Radio revue (Dec 1929-Mar 1930)

16 RADIO REVUE Mr. Fussy Fan Admits that He is a "High Brow j » By FUSSY FAN FOR the past five years I have been a radio addict. That is the term that best describes a radio listener of the category into which I fall. With me, listening has been practically an obsession. It took hold of me in much the same manner that golf makes its inroads on its hapless victims. When I tuned in a distant station at Northfield, Minn., on my first set, I received a thrill as great as that enjoyed by the new golfer who, for the first time, sees one of his drives sail far away over the hill. It is a thrill that gets you. However, I have always been able to take my radio or leave it alone. I have no sympathy with the calamity howlers who continually complain about the poor programs they get on the radio. In the first place, I try never to lose sight of the fact that all of these entertaining and educational programs come to me absolutely free of charge. Secondly, I realize that I can always exercise one of radio's most admirable prerogatives — that of tuning out any undesirable program by a mere twist of the dial. My introduction to radio took place about five years ago, when I went to Station WEAF, then at 19 5 Broadway, New York, to hear and see a friend of mine, a tenor, broadcast a fifteen-minute program of songs. It was all very novel and fascinating. I soon became intensely interested and bought a four-tube reflex receiver. To me that set seemed little short o f marvelous, a 1 though, as time went REACTIONS OF A "HIGH BROW V, ^ If a desire to hear good music rendered artistically stamps one as a "high brow" then I plead guilty to the charge. The late John B. Daniel was one of the finest extemporaneous announcers that radio has ever had. I feel that today there are entirely too many dramatic programs on the air. When it comes to music, I prefer the classics to jazz every time. Milton Cross still remains my favorite announcer, particularly for concert and operatic programs. For sporting events, I prefer Ted Husing. Among my pet radio aversions I number Roxy, wise-crachmg announcers, tvhispering baritones and all contralto crooners excepting Vaughn de heath. Radio listeners get too much for nothing and hence fail properly to appreciate what is done for them. If in no other way, radio justifies its existence alone by bringing to the masses the beautiful music of our major symphony orchestras. ( on and certain refinements and improvements were introduced into radio receivers, I began to realize that my set was not exactly the finest thing of its kind. In those days, as many will recall, programs were on a lower plane than they are today. The principal reason for this was that, as yet, commercially sponsored broadcasts had not become general. Radio was still a great toy. Singers and musicians of all ranks were only too glad to contribute their talents in order to experiment with this new medium of artistic expression. Some of these experiments proved to be happy ones but, on the other hand, many of them turned out rather unfortunately. Inasmuch as few artists were being paid for their services, many crimes were, of necessity, countenanced in the name of radio. In Purely Experimental Stage The Clicquot Club Eskimos, Whose Dance Music 1 Enjoy However, radio in those days was in a pur ely experimental stage. As yet no definite radio technic had been evolved, and little had been learned of the real possibilities of this new medium. For this reason, the majority of programs consisted of vocal or