in these cases, with Ben S. Fisher, assistant general counsel, han- in %fll the legal end for the commission. é commissioners, however, are ex- pected to sit on the cases from their zones—for in the last analysis the selection of the stations deemed most deserving of the maximum power will be theirs, and their colleagues will doubtless follow their recommendations. et e it ‘The autographed manuscript of stan- zas seven and nine of Keats “'nl.lie’lzl;‘;' was recently for 3 or $200 a line. MEISER- “Moonshine and Honeysuckle.” written against a background of love and clan warfare in the Southern Mountains, is one of the National Broadcasting Co. most popular dramatic serials. In the cast are Stopp, Lula Vollmer, the Milton. Seated are Ann Sutherland and Sara Haden. Ann Elstner, Geral left to right: Claude Cooper, thor; Jeannie Begg and John Edith Meiser, one of the principals in the Garrick Gaities, who will be heard in the Theater Guild broad- cast tomorrow a over the Columbia network. *Graham 3 McNamee VERY time Marion Talley comes out of her Kansas retreat to make phonograph records the papers are full again of her refusals to continue her musical career in any other manner. And she’ll drop that, she says, when the contract for records is over. Miss- Talley is reported to have re- fused large sums of money to broad- cast, and I happen to know that these reports are true. One of her refusals was for more than $12,000 for a single broadcast. She turned it down so flat you'd have thought the offer of that amount of money was an insult. Thé broadcasters have just about given up hopes of ever getting Miss Talley on the air, and in the studios there is considerable mourning about it. With good reason, too, for with her voice and her temperament she ought to be ideal before the microphone. Miss Talley, as most of you know, probably is the most imperturbable young lady who ever trod an .opera stage. She never made a display of temperament. In fact, impresarios felt she went too far toward the other extreme. This coolness would have been no handicap on the air. Her im- mobility would have cast no pail of cold water on the performance, but the clear, carefully controlled voice could have been handled in such a manner as to make the very most of it. Kreisler is still a hold-out, and there isn’t much indication as to whether he will ever go before the mike or not. Helfetz might, I understand, and it seems to be generally believed that he Just hasn’t got around to it yet. I do not understand that he has any aver- sion to broadcasting. Paderewski, who has lcast in Europe, is being coaxed, and is toying with the idea of accepting an offer, so some hot rumors have it. However, the date, if any, isn't likely to be before some time next year. All of which means, provided the wind-driven straws mean anything, that the last notable hold-outs from broadcasting are wavering. When they capitulate listeners will have had a chance to sample all of the very best the musical world has to offer. Tk F B. A, ROLFE ever gets his way, Americans will hear all the music ‘written by their fellow-countrymen until they know it by heart. The good music, that is. Rolfe is as willing as anybody to admit that Amer- icans have turned out as much music that might better be forgotten as any one else. But after all, he says, there’s mighty little really worthwhile music that is purely American, and he thinks some- thing ought to be done about it. Rolfe’s not so sure that the best “American” music wasn't written by a foreigner, Dvorak. The largo movement (Goin’ Home) from the symphony “From the New World,” is Rolfe’s idea of about the best that's come along. Italy, France and Germany have their own well developed national music largely because natives of those coun- tries have been familiar with '’FL, | music deriving from the native soil all their lives, Rolfe believes. ‘To make the same thing come true in this country requires first of all a sort of codification, well demonstrated, of what we already have in native music, as Rolfe sees it, and he'd like to take up the job. It would require an orchestra of symphonig proportions, and 80 far as the form of composition goes, no holds would be barred. It would play the best of every form of American music from theme songs to symphonies. Rolfe is, of course, best known as the leader of dance orchestras, but he yearns, as he puts it, to speak in more than one idiom. And if he ever gets that big orchestra which is to nothing but American music, he sure there won't be any lack of music for it to play. American composers have already turned out & great deal of worth while stuff built on negro and Indian themes, and with such an or- chestra waiting to present their newest works, Rolfe thinks they'll get to work and turn out some more. Besides, he says, there are a lot of men working on t-boilers who would like to try their nd at more serious works, if there were any chance to get them presented. And, of course, he believes that the American music should be presented primarily on the air, so every one lay feels | that could hear a deal of it. I don't agres with that there imn't any chance for American composers to get their serious works properly played, but Rolfe’s idea is first rate, and I hope something comes of it. ik Tl-llnlllone singer on the air who has no further ambitions to do his stuff on the stage. His name is Leo O'Rourke, and he is first tenor of the Cavaliers, one of the veteran male quartets of broadcasting. Some months ago the Cavaliers did a short spell of ‘'vaudeville in a New York theater. Part of the act was & tramp skit, in which the four singers stood with their heads through a cur- tain. On the front of the curtain a typical tramp scene was painted It had a box car and the figures of four hoboes, The quartet had started the second song when O'Rourke, with a look of anguish on his face, suddenly lurched forward. The whole curtain shook and billowed, and stage hands thought it might come down. Several of them were all set to rush out and rescue the singers from its folds if anything gave way. ‘The other men quit singing, and for a moment Darrel Woodyard, the bass, tried to keep the show going by sing- ing the melody. The audience thought it was all part of the act and applauded heartily. From behind the scenes later came the story. O'Rourke, with his head through the curtain, had been pro- jecting rearward in a most provocative manner. A chorus girl with a pin znl been unable to resist the tempta- on. For the rest of the booking O'Rourke wore & protector made of some pin- resisting material, but all the time he had his head through the curtain he sang with a marked lack of assurance. Incidentally he is another Schu- mann-Heink protege. The woods really are full of them, for the grand old lady has always gone out of her way to encourage deserving young singers. The great diva heard him sing once at Glen Falls, N. Y, and urged him to go on with his voice studies. O'Rourke was born near Rutland, Vt., studied at the Cincinnati Conserva- tory of Music and served a year in the Navy without ever seei any water. He is unmarried and likes golf. * ok ok DON'T know why people must think of anything quite so strenuous as foot ball during the hot weather, but even during that particularly mean spell of weather we had a few weeks ago letters began to come in asking me_about the foot ball season. There isn’t much I can say about it at present, except that I expect to cover at least ter. games between Oc- tober 11 and the first of the vear. Some of those tentatively on the sched- ule at present may be changed before the first whistle of the season blows, 80 I think it isn’t wise to talk about individual games yet. You'll see it all in_vour newspapers later, anyway. Bill Munday will be back on the job again this year, and on Saturday after- noons you will practically always find us on the air with different games, of course, at the same time. ‘There are several games on the schedule for which the announcer hasn't been picked, and several people have hoped it might be possible to have Phil Carlin do them. All of us would like to see Phil back before the mike again, but since he has taken on executive duties he has had very little chance to announce anything that didn't take place in the studio—and very little of that. It was Carlin, incidentally, who “dis- covered” Munday, so far as the net- works are concern: ‘That al New Haven two years ago, when Phil had Munday go on the air between the halves of the Yale-Georgia Tech game. Bill did such a good job with the summary that it wasn't long be- fore he was called upon to do other jobs. Listeners, I am sure, will be glad to hear the “Georgia Drawl.” as he has been nick-named. bgck on the air again with his “crap-shootin’ formation.” All told, it looks like a pretty inter- esting season. but we don’t know much about it until the teams get in some good stiff Fall practice and & couple of games. ) TopAy the Nrw Eapa ‘arrives with % NEW FEATURES * NEW MODELS PRICES The New Fada 42— Open Face Low * b ik T -I:)NE-S‘ZNSITIVE people have always chosen Fadas. Mausical people, appreciative of brilliance and range, have been loyal to Fadas for a decade. Today, in these newest and most beautiful of Fadas, they will find this fleeting quality more en- thrallingly presert than ever. Fada tone is true,undebased by . compromise — and music lovers hear it with gratitude. But the modern spirit is luxury-loving. Beauty must surround it; convenience must accompany it. And so the new Fadas find themselves possessed of an impressive assortment of ingenious automatic devices to make reception more pleasurable, and operation more easy. The Flashograph automatically announces stations in lights, by name, as the dial is turned. The Automatio Volume Control practically eliminates fading, and automatie- ally receives all stations at any desired volume, and holds them there, regardless of their distance or power. 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