Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

We Pay Our Respects to — WALTER C. EVANS STILL IN HIS early thirties, Walter C. Evans today stands at the helm of the radio broadcasting operations of Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co., the organization which less than a dozen years ago contributed to the world the art of broadcasting. When Westinghouse recently announced the consolidation of all of its broadcasting activities and the promotion of "Walt" Evans to the post of manager of radio broadcasting, it paid just tribute to his ability. Despite his youth — he is 34— Walter Evans is one of broadcasting's real pioneers. His first broadcasting work was for Westinghouse. He entered that company's employ in December, 1921, as an operator for KYW, Chicago, the first station to begin regularly scheduled broadcasting west of the Mississippi. Walter Evans is one of those rare personalities who combine executive ability and business acumen with an expert knowledge of engineering. Although an engineer by profession, his aptitude for the industrial side of things and his resourceful handling of men led to his appointment as head of Westinghouse broadcasting by J. S. Tritle, vice-president and general manager of the company. Like so many men behind the gun in broadcasting, Walter C. Evans got his start as a radio "ham." So proficient did he become in his amateur tinkering that he was enabled to pay his way through school by working as ship radio operator for Marconi and RCA and aboard ships of the United Fruit Co., beginning in 1915. Walter Evans was born in Columbus, 0., August 27, 1898, the son of Walter H. Evans, railroad shop designer. He was graduated from a Chicago high school and received his electrical engineer degree at the University of Illinois : in 1921. Enlisting in the Navy at the outset of the World War, Evans served as first class opera1 tor on the sub-chaser 430. He taught at the Naval Radio School at Harvard in 1918 and mustered outof service as a chief petty officer. While concluding his academic education at the University of Illinois, Evans served as undergraduate instructor of radio engineering in 1919-20. Evans went to Westinghouse as an operator at KYW from a job as ship operator with United Fruit. Because of the zeal and ability of the then 23-year-old youth, it wasn't long before the late H. P. Davis, then vice president and general manager of Westinghouse and revered as the "father of broadcasting" through the establishment of KDKA, took an interest in him. In 1927 Evans was appointed manager of KYW, after having served as its chief engineer. The following year he took a fling at the talkies, which had just made their debut, and was appointed liaison man between Westinghouse and RCA Photophone. In the spring of 1929 Evans was recalled to take the post of superintendent of radio operations at Westinghouse, in charge of its four station units — KDKA, KYW, WBZ and WBZA — succeeding C. W. Horn, who joined NBC as general engineer. Maintaining his residence at Mt. Lebanon, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Evans is mai-ried and the father of two children — Barbara Jean, 6, and Charles, 2. He married Georgina Burtis, of Chicago, in 1924. He has three hobbies — hunting, sailing and the collecting and restoring of old firearms. He is a member of the Beachview, Interfraternity, and Jackson Park Yacht clubs of Chicago, the Institute of Radio Engineers and the Chi Psi Fraternity. PERSONAL NOTES KARL W. SCHULLINGER, assistant to Don Gilman, NBC Pacific coast vice president since last July and before that manager of the Hollywood recording studios of RCA Victor, has been appointed manager of the NBC Artists Service in San Francisco. Rudolph Vavpetich, former manager, has gone east to resume activities in the national concert field. JUDGE IRA E. ROBINSON, former radio commissioner, has announced the opening of law offices in Suite 640, Shoreham building, Washington. TOM BACON, formerly with the Pickwick Stages, and R. L. Gunter, former newspaperman, have joined the sales staff of KTM, Los Angeles. HERBERT G. FOSTER, formerly with Adams Broadcasting Service, New York, has joined the Columbia Phonograph Co. of the same city. MISS LUCILLE SCHROER, secretary and assistant auditor to the commercial department of KWK, St. Louis, has joined the publicity counsel organization of Burton Bunch, recently established in the St. Louis Mart Building, to give special attention to radio plans and programs. ROY S. FROTHINGHAM, sales promotion manager of the Pacific division of NBC, was elected president of the Sar Francisco Advertising Club recently. Earl V. Weller, Pacific coast manager of Campbell-Ewald Co., was named vice president. Directors included Harrison Holliway, manager of KFRC, and Carl Eastman, Pacific coast manager of N. W. Ayer & Son, Inc. ALEXANDER L. SHERWOOD, former newspaperman and member of the staff of KDKA, Pittsburgh, has been appointed general manager of KQV, Pittsburgh. A native of Pittsburgh, Mr. Sherwood was formerly assistant to Lloyd C. Thomas as commercial manager of the Westinghouse radio stations. He left Westinghouse to work on the A. N. A. cooperative analysis of broadcasting for Crossley, Inc. DAVID MILLER, formerly assistant studio director and production manager of CFRB, Toronto, has been appointed managing director of CFCH, North Bay, Ont. DR. C. B. JOLLIFFE, chief engineer of the Radio Commission, was called to Morgantown, W. Va., May 16, by the death of his father. He spent the week there. RUSS WINNIE, assistant station manager and chief announcer of WTMJ, Milwaukee, recently became the father of a boy. INVITATIONS have been issued by Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Terrell to the wedding of their daughter Charlotte to George Nicholas Saegmuller, Jr., May 31, at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Livingston Heights, Va. Mr. Terrell is chief of the radio division of the U. S. Department of Commerce. H. E. FISHER, an accountant, new to radio, has taken over the management of KFLV, Rockford, 111., and its reorganized staff, which includes Scott Weakley, program director, formerly with WDAF, WRJN, WJKS, WREN, KFKU, WLBF and WWAE ; also Carle S. Anderson, staff pianist and announcer. HERBERT WITHERSPOON is now managing KDB, Santa Barbara, to the announcing staff of which has also been added Charles Nulotti, Jr. G. K. THROCKMORTON, executive vice president of RCA Radiotron Co., Harrison, N. J., announces the appointment of T. F. Joyce as advertising and sales promotion manager of both RCA Radiotron and E. T. Cunningham, Inc., succeeding J. W. Mclver, who has resigned to become executive vice president of the Forbes Lithograph Mfg. Co., Boston. Mr. Joyce, formerly with the Edison Lamp Works, has been with RCA Radiotron since its formation in 1930 as assistant manager of advertising and sales promotion. WALTER J. DAMM, director of WTMJ, of the Milwaukee Journal, addressed the annual meeting of the Inland Daily Press Association in Chicago May 18 on the subject of "What Newspapers Have to Gain from a Radio Tie-up." PHIL MEYER, owner of KFYR, Bismarck, N. D., and C. F. Dirlam, commercial managers, repaid the recent visit of the Winnipeg Amalgamated Radio Trades to Bismarck, during which high tribute was paid to KFYR for the service it is rendering Canadian listeners, by travelling to Winnipeg early in May as guests of the radio association. M. H. AYLES WORTH, president of NBC, will soon go to Los Angeles for an indefinite stay in connection with his new duties as president of RKO. FORREST N. MADDIX has been named manager of WBSO, Needham, Mass., the Babson station. FRANK M. RUSSELL, Washington vice-president of NBC, returned to Washington May 24 after a two weeks' vacation in Iowa. BEHIND THE MICROPHONE WNBH, New Bedford, Mass., announces that Donald Morton, former production manager, who has gone to WAAB, Boston, has been succeeded by Everett M. Willey. Additions to the announcing staff are Willard D. Whitfield, Thomas C. Abendroth, Mildred Shief and Ada Mabel Garvin. CHARLES BULOTTI, Jr., announcer at KFAC, Los Angeles, has gone to KHJ in similar capacity. BONNIE BLUE, blues singer, formerly of WBBM, Chicago, is now acting hostess and staff artist at KRKD, Los Angeles. WALTER KELSEY, music director of KFRC, San Francisco, has written two more numbers, titled "Home" and "Skies." They were given their premieres over the station's "Idyllio" program in May. JESSICA DRAGONETTE, NBC artist, will sail for Europe on vacation in June but will continue to sing over the network when she returns in September. HAZEL JOHNSON, instrumental and vocal entertainer at KFYR, Bismark, N. D., has been chosen National Radio Beauty Queen by Radio Digest, New York magazine. PAUL BREEDY, well known in musical circles of Pennsylvania, has joined the staff of WEEU, Reading, as musical supervisor. He will engage talent for all commercial programs and will conduct auditions for sustaining programs. LOUIS JOHN JOHNEN, operatic baritone heard over WLW, Cincinnati, and Miss Lieselotte Proett, an accomplished amateur musician of Berlin, Germany, were married May 9 in the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn. MITCHELL MORRIS, former news announcer at WBOW and WGBF, has joined the continuity staff of WHAS, Louisville. OWEN CRUMP, radio announcer from Shreveport, La., has joined the staff of KFWB, Hollywood, and will be heard in a skit called "Lady Luck." The serial depicts the experiences of three negroes from Mississippi who decide to come to Los Angeles for fame and fortune, Crump enacting all the parts. RUSSELL PRATT and Ransom Sherman, the Two Doctors of network fame, are now staff artists of KYW, Chicago, appearing in daily skits. DUDLEY CHAMBERS, formerly with KNX, Hollywood, and with NBC on the west coast, has gone with KHJ, Los Angeles, to direct its vocal ensemble work. He founded the Rounders male quartet some years ago. TED HUSING, noted CBS sports announcer, is convalescing from an appendicitis operation. June 1, 1932 • BROADCASTING Page 17