Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

. . . in 23 weeks 54,467 People In 23 weeks, 54,467 people have paid to see the WLS National Barn Dance program broadcast from the stage of the Eighth Street Theater. At every performance, the Theatre has been filled to capacity and each night, without exception, many have been turned away for whom there was no room available. We believe this is the first time in radio history where admission has been charged to see a radio program broadcast over a continuous period of time. The fact that, in every instance, capacity crowds have seen the Show, is in itself ample evidence of the popularity of WLS programs and artists. The photograph shows throng waiting outside to get into the second Show. Two performances are given each Saturday night. Admis S sion price of 50 cents each being charged. Programs with the popularity of the National Barn Dance are the rule — not the exception at WLS. They explain the unusual record the station has for producing results for its advertisers. The Prairie Farmer Station Burridge D. Butler . Pres. Glenn Snyder . Manager Main Studios and Office 1230 West Washington Boulevard .. Chicago 50,000 Waits 870 Kilocycles Clear Channel AGENCIES AND REPRESENTATIVES LOGAN AND STEBBINS, Los Angeles agency, handles the account for Signal Oil Co., Los Angeles, for transcription of "Tarzan" series of Edgar Rice Burroughs stories by the same name. Feature was to start Sept. 12 with records spotted at KPO, San Francisco; KNX, Hollywood; KGB, San Diego; KERN, Bakersfield; KDB, Santa Barbara; KMJ, Fresno and KFXM, San Bernardino, Cal. W. E. SMITH, formerly with J. Walter Thompson Co., is now advertising manager of Swift & Co., Chicago. He was at one time vice president of Alfred Decker & Cohn and before that with the Curtis Publishing Co. FRANCIS GATES PORTER, of the Stack-Goble Advertising Agency, Chicago, was killed in an automobile accident in Oak Park, 111., Aug. 28. SEAVER-BRINKMAN-Gerstenberger, Inc., 303 Chester-Twelfth Bldg., Cleveland, places radio advertising for: Fisher Stores; Canfield Oil Co.; Saif, Inc.; Garayr Inc. Commission Hears Goelet Case Aired ORAL ARGUMENTS on the application of Peter Goelet, son of the prominent New York banker and realtor, for a portion of the facilities of WMRJ, Jamaica, N. Y., to be employed in the operation of a new 50-watt "week end" station on the Goelet estate at Goshen, N. Y. were presented before the Radio Commission Sept. 8. Arguments were requested by Peter J. Prinz, owner of the Jamaica station, in opposition to the recommendation of Chief Examiner Yost that WMRJ be deleted for failure to serve public interest and that the Goelet application be granted. Although the Goelet application did not seek deletion of WMRJ but requested only eight of the 40 hours used weekly by the Jamaica station on the 1210 kc. channel, B. M. Webster, Jr., former general counsel of the Commission and attorney for Mr. Goelet, urged denial of the WMRJ renewal application after it was learned that Commission counsel would not participate in the oral arguments. He said WMRJ is the type of station that the Commission should not continue to authorize and that the "time is ripe for deletion" of stations of that character. Vaudeville on BBC (Continued from page 11) for the favorite BBC broadcast. The program is the most expensive on the ether." Mr. Fryer is a pioneer radio man. He began his work in 1924 at the Newcastle station in the days of granite mikes, and he was also station director at Bournemouth. He had ten years professional experience prior to that in musical comedy and revue work. Among the vaudeville entertainers of the air whom Mr. Fryer has made popular are Mabel Constanturos and Michael Hogan, Clapham and Dwyer, and Nelcie Nevard. Assisting Mr. Fryer is his staff accompanist, Jean Neville, an Australian girl who is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music. Mr. Fryer is very definite on his aims for program work. He said: "As vaudeville is such a varied form of entertainment, we must go in for raising the standard of entertainment. The public wants to hear only the very best artists and listen to the very best in comedy. They are bound to like you in the end for helping them to appreciate better things. No red nosed comedians are on our program list." Speaking of vaudeville programs at the BBC, he said: "In fairness to vaudeville artists and especially to comedians, they should not be allowed to appear on the air too often. To enable listeners to have changes in their vaudeville, two types of programs are used: first, the broader type of performance, supported by dance music, and secondly, a much quieter type which might contain songs sung in French or German, a dramatic monologue or sketch, an operetta, a good standard instrumentalist, and generally one comedian carefully selected who will blend in with the rest of the program. No artist, amateur or professional, is refused an audition, and some 1500 to 2000 aspirants are heard yearly, but less than one per cent reach the standard required." Visitor Departs CHARLES O. STANLEY, London advertising agency executive and director of commercial broadcasting in the Irish Free State, sailed from New York aboard the S.S. Mauretania Aug. 24 after attending the Ottawa conference at which he was an unofficial observer. Frequency Measuring Service Many stations find this exact measuring service of great value for routine observation of transmitter performance and for accurately calibrating their own monitors. MEASUREMENTS WHEN YOU NEED THEM MOST R. C. A. COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. Commercial Department A RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA SUBSIDIARY 66 BROAD STREET NEW YORK, N. Y. Page 22 BROADCASTING • September 15, 1932