Evening Star Newspaper, December 28, 1930, Page 51

. Orchestra will accompany Tibbett. HANDEL' ORATORD SFEATURE ONWR? , “The Messiah” to Be Broad- cast From Mormon Taber- nacle in Utah. ‘The seventeenth annuol presentation of Handel's oratorio, “The Messiah,” by the famous Salt Lake City Oratorio Bociety will be broadcast today over a network of National Broadcasting Co. stations, in which WRC is to be a link. The -broadcast_will be picked up from &he Mormon Tebernacle at Salt Lake ity. A chorus of more than 400’ voices will present “The Messiah.” Several solo- ists also will take part. These include Irene Kelly Willlams, soprano of the Philadelphia Civic Opera Co.; Herbert Gould, basso; Richard Condie, tenor, and Annette Richards Dinwoody, con- tralto. Tibbett to Sing. Another outstanding musical program will be broadcast by WRC tonight at 9:15 o'clock. The soloist will be Law- rence Tibbett, premier American bari- tone of the Metropolitan Opera Co. He will sing as his feature numbers “The Song of the Flea” and Jerome Kern's “Ol' Man River.” Pasternack’s ‘The story of George Rogers Clark will be dramatized during the Big Brother Club program. The Capitol “Family” program, to follow, will feature Charles Hanson Towne’s poem, “Around the Corner.” It will be read by Maj. Edr ward Bowes. A program popular in its entirety will be played by Sam Herman, xylophonist, in his weekly broadcast. Another pop- ular program will be presented by the Choral Orchestra. One of the principal numbers will be “Estrellita,” a street song of old Mexico. South African Envoy to Talk. Christmas_carols offer contrast to traditional Russlan folk song, to be offered by the Russian Cathedral Choir. ‘These include “Glory to Thee in the Highest” and “Star of Bethlehem.” The Conclave of Nations program, to be broadcast today by WMAL and & network of other Columbia Broadcast- ing System station, will honor South Africa. Eric Hendrik Louw, South African Minister to the United States, the speaker, will talk on “South Africa.” James A. Farrell, president of the United States Steel Corporation, will introduce him. An all-French program, featuring the works of Franck, Roussel, Debussy and Berlioz, will be presented by the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orches- tra in its weekly concert. The selec- tions are “Symphony,” “Le Festin de L'Araignee,” “Nocturne” and the “Ra- koozy March.” Julius Klein to Speak. Jesse Crawford, organist, has ar- ranged a widely varied program for his weekly recital. Paul Small, tenor, will be the soloist. Crawford will open his program with selections from “Caval- leria Rusticana” and follow with a med- ley of popular songs. Dr. Julius Klein, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, who recently returned from a trip to Europe, will discuss the European business outlook in his return to_the microphone at 8 o'clock. will broadcast the ‘WOL bi service of the First Church. In the afternoon has scheduled the regular Catholic hour, & popular program by Jack Ralston’s Orchestra and a program sacred music. WJSV announces its usual array of religious features and a concert by the Silver Siring Revelers. 10,000 MILES OF SPACE NO BAR TO FRIENDSHIP Woman Radio Manager in Omaha “Next-Door Weighbor” to Femi- nine Operator in Australia. OMAHA, Nebr. (#).—Ten thousand miles apart, yet they're neighbors. ional the station ‘Washington It's the radio of the short wave amateur bands. ‘Thus, via the ether, two women, Mrs. C. B. Diehl of Omaha, who operates ‘WOGYB, and Mrs. A. T. Hutchins of Callawadda, Victoria, Australia, who owns VK3HM, have become the fastest of friends. Nearly every morning in the wee sma’ hours, around 3 o'clock, they talk to each other by the telegraphic code about their household experiences, exchange Tecipes and refer to other topics of in- terest to the women's world. For more than two years they have Elupnxp an informal transmission sched- le. Columbia Increases Radio Outlet. Starting 1930 with 43 station out- lets in 38 cities, the Columbia Broad- casting System during the year in- creased its outlets to 77 stations in 71 cities and thus claims the largest radio network in the world. The N. B. O. has 76 affiliated stations. — “Bullet Bill” Is Fast Talker. Bill Munday is known at WSB, Atlanta, where he got his broadcasting start, as “Bullet Bill" because of his rapid-fire word delivery. Major Radio Features | SPEECHES. Bir Joslah Stamp, WMAL, 12:30; Eric Hendrik Louw, South African Min- ister to the United States, WMAL, 1:30; Dr. Jrulh‘l:n Klein, Assistant y o ‘ommerce, WMAL, Newton D. Baker, WMAL, :,33 and David Lawrence, WRC, CLASSICAL. Balt Lake Cf Oratorio Soclety, in Handel's “The Messlah,” WRC, 12:15; Roxy Symphony Concert, WRC, 2:30; New York Philharmonic ‘Orchestr WMAL. 3:00; Gordon String_Quartet, WRC, 3:00; Prench ‘Trio, WMAL, 5:30; Lawrence Tib- bett, baritone, and Paternack’s Or- chestra, WRC, ':)5, and Tone Pic- and Honeysuckle, WRC, Brother Club, WRC, 7 Curiosity Shop, POPULAR MUSIC. Ralston’s Orchestra, WOL, 4:00; Choral Orchestra, WRC, 30, and Sam Herman, xylophonist, WRO, 11:15, HIGH LIGHTS ELSEWHERE. 9:00—Harbor Lights, dramatized tale of an old sea captain—WJZ, 2:00; Big and The 9:00. |t } the networks together to give them a WMAL, | short, Mrs. Norman Ogden Whitehouse, former Russian princess, left, who will be heard Tuesday over an N. in a discussion on “Teaching Children to Be Self-Reliant.” THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. DECEMBER 28 1930—PART FOUR. Behind the Microphone B. C. network In the center is Edgar A. Guest, America’s pcet-philosopher, who makes his debut in a sponsored network feature over the Columbia system on January 4. Annette Richards Dinwoody, on the right, is a_contralto, who will over WRC and a N. B. C. network. Today on be heard in the Salt Lake Oratorio:Society’s presentation of “The M:ssiah” today the Radio (All time p.m., unless otherwise indicated.) 315.6 Meters. WRC 950 Kilocycles. 8:00a—Tone pictures. 9:00a—Children’s hour. 10:00 to 10:30a—Woodwind Ensemble. 12:00m—Miniature recital. 12:15—8Salt Lake Oratorio Soclety. 15—The Pilgrims. 30—Neapolitan Days. 00—Moonshine and Honéysuckle. 30—Roxy Symphony Concert. :00—Gordon String Quartet. | 3:30—Twenty-fifth- Anniversary Cele- bration of the League for Indus- trial Democracy. 4:00—Religious service by Dr. S. Parkes Cadmas in. 5:00—Mixed chorus and orchestra. 6:00—Catholic hour. 7:00—Big Brothers’ Club. 7:30—Correct time. 7:31—0:1)&&(:1 “P?lmlg." 8:30—Choral orchestra. 9:00—“Our Government,” by David Lawrence. 9:15—Lawrence Tibbett, baritone, and Josef Pasternack’s Orchestra. 10:15—Champions Orchestra. 10:45—Sunday at Seth Parker’s. 11:15—Weather forecast. 11:16—Sam Herman, xylophonist. 11:30 g;i l}z:oo—-nmlm Cathedral oir. Early Program Tomorrow. 6:45a—Tower health exercises. 8:00a—Gene and Glenn. :15a—Morning devotions. 8:30a—Cheerio. 9:00a—Morning melodies, 9:45a—Our Daily Food. 10:00a—"Safeguarding Your Food and Drug Supply,” by W. R. M. 10:15a—Hits and Bits. 10:80‘—"?]!;‘82 Tell roll. 10:45a—Hits and Bits. rm flashes. 12:15—Luncheon Ensemble. 12:30—National farm and home hour. A yflower 3: 3:15—Musicalities. 3:30—The Sixteen Singers. WOL 750 Kioeyees. ROGRAM executives—and ably a lot of listeners—were bowled from their chairs the other night by the remarks of an inattentive announcer, It was during the broadcast of a time signal, and I imagine quite a few lis- teners were standing by, watches in hand, to get the right on the hour. Just as they were all ready to set, a voice piped up, “Hey! Has anybody got the right time?” and another chimed in, “I dunno. What's your watch say?” And then, 8 moment later, one of the voices actually did announce the time. ‘What happened, of course, was that a mike was open and the talkers didn't know it. ppened about the same time that Snoop and Peep, the radio bur- lesque detectives, razzed another program without knowing it. Remember how they sign off with a bu Ha!” at the end of each ther b and the announcer motioned to them cut immediately. That was because he had to join all certain operating cue. Both programs running at that time had to end on the dot to make the cue possible. The announcer made his closing speech, and at the same time the an- nouncer of the other program—an or- chestra _job—finished his own last words. The first announcer pressed the him ey adnt e y-na to listeners to the other pro- gram it sounded just like program criti- cism of an uncomplimentary mparine broadcast, immy Wallington, that the ;umex’m they got omf. Job will to keep them together as team on broadcasts of that sort. I faEs £k FR 475.9 Meters WMAL &3 Kitoeycte. 12:00m—Jewish art program. 12:30—Rebroadcast from London—Talk by Sir Josiah Stamp. 12:45—Canadian Grenadier Band. 0—Conclave of Nations, 0—Cathedral hour, 3:00—New York Philharmonic Sym- phony Orchestra. 4:00~Evensong service from the Washington Cathedral; Christ- mas carol service, by the Cathe- dral Choir. .'czoo—ge.rmon by Rev. Donald G. irnhouse. 5:30 to 5:00—5\:15!\ ‘Trio. 00—Correct time. 7:01—The Golden Hour of the Little Flower; religious service from Detroit. 8:00—Correct time. . 8:01—""European Business Outlook,” by Dr. Julius Klein, Assistant 3ecreury of Commerce. 8:15—United States School of Music. J0—Kaltenborn Edits the News. 8:45—"The Woodrow Wilson Founda- tion,” by Newton D. Baker. Buffalo. 12:00—Correct time. Early Program Tomorrow. a—Tony’s Scrap Book. 5a—Brad and Al. 0a—Morning devotions. 5a—The Dutch Girl. a—Opening the Morning Mail. 0a—Navy Band Concert. 10:00a—"“Greetings,” by Ida Balley Allen. 10:30a—"French Furniture for Amer- ican Homes,” by Joan Barrett. 5a—Beauty talk by Carolyn boamxedll. 4 a 205.4 Meters. WISV 1460 Kiloeyeles. 11:00 to 12:30—Services of the Fourth Christ Scientist. :05—Joseph Di Meglio, tenor. 0—Silver String Revelers. 10:00—Clark’s home hour. 10:30 to 11:00—Radio revival. But Miller explained that those naval officers, when he first tried them out, were 50 good he was afraid you luknel:‘n ro\fldb‘!l:inhk l}e't:mhkzd’lnd dragged in a ch of gers from the studios. The addition of George cured that. Hicks and Wallington really won their spurs as a team when the President re- viewed the fleet off the Virginia Capes last May, with George telling about it from the dirigible Los Angeles and Jimmy from the cruiser Salt Lake City. They've covered welcomes and flying jobs, and their last previous assignment took them into 100 feet of water in a submarine escape training tank. All three are a bit bored right now. They are looking for new thrills to conquer, and haven't thought of any yet. * x %k DON'T know why it is, but taxicab drivers always seem to fall for Vir- ginia Gardiner. n she gets in a cab the driver within five minutes is usually telling her his life's history, and one even asked her to help him con- vince his wife he ought to be allowed to smoke in the house. ‘The latest one is called Scotty. Vir- ginia never gets around to starting for the studios the night of a broadcast until so late that she always has to take a cab to make it on time, although she really could walk it easily. Scotty knows when she'll come dash- ing out of her apartment house—to the minute. He's always there waiting to | iy be hired, and later in the evening when she comes out of the restaurant where she takes her post-mike snack she finds him waiting at the curb to take her home. ‘The driver usually manages to find a beanery with a loud-speaker, where he listens to her on the air, and : permanent ooking girl, even if she does wrinkle her nose like a )y when she smiles, T ot not o Took. sy wioee mqmmgmmmmzy&m: to decide whether they ought to get sore about a telephone call they had the other night, or whether they, should take it as a compliment—even if un- deserved. Just at the moment they were about to go oh the air the hotel from which they were playing started a fire driil. ‘The alarm bells sounded off at a great rate. There wasn't anything they could do about it. The nearest bell was out of reach, so they couldn’t silence it. On top of that, the network was waiting. They simply had to ge ahead with the program. The operator ‘on the controls sweat blood, but he could find no way of pick- ing up the sound of the orchestra and at the same time cutting out the clang of that bell. ‘Truesdale had his men play as loudly as he dared, but he was sure it must be sounding like an air raid, even though he hoped it might be taken for one of the latest modernistic stunts. At the end of a number a listener called in and said: “Since when have you adopted a symphony orchestra? It sounds swell.” Truesdale admits that probably the ringing bell made the orchestra sound as if many more men were playing than really were, but after all—. Nat Shilkret felt that way two or three years ago, t00. As a stunt pro- gram he arranged that half each num- ber should be played with an orchestra of 36 pieces, and the rest by only 18 pieces. The listeners were asked to guess which number of men was play- ing at which time, and also which they liked better. By far the greater part of those who answered were wrong on most of their guesses, but what made Nat sore was that, no matter how badly they guessed, the listeners showed by their answers that they really liked the smaller or: chestra better. I'd like to see that same test tried over again with the newer mikes and recelving sets, partly to as- suage Nat's old peeve. McNAMEE'S QUESTION B Q. Is Paul Oliver really Patrick Kelly, the announcer?—M, M. Cooke, Sche N. Y. . No. Paul Oliver was formerly known on the air as Frank Munn. Q. Please tell me if the people in the Masters Minstrels are also the Golden Crown Minstrels? — Rozella Smith, Shady Side, Md. A. No. They are different folks al- together. Q. Are Doug and Gamby man and wife?—W. C. C., Washington, D. C. A. Not unless they are keeping it a secret, but the fact that they are ex- tremely interested in each other, and have been for a long time, is common knowledge. Q. Will you please explain_electrical transcription?—Mrss C. R. H, Bing- hamton, N. Y. A. Electrical transcription means that the program is recorded, either on & disc or on a film. The record is de- signed only for broadcasting, and in case of discs is not meant to be sold to owners of phonographs. The records are made in recording studios and then shipped aut to the broadcasting studios. ‘The artists themselves, of course, are not present during the broadcast. The word “electrical” doesn't mean much, because even straight phonograph rec- ords are made, or transcribed, through the use of electricity. Q. Did King Carol of Rumania ac- tually _addre the American _people when he s on the World Tour?— Mrs, B. A, Baltimore, Md. A. That was another recorded pro- gram. Q. Is Kelvin Keech the toastmaster of the Birthday Party>—M. M. S, Richmond, Va. A. No. Kelvin Keech is the an- nouncer, but the master of ceremonies is the man who is also known as Cheerio on the morning program of that title. His real name is a secret. Q. Why was Phil Carlin taken off foot ball games and Bill Munday put on In his place? Will we ever have Carlin back?—J. B. Ellis, Toronto, Canada. A. Even two years ago, his last sea- son in foot ball, there were howls when- ever Carlin left the studios to handle a broadcast, use there were so many executive duties in the program depart- ment that suffered when he was away. He’s had two promotions since then, making it even harder. And I might point out that it was Carlin who “dis- covered” Bill at the Yale-Georgia Tech game two years ago, and gave him his first chance to broadcast over a net- work. It was also Carlin who suggested that Bill be given a crack at the Rose Bowl game that year. Phil is pretty proud of his protege. He'd like to broadcast some more games, but he's paying the price of success as an execu- ve. Q. Is Norman Brokenshire the man who used to announce over WJZ in the early days?—“Ex-Neward,” Santa. Fe, N. Mex. A. Yes, The same man. Q. Does synchronizing stations mean we won't be able to get anything else?— . G., St, Louis, Mo. A. I take it you mean “blanketing,” in which case, engineers Wlleg:. you not transmi isfactorily. Where the signal comes in now, the general tendency would be to bring ‘The real it up to normal. object of synchronization, however, is clear up interference and let IADVANCES IN RADID FOR 1930 MARKED Many of Greatest- Contribu- tions Await Succeeding Years for* Fruition. BY MARTIN CODEL. Many of the waning year's greates contributions to radio broadcasting await the New Year and succeeding years for their fruition. Looking back over 1930, the tenth milestone of American broadcasting, one counts about a dozen major de- velopments or near-developments. Most of them overlap into the next few mrs. but all indicate the progress that been or will be made in an art, seience and industry whose future only the imagination can conjure. Advances Summarized. ‘The year’s most important advances in radio broadcasting as a whole may be summarized as follows: 1. Better receiving sets were offered to the public at lower prices. The superheterodyne circuit embodying screen-grid tubes entered to dominate & market featuring tone control, mote control, midget receivers, low- priced radio-phonograph combinations, home recording and radio-phonograph- talking motion picture combinations. 2. Television progressed nearer to emergence from the laboratory. .Many claims and counter-claims, technical and otherwise, were made by the tele- vislon experimenters, but the Federal Radio Commission and most of the men doing research on television agreed that “television is still in an experi- mental stage.” 3. The trend toward higher powers and wider listening ranges for broad- casting stations, both in this country and abroad, became more and more evident, although the Federal Radlo Commission’s plans for increasing powers of more clear channel stations remained in doubt as the year drew to a close. The commission authorized KDKA, at Pittsburgh, to experiment in the coming months with powers up to 400,000 watts, the highest ever used anywhere. 4. Synchronized broadcasting, look- ing toward the ultimate operation of Nation-wide networks on one wave length or one group of waves, was ac- complished as a technical reality in a notable series of experiments, and will be introduced to the listeners early in 1931 when Stations WTIC, Hartford, and WBAL, Baltimore, begin operating periodically on the wave lengfhs of WEAF and WJZ, New York, respec- tively. Succeeding regionally, a syn- chronized network will undoubtedly be developed to cover the t coun in time.s et i ml!rmdcl&ln; Begins to Pay. , business of broadcasting thrived as never before, wedthering thg economic depression as did few other businesses. Broadcasting at last began to earn substantial dividends for the broadcasters, especially the networks. The latter, generally, are throwing their profits back into great new projects de- signed to extend their aims and scope. 6. Work was begun in New York City on a magnificent new ‘“radio city” covering three square blocks and in- cluding radio and television studios, theaters for opera, drama, musical comedy, variety and sound pictures and office buildings for their administra- tion. Designed as an architectural classic, this new cultural center is backed by $250,000,000 of Rockefeller g;orllggannd is projected for completion 7. Motion picture interests, possibl, looking to the day of television, bmd! ened their control over or affiliation with radio. Radio-Keith-Orpheum is part >f the group owning the National Broad- casting Co. and. its subsidiary music published and artist bureau businesses. Paramount owns 50 per cent of the Co- lumbia Broadcasting system, which a few weeks ago merged seven of the largest concert bureaus in the country. Warner Brothers acquired the Bruns- :v:il:ekr“' lio m:::ui;ct\:nnz plants and sou = gl widen - its influence 8. Canada and Mexico evinced growing “radio consciousness” with Lh: brospect that they will, probably early in 1931, make a demand for more of the broadcasting channels now used in the United States. Mexico added 16 new stations in 1930, mostly on Ameri- can-Canadian channels, and increased the powers of many. The wave length situation in this country became the more aggravated by the conflicting de- mands of existing broadcasters for bet- ter facilities and the demands of edu- cational and labor interests for more recognition in the use of radio waves. Relay Broadcasting Refined. 9. International relay broadcasting, or the exchange of programs with for- elgn countries via the short waves, was refined to the point where the engineers were enabled to predict, with 90 cent accuracy, whether a program nrm‘-' nating abroad could be received with reasonable clarity, despite the vagaries of atmosphere. "Since the remarkable success of the Christmas day exchanges of 1929, followed by the London con- ference rebroadcasts early in 1930, for- eign programs were offered more and more frequently and, in one case, on a week-by-week schedule. 10. Many technical advances ywere demonstrated or claimed, whose akbtual worth only the ensuing years will prove. Dr. James Robinson, British inventor, brought over his Stenode Radiostat, with which he claims he can narrow radio channel widths very substantially and thus relieve wave length conges- Philo Farnsworth, youthful Cal fornia experimenter, promised to de onstrate within the next few months sion while producing clearer images. 11. The metworks and some indi- vidual broadcasters, concentrating on program techmique as well as on refjne- ments in their technical oaulpmenk, turned their attention more ever to covering big news events through their medium of “audible journalism,” and showed a decided tendency to of- fer more dramatic presentations and dialogue, both specially written and drawn from the legitimate stage. In the studios, engineers strove to perfect transmitting equipment, including a parabolic reflector microphone, designed to m‘x"‘te htahl; range of radio equal to the concert-hall range. 12. The Federal Radio Commission, well into its fourth year of existence, completed its internal reorganization, took over the licensing of amateurs from filao‘Radlo Division ‘;o:n'ahcw %- partment of Commerce, pre] o corporate into itself the radio division gress should decree, and order in communication. Agi t the “radio trust” died down consiferably as the Department of Justice carried & dissolution suit to the courts. The first radio case involving radio as a In | medium of interstate commerce and the property rights of broadcasters as lnlcyt.ha’gr‘edgnl regulatory power was taken under advisement by the Su- preme Court of the United States, College Offers Radio Course. The education department of rural the | Teachers’ College, Columbia Umvenl% BY THE RADIO EDITOR. HE great American radio public has developed into a vast army of program critics. Millions of letters are received every year by the two networks from listeners who more and more determine the type and quality of programs to be_broadcast. Not so many years ago the broadcasting stations received floods of communications from the radio listeners. The usual comment was “Your program came in fine.” Long since, however, the listener has ceased to find satisfaction in merely hearing sounds picked from the air. The dial twister has developed definite tastes in the selection of the entertain- ment he wants served in his home. He either likes or dislikes a program and has formed good reasons for it. He writes the broadcasters his approval or dis- approval, and indicates in no uncertain terms what satisfies him and what doesn’t. Fan mail has increased nearly 100 per cent during 1930. A sur- vey reveals that there has devel- oped a strong demand for the better type of music, special events and drama, particularly of the serial type. Jazz, in general, either is losing favor or the jazz fans do not write to the broad- casters. The listeners seem in- clined to divide popular dance music into two classes—jazz and “symphonic jazz.” Request mail constitutes a large percentage of the communica- tions. And as strange as it may seem, a major part of the letters are from small towns. * kX X UDOLF SCHRAMM and mem- bers of his concert ensemble were discussing how to play the Christmas selection. “Good King Wenceslas” the other night just before broadcasting over WRC. The ensemble had rehearsed the piece once with a good deal of spirit, and one member objected. “That number should be played soft and slow,” he said, demon- strating with a gesture the tempo and tone he thought™ should be adopted.” “I know,” he declared, “because I played it one time in church.” Schramm was patient. “Maybe you're right,” he said. “But you're before a microphone now. And besides Good King Wenceslas was supposed to be jovial. Let’s go.” The ensemble played it fast and snappy. It was a hit. * kR RELATIVELY few complaints from broadcasting stations— and none from the chains—have been heard during the business depression. The reason is simply that the broadcasting business hi been good—better in this tenth year of American broad- casting than ever before in radio history. Recent hearings before the Fed- eral Radio Commission, at which financial statements of individual stations were read into the record, the prevailing optimism among station owners and managers and the various deals being proposed and consummated in radio bear out the conviction that the pro- gram side of radio, though its business is based on such neb- ulous factors as listener prefer- ences and uncounted audience, has found a definite economic niche. In other words, Senator C. C. Dill appears to be right in his declaration that “radio by the American plan,” which means radio programs furnished to the American audience by private enterprises and without a tax on receiving sets such as most other countries impose, is a success. Certainly it appears to be a busi- ness success, for the United States Chamber of Commerce currently reports that expenditures for radio advertising during the first eight months of 1930 were 32 per cent over such expenditures in the same months of 1929. Else why should 28 leading broadcasting stations be willing, indeed eager, to make capital in- vestments of $250,000 or more each in new high-powered trans- mitting equipment, as 14 other stations have already done or have been authorized to do? Among the applications for the 50,000-watt maximum allowable power now pleading their cases before the Federal Radio Commis- sion, one counts nine stations either owned or controlled by newspapers, some of whose pub- lishers have been the most sus- picious of radio’s apparent en- croachment on their sources of revenue. * x X % OW'S this for luek? Mrs. Free- man F. Gosden and Mrs. Charles J. Correll, the wives of “Amos 'n’ Andy,” draw weekly salaries for doing what millions of radio listeners do every night for nothing. Although it has been repeatedly asserted that “Amos 'n’ Andy,” whose private life names are Freeman F. Gosden and Charles J. Correll, do every bit of work in connection with their broadcasts, the two performers themselves now come to the front with the announcement that this is not absolutely accurate. It is true that they write every line of their dialogue and take all the parts themselves, but many of the suggestions and ideas which are incorporated in the series come from the fertile brains of their two charming helpmates. So valuable has been the assist- ance of Mrs. Correll and Mrs. Gosden in the past, that now the wives of “Amos 'n’ Andy” draw a regular salary paid to them weekly by their famous husbands, which they earn by the easy task of listening to every broadcast, and commenting and criticising the efforts of the two radio artists. “Amos ’a’ Andy” admit that part, at least, of the %eneroux public applause which they win each night in their broadcasts should go to their wives. Although they could probably for nothing, Correll and Gosden say that the idea of paying actual salaries has been nothing short of an inspiration. “It makes them take their job seriously,” Gosden, “and if it were a purgly business arrangement we could never pay them enough for the help they have given us. OUTPUT OF 1931 RADIO SETS TO BE STEADIED Makers Generally Expect More Stable Prices—Hope for Business Upturn, Though there may be some dumping of midget sets early in 1931, radios of standard makes at cut prices will be conspicuous by their absence next year. Such is the word that comes from the radio industry, where production has at last been keyed to demand -after per- haps the most trying year for the man- ufacturers in radio’s short history. Best estimates now available place sales Bf radio receivers to the American public at 3,500,000 during 1930, of which 2,750,000 were produced during the year. Most of the other 750,000 were carry- over stock from the preceding vear record production of more than 5,000, 000 sets. The 1929 overproduction led to dumping and price-cutting that brought a year of real bargains. But the bargain stock is about gome. With the Department of Commerce's pre-census estimate that 13,500,000 sets are in use in this country today, and with the average life of a recelver reckoned at four years, it is estimated in trade circles that 3,000,000 sets will be needed in 1931 for replacements alone. In addition, the trade sees a market for at least 1,000,000 new sets in the development of the midgets, au- tomobile radios, farm sets using the new low-drain battery tubes, auto- matic record - changing _phonograph combinations, combination radio-phono- " | graph-home talkies and other new sales. ‘This estimate of a prospective market | ing for 4,000,000 sets in 1931 is, of course, highly optimistic. The fear that tele- vision will render audible receivers ob- solete shortly has allayed some- what 17 the Radio - sion’s of b-reresud statements that tele- vision is still highly experimental. But the fact remains that there is a prev- alent attitude that last year’s set will do, an attitude which can only be broken down by an upturn in general business. ‘The radio makers are approaching the new year cautiously, feeling out the domestic markets while keeping their eyes open for foreign trade pros- pects. Even if they achieve 4,000,000 set sales in 1931, they know that their dollar volume per unit will probably be less than heretofore bmm competi- prays for recession of the business pression more than they. Broadcast Engineer in New Post. Eugene Cogley, broadcast engineer, has resigned from the staff of the Fed- eral Radio Commission “ROYAL MICROPHONE” FOR USE OF KING GEORGE Concession to British Ruler in Equipment Which Recently Re- ceived Tenth Annual Inscription. LONDON (#).—Only King George may use the famous “royal micro- phone,” which recently had its tenth inscription engraved upon it. The new ption reads simply, November 12, 1930,” the date of the opening of the Indian Round Table Conference, when the King's opening speech was broadcast. The dates are engraved on a silver casting below the gold coat-of-arms and cipher. They represent important mo- ments in recent British history, for the King broadcasts only on great occasions. ——— e GIVEN RADIO POSITION Lyle E. Hughes Appointed to Chair- man of Commission. Lyle E. Hughes, a United States commissioner for the District of Co- lumbia and practicing attorney in Washington, has been appoin assistant to Chairman Charles MCcK. Saltzman of the Federal Radio Com- mission. ‘The commission has also appointed Karl O. Smith, law clerk in the Mu- nicipal Court of the District of Co- lumbia, to its legal staff, succeeding Arthur Scharfeld of Cleveland, resigned. Radio Transmission Tests On. Engloneeru of tfile filfionmndcut- . are conducting ex) ents in radio transmission in New York City, e ' television experacnis” and levision e: and facsimile transmission. e Market Summaries Twice a Week. RALEIGH, N. C. (#).—In addition to daily market broadcasts the North Car- olina Department of Agriculture is sponsoring twice-a-week summaries of market conditions. The broadcast is over Station WPTF. New Year Broadcast Longest. The longest commercial radio broad- cast ever presented, continuing for four hours and Pumnz on the air New Year ngs from New York, Chicago, Denver and the Pacific Coast, wflm broadcast December 31 over an N. B. O. network. Ten famous orchestras will be heard on_this AMOUNT get the assistance of their wives| TIMED PROGRAMS SEENAIDTO RADID Progress in Synchronization Held as Beneficial in Re- ceiving Broadcasts. BY ROBERT MACK. Scientific progress of only the past few months will yield to the radio lis- tener in the near future a greater va= rlety of programs and less of the squeals and heterodynes that now mar recep- tion, it is predicted by Federal Radio Commissioner Harold A. Lafount. Important engineering advances in broadcasting, surrounding the perfec- tion of synchronization, will have the effect of reshaping the radio structure, with the ‘fuhllc reaping the benefits in all-around improvement of programs, the commissioner states. While syn- chronization is the major technical accomplishment and should result in the practical elimination of inter-station interference, there are other engineering achievements that unite in the im= })ceenmns realigning of broadcasting serve Fears that synchronization, or the operation of more than one high-pow= ered station on a single channel, will spell the ruin of the local and regional stations, are allayed by the commis- sioner. And he insists there will be “no monopoly of the wavelengths” as some greups have predicted with the advent of synchronization. Fear for Independents. Since the networks have been experi~ menting with synchronization, and one of them—the National Co.—has actually ed the first 1i in such a project, there has been much skepticism in the industry as to the fate of the independent station. Now some 150 of the Nation's leading sta- tions are aligned with the two major networks, subscribing to their p: . With synchronization, now definitely adjusted as “out of the laboratory,” the ultimate hope is that entire networks of stations will operate on a single broadcast channel by means of ““booster™ stations strategically located through= out the country. This would obviate the need of contracting with independ- ent stations in localities served by the “boosters,” and the independent sta- tions would be forced to go it alonme, l:umkp;tl.ng with the synchronized net- works. Mr. Lafount believes that this will stimulate the development of local and regional stations. He envisions the establishment of co-operative independ- ent regional networks, operating in the same general territory, supplementing the “national” programs of the N. B. C. and Columbia. Thus the stations now subscribing to chain programs which will be supplanted by boosters of the networks in their service areas “will be enabled to perform local, regional and national service, depending upon their sizes, and to cater to their regular aus diences with types of programs peculiar to their localities,” he asserted. “It will be like the service rendered by the press associations in providing State and regional news for newspapers in particular localities.” First Link Soon. ‘Within the next few months N. B. C. will have in operation its first synchro- nized link, by virtue of authority grant- ed it to synchronize Station WBAL, in Baltimore, and WTIC, in Hartford, now sharing time on a cleared channel, with the two keys of the N. B. C. in New York. Thus, both of these stations will be accorded operation, as against their operation on alternate said | days. Laboratory developments in antenna tting construction for stations also should have an important bearing on the reduction of interference, Mr. Lafount pointed out. These have in view more general use of the ground in transmission and a ingly lessened use of the sky wave, which is affected greatly by elemental interferences. v Moreover, he declared, a “master fre- quency service” shortly will be inaugu- rated by the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. by wire line. This serv- ice will be offered to stations of the country to keep them precisely on their frequencies and thus avoid the clashing of signals of stations operating on the same channel, which now causes hetero- dyne interference. (Copyright, 1930, by the Consolidated Press:) VOTERS’ SERVICE PLANS FOURTH RADIO SEASON Presenting All Sides of Public Is- sues Object of Programs on N. B. C. Network. ‘The Voters’ Service, presenting & se- ries of programs which deal with cur- rent problems of government, will in: augurate its fourth season over & National Broadcasting Co. network January 6 from 7 to 7:30 p.m. ‘The Voters’ Service presents men and women who are conducting the Na- tion's affairs, experts on matters dis- cussed, and the journalists who ob- ted | serve and record political happenings. Its aim is to present all sides of issues, but to promote none. ring the coming season emphasis is to be placed upon current problems, and the attempt will be to show what the average citizen, as a voter, can do about them. The subjects have been chosen for their timeliness, intrinsic importance and appeal to persons in- terested in the economic and political problems of the day. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan and Senator Robert J. Bulkley of Ohio will launch the opening pro- gram January 6. “The Voters’ Personal Stake in Government” is the topic of this broadcast. Senator Bulkley will discuss the Government at home, whilé Senator Vandenberg will talk about the stake in government abroad. International Broadcasts Better. ‘The year 1930, glancing backward, feels that one of its accomplishments has been the big improvement in the , international broadcasts, both those gminl from overseas and those sent < Radio Service L Phone 18th & Col. Rd. 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