Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

territorial rights agreement with an American advertiser. Cecil and Sally began an NBC Pacific Coast "in the flesh" act early this month. The release of the recorded series will, therefore, be grouped in mid-west and eastern stations in order to avoid conflict. Forty stations have used the transcription series the past year. EQUIPMENT DEFOREST RADIO CO., Passaic, N. J., has just completed the installation of < a new 500-watt transmitter for WOAX, Trenton, N. J. The engineer in charge of construction was W. McConnell. A NEW SERIES of condenser microphones for broadcasting, recording and public address operation is announced by the Gates Radio & Supply Co., Quincy, 111. These microphones are offered in floor stand, desk and suspension models. BUILDER OF XER, the 75 kw. Brinkley station at Villa Acuna, Mexico, is W. E. Branch, of the Radio Engineering Co., Fort Worth, Tex., who has built a number of broadcasting stations in the Southwest. EXCLUSIVE American rights for the distribution of the Von Ardenne cathode-ray oscillograph tube are now in the hands of the General Radio Co., Cambridge, Mass., according to John D. Crawford, engineer of that company. This tube is designed for laboratory use and is distinguished from the one having an additional electrode which is designed for television. Both the oscillograph and television tubes are the product of Baron Von Ardenne noted young German inventor. .AN RCA VICTOR 1 kw. transmitter is to be installed for WEVD, New York, which on Dec. 4 was authorized by the Federal Radio Commission to change the location of its transmitter from Forest Hills to a point in Brooklyn to be determined by surveys with • a portable. The station's authorized power is 500 w. WJAY, Cleveland, has been authorized by the Federal Radio Commission to install a new General Radio Company (Cambridge, Mass.), crystal and box with a composite amplifier. STATION NOTES WGBS, New York, recently purchased by William Randolph Hearst, is installing new Western Electric equipment, and after Jan. 1 will broadcast irom new studios in the Ritz Towers. WACO, Waco, Tex., reports time available for sponsorship of weather reports between programs to the number of seven spots daily. DONALD FLAMM, president of WMCA, New York, is spending $5,000 for Hudson-Maxim window silencers and ventilators for all the station's studios. Outside noise is kept out, but fresh air is admitted. HARRISON HOLLIWAY, manager of KFRC, San Francisco, is building a 50-watt crystal controlled transmitter for short wave work. He plans to 'Communicate with similar stations over the world via code and over shorter distances with voice. WSB, of The Atlanta Journal, will erect its recently authorized 50 kw. transmitter as quickly as possible, according to Lambdin Kay, director. XER, Villa Acuna, Mexico, broadcasting on 735 kc. with 75 kw., is carrying many of its programs via remote control from Del Rio, Tex., just across the Rio Grande River. KEX, Portland, Ore., has undertaken an expansion program with new equipment and fixtures which will continue for 90 days, but without interruptions programs, according to Larry Allen, anager. WEBQ, Harrisburg, 111., has just in stalled a new crystal control. When the fourth zone radio supervisor checked the apparatus Dec. 3, he found the station did not vary one cycle off its 1210-kilocycle frequency. THE EDUCATIONAL unit of WABC, New York, has a model of the new 50,000-watt transmitter so that lecturers can explain the route programs follow from the time the microphone is actuated until they leave the vertical aerial tower at Wayne Township, N. J. WRAK, Williamsport, Pa., has just completed the enlargement of its quarters to include a new audition studio and additional offices. FACILITIES of WMT, Waterloo, la., have been offered without cost to the State of Iowa for use during Education Week in that state. Harry Shaw, president of the National Association of Broadcasters and owner of the station, wrote Gov. Dan Turner that every Iowa radio station has considerable time which no doubt could be used for the same purpose. FROM KGMB, Honolulu, came the first congratulations to WOL, Washington, on the occasion of the latter's birthday Dec. 9, which was celebrated by a special all-day feature program. C. Stamford Cost, general manager of KGMB, happening to be in Washington, dropped in at WOL and conveyed the Hawaiian station's good wishes. He said when KGMB went on the air for the first time, the only other station in Honolulu, KGU, voluntarily remained silent for an hour. WSAZ, Huntington, W. Va., dedicated a special DX program to the Radio Listeners' Club of Central New England, conducted under auspices of WTAG, Worcester, for one hour after midnight Dec. 7. PROGRAM NOTES CONTRACT Bridge, the new NBC comedy series, has met with such success that Ruth McCloy, author and director, has been asked to write a series of scripts for movie shorts on the same subject. THE VETERAN Wireless Operators Association presented a dramatization of Marconi's wireless conquest of the Atlantic ocean on the thirteenth anniversity of the event, Dec. 12, over WOR, Newark, and the NBC network. The association awarded a medal to the inventor. CHRISTMAS carols by the Advertising Club Singers, 60 male voices picked from the New York Advertising Club, will be heard in place of the usual guest speaker at 1:15 p.m., Dec. 23, over WEAF-NBC network. S. L. (Roxy) Rothafel will offer a Yuletide greeting. DR. HENRY HADLEY, noted American composer and conductor, inaugurated a new series of popular concerts with his Gold Seal Svmphony Orchestra Dec. 13 over WOR, Newark. The programs, which at first will feature Ben Alley as tenor soloist, will be heard each Sunday at 6:45 p.m. "THE TIPPLERS," a harmony duo, stumbled into a contract with the Yankee network recently when they appeared in a special unemployment broadcast over WNAC, Boston. John Shepherd, 3rd, president of the network, who was listening in, was so impressed by their performance that he engaged them as a sustaining feature. A LAVISHLY staged musical revue, created and directed by Raoul Mario, of WOR, Newark, and enlisting talent from the station, was booked for presentation at Lowe's State Theatre in Newark for the week beginning Dec. 12. THEODORE DREISER and Sherwood Anderson described conditions among the Kentucky miners in broadcasts over WGBS and WEVD, New York, on Dec. 5 and 8, respectively. The WGBS program was also carried over W2XCR. ONE OF the most popular features over WELL, Battle Creek, Mich., is the "Scrapbook Lady," who reads interesting clippings sent in by listeners and gives recitations. This station, a 50-watter operated by the EnquirerNews, also devotes two half-hour periods weekly to Battle Creek College, in which such subjects as chemistry, history and music are treated. Once a week the Battle Creek Central High School band presents a threequarter hour concert, and twice weekly Paul Riley, station musical director, gives a music appreciation hour. The local Federation of Labor also uses the station weekly for entertainment and talks by labor leaders. PURSUING a policy of neglecting no major sporting event in New England, John Shepard, 3rd, president of the Yankee network, has assigned authorities to cover each sport for the microphone. Fred Hoey covers baseball, Ralph Gilroy football and Gerry Harrison wrestling and boxing over WNAC, Boston. Sports broadcasts originating in Providence are covered by Fred Long, supervisor of WEAN, while Joseph Lopez, supervisor of WICC, Bridgeport, covers all Bridgeport and New Haven sports. WOMEN'S Club Radio Hour, a daily feature, save Sunday, at 11:30 a.m. over KMPC, Beverly Hills, Cal., presents speakers and musical talent from the various women's clubs in the vicinity of Los Angeles. Lois Harrison, director of women's activities of the Pacific Coast Products League, a booster of local industries, arranges and announces the program. DONALD DAVIS, one-time winner of an Atwater Kent audition, started this first of this month as a soloist with the Ambassador Hotel cocoanut grove entertainers in Los Angeles. The program has been switched from KFWB to KFI-KECA. MAJOR Bowes Capitol Family weekly program on Dec. 6 went back to Sundays after trying Friday broadcasts for the last nine months. Maj. Edward Bowes expressed the belief that Sunday is the best time for the program. It was heard for nine years previously on this day. The broadcast starts at 11:30 a.m., lasts an hour, and is carried over the NBCWEAF network. AN EXCHANGE of programs in the interests of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Miami, Fla., was effected late in November by WTIC, Hartford, Conn., and WIOD, Miami. The Merry Madcaps of the Connecticut station dedicated an hour of dance music to WIOD, and the latter responded with a tribute to WTIC. THE ROTH QUARTET with Vera Brodsky, pianist, inaugurated a series of concerts on Dec. 9 over WOR, Newark. The world famous quartet was brought to WOR by Miss Brodsky, who has been giving piano recitals over the station. TED HUSING, CBS sports announcer, opened a series of interviews of officials and possible contestants in the forthcoming Olympic games over the WABC-CBS network on Dec. 11. The interviews will be conducted from 5:45 to 6 p.m. every Friday. THE "TROVADORES Liricos de Cuba," the CMC, Havana, quartet, scored as the outstanding entertainment feature of the recent three-day international broadcast from WIOD, Miami, in which more than 200 radio stations of six nations participated. A WIDE variety of subjects, ranging from Communism and the business depression to intercollegiate athletics, are offered at 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday by members of the faculty of the University of Georgia over WSB, Atlanta. The" lectures continue until Jan. 1. LOS ANGELES' far-famed Breakfast Club is permanently connected with KFWB, Hollywood, for the weekly meetings and special occasions. More celebrities have been presented before its microphone than that of any other Pacific Coast organization. "Acqua Cheta" May Go Over Network Stone, N. Y. Producer, Obtains Contract from G. Ricordi THE MUSIC publishing house, G. Ricordi & Co. of Rome, which controls thousands of musical compositions, including the Puccini grand operas, has long held aloof to the call of the broadcasters eager _ to put the numerous Italian, Spanish and French selections on the air. Several years ago the sponsor of an American program contracted for rights to broadcast the Puccini operas at what was reported to be a very high price. Ralph W. Stone, New York producer, walked into the National Broadcasting Company a few days ago to show a contract with Ricordi, which he asserts gives him the rights to the operetta "Acqua Cheta" for stage sound motion pictures and radio performances. He is now negotiating with NBC and has conferred with the officials at the Columbia Broadcasting System relative to releasing this music for the microphone. An orchestra is being organized for the stage presentation and tour of "Acqua Cheta," and if the negotiations now underway succeed it will be broadcast. Mr. Stone, who has conducted a number of orchestras in Broadway successes, contends that this operetta is ideal for broadcasting. If it is done satisfactorily on the air, he believes that through his contract with Ricordi other light operas, of which he estimates there are about 40,000, may be heard on the radio in the United States. "Our aim is to advance musical stage plays of foreign origin granting the foreign rights to production and presentation of certain successes, past and present," said Mr. Stone. "Our plans for an early presentation of 'Acqua Cheta' by Pietri and Novelli as a first venture are well under way. It is our intention to place these operettas in the key cities of the east following their initial showing in New York. Negotiations are progressing to carry these foreign presentations further, to include the sound picture and radio field. "This, we feel, is an important step and one of interest to radio listeners because Ricordi controls 90 per cent of the Italian music. Our contract does not cover the Puccini operas or other Italian grand operas. It is associated with music of a lighter vein such as the operettas." Log Changes Available CORRECTIONS and changes in the list of broadcasting stations in the United States as of Dec. 1 have been made public by the Federal Radio Commission. The list details 37 changes in designations, 16 of which result from the recent high power grants. Deletions, additions, changes in call letters and changes in assignments which have occurred since the last addenda sheet was published on Nov. 2 also are enumerated. Copies of the new addenda sheet, may be procured from the Commission by writing for Mimeograph No. 5814. ecember 15, 1931 • BROADCASTING Page 23