Inside facts of stage and screen (June 7, 1930)

PAGE EIGHT INSIDE f ACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY. JUNE 7, 1930 Greater K YA Plans Outlined RADIO BAHLE GETS WARMER IN SAN DIEGO BULLETIN SAN FRANCISCO, June 5.— Don E. Oilman, vice-president of NBC in charge of the Pacific Divi- sion, this week announced an elab- orate inaugural program to be pre- sented on the night of June 11 to signalize addition of KFSD, San Diego, California, to the nationv^ride network of radio stations now as- sociated with the National Broad- casting Company. Station KFSD was added to the rapidly growing list of stations associated with NBC after a conference in New York between Earl C. Anthony, owner of KFI, Los Angeles, rep- resentatives of KFSD, San Diego, and officials of NBC. Program details for the inaugural will be announced later. SAN DIEGO, June 5.—The lo- cal campaign for National Broad- casting programs for San Diego air fans is becoming warmer, with local dailies giving banner lines to the stories and one paper even contributing a page ad. Petitions are being signed re- questing the NBC to release their programs through local station KFSD in the event that Earl C. Anthony refuses to switch tjiem back from KECA to KFI, Los Angeles. The local listener audience is estimated at 180,000 pairs of ears. National advertisers who sponsor these NBC programs are being ap- prised of the furore and of the large area of population neglected by Anthony in the territory he is supposed to cover, according to the franchise he is said to hold. He is said to be required to cover Southern California, which he did when the programs were confined to 5000 watt KFI, but KECA can- not reach here with its 1000 watts. Local fans can hear Denver easier, but object to the static. KTM MANAGER SONG WRITER SAN FRANCISCO, June 5.— National Broadcasting Co. may possibly enter San Diego soon as the result of the protests entered by Sam Diegans when NBC pro- BEN AY VENUTA SINGING THE BLUES KPO SAN FRANCISCO The composer of "Dream of Love and You," "Forgotten," "Sweet Little Rose" and "Nita" was re- vealed this week as Glenhall Tay- lor, station manager of KTM, Los Angeles. Popular as a radio executive, it was not until his bride of a month spilled the beans that it became known that the modest G. T. was actually THE Mr. Taylor, well- known composer. At the same time it was divulged that he is preparing other numbers for early publication, f Peter Higglns, radio tenor fea- tured on RKO broadcasts, has been signed to a new five-year contract calling for his activities in radio, pictures and vaudeville. Contract starts in the fall. grams were switched from KFI to KECA in Los Angeles and were difficult to catch in the south- ern city. In a wire to the San Diego Union, newspaper sponsor of the move to return NBC programs to the borderline city, Don E. Gil- man, vice president of NBC in charge of the coast, this week said: "It has been the purpose of the National Broadcasting Company since its beginning to offer a com- plete, nationwide service to radio set owners. This policy has been followed so far as conditions per- mit, and it is only where the ex- pense of line additions are pro- hibitive or where facilities are not available that localities are not af- forded NBC programs. "The invitation whicH has come from San Diego to this organiza- tion is being given every consid- eration in connection with expan- sion plans of the company. "We realize the merit of the request that has come to us from San Diego for the establishment of a National Broadcasting Com- pany service and I can say, with- out qualification, that we recognize that city as an important Metro- politan area with a wide distribut- tion of radio receiving sets." In connection with the possibil- ity of affording NBC service to San Diego and environs. Oilman and G. W. Payne, head of the station relations department and commercial engineer at New York City, will visit that ^ city during the month, Oilman said. In Oilman's opinion, San Diego long ago would have been repre- sented on the NBC chain had it not been for the proximity of Los Angeles. Explaining that situation, he said: "In most instances, there would be little need for a network sta- tion in localities no greater dist- tance apart than Los Angeles and San Diego. It is only where at- mospheric and geological condi- tions cause interference or where other station signals interfere that a situation arises similar to that encountered in San Diego. This situation long has been recognized by the National Broadcasting Com- pany and our visit to San Diego is designed especially to complete our study of it with a view to ex- tending NBC service to the south- ern city if conditions warrant." BIG EXPANSION SOON FOR S. F. RADIO STATION SAN FRANCISCO, June 5.— Modernized by the latest equip- ment and with many new plans for its future the Greater KYA will soon be a reality. Some time this month—the exact date is not yet set—the Pacific Broadcasting Co. will put into operation the newest RCA equipment that will add this station to the leaders in the broadcasting field. Towers have been erected on the roof of the Whitcomb Hotel and it is from this spot that fu- ture programs will emanate. Ac- tual studios of KYA remain in Loew's Warfield building. By a tieup with Fox West Theatres the towers — the most conspicuous in the city — will be lighted by a huge Neon sign that will give both the Fox Theatre and KYA added publicity. Clair E. Morrison is manager of this independent station. Included in the present person- nel are the following: Helen Stone, contralto, 'cellist and arranger; Tom Smith, tenor, guitarist, hill billy singer, and writer and player of the Metro and Cosmo sketch; Harry Bechtel, announcer, playing in the Metro and Cosmo and Col- lege Daze sketches and reader on the Calendar of the Air; George Nickson, tenor, singing poptunes and also with Pacific Artists Trio; Liborious Hauptmann, musical and program director; Yvonne Peter- sen, contralto, playing in the Col- ege Daze sketch and assistant pro- gram director; George Taylor, vo- calist, m. c. on the Sunshine and Embassy and Davies and Musical Parade programs with Clem Ken- nedy as pianist; Greta Gahler, vo- calist on popular programs and with the instrumental trio and in the sketch. College Daze. Virginia Spencer, staff pianist and vocalist; Gene Sullivan, bari- tone; Claire Upshur, soprano; Nona Campbell, contralto; Charlie Concannon, announcer and player of parts; Fred Filers, announcer and on the controls; Freddie Heward, violinist on the popular programs; Dud Williamson, con- ductor of the Bridge Hour and singing on other programs; Melvin Dunne, Leo Catalano and Eman- uel Tapia, pop instrumentalists and Louis Ford and Otto King with the Pacific Artists Trio. Tommy Monroe and Bob Allen present their 1640 Boys program from this station, using George Bowers and Jack Lee as addi- tional features. When the station goes on the air over the new transmitter it will have several new programs and advertising sponsors. Later, it is reported, an orchestra and other features will be added. Dick Dixon, staff organist for KGER, and its music director, has now been made program director, but will continue his organ recitals. Pickups and Viewpoints Right now, radio is the only source of good music for the general public. Orchestra pits in legitimate theatres yawn with dark emptiness, and the only music between acts is the chatter of voices. At this moment there is not one musical show on the boards in either Hollywood or Los Angeles. In the picture houses, what music comes from the screen is cheap and incidental. It seems that show business today can- not do anything reasonably, and the consequence is reflected at the boxofifices. Radio is getting the audiences. If % _. A horrible example of what not to broadcast came over the network from San Francisco on Memorial Day morning. "The Trumpeter" was offered as a vocal quartet. In the first place, nobody has any right to harmonize this number, it depending upon dramatic, individ- ual delivery. And in the second place, the execution was pitiable. We have never heard anything worse. Attack was ragged, some of the voices often off key, and the interpretation lamentably weak. * * ^ Great Venetian vogue on the air last week. Almost every dial po- sition brought "swishing prows cleaving the moonlit waters, tuned to the rhythm of the gondolier's heaving shoulders." Continuities must have been syndicated. * * * John Daggett says that radio will teach brotherly love to all man- kind. Perhaps he had just received Eugene Inge's Catalina invitation. Anyway, he may be right. The auto robbed the newspaper of its political influence (by teaching the man at the wheel to think for him- self), and maybe radio's contribu- tion will be another cataclysmic reformation. % ^ % • KFI is inaugurating a series of setting-up exercises for 10:45 p.m. nightly. Now, who will dare say there is no night life in Holly- wood? « * • No end to the gags used to crash radio. Monday morning last a "fan" letter was received at KHJ saying that the programs from that station were just fine, but they needed a good Scotch tenor. In the same mail came a letter from a Scotch tenor asking for a job. * ♦ ♦ Numerous correspondents assure us that our scheme for taking ad- vertising out of radio broadcasting is "the only definite, constructive idea yet advanced," but they aver, with alarming unanimity, "it will never be made operative because it conflicts with commercial interests, who will refuse to loosen the grip they now have on our free air." Well, there is always the corner service station. However, the idea has not died a-borning. Jes' you wait *n' see. The first of the series of "Cali- fornia Melodies" programs pro- duced here for the Columbia net- work, which series is to preview the newest creations of tin-pan alley here, by way of blacking Broadway's other eye, seems to have knocked the gay white way for the w. k. count. Not that there have been shoals of telegrams of congratulation or anything like that. On the other hand, nary a peep has come through. Speech- less, no doubt. And by the time they recover consciousness the sec- ond of the series will sock 'em on the button again. Sez we. « « * One of the microphones played dead while this "Melodies" pro- gram was being staged last week, but it was the mike used by the announcer and a crooner, so the cause of Art suffered neither jot nor tittle. But a lot of loving la- bor blushed unseen on the deserted air. « « « Barks from the Office Dog: Charlie Wellman buying a ticket east . . . where there's a will there's a way . . . Roland Foss, with cor- rugated brow, staring into vacancy . . said vacancy occupied by Jose Rodriguez . , . Carl Haverlin breez- ing in from a week-end in San Francisco . . . and looking kinder pale . . . Howard and Vincent get- ting Filipino fan mail ... "I hear you sing when the bloomers are on sage . , . why should they be hang on sage . . . have the hills-billie no got close-line?" . . . Dick Creedon back from a sea voyage to Cata- lina . . . just a pleasure trip . . . nothing serious came up . . . Gene Byrnes rehearsing The Padded Cell Revue . . . nothing like broad ex- perience to draw from . . . but re- hearsal hardly needed . . . June Parker peeking through a window . . . Ted White being an unsung hero . . . Stuart Buchanan covertly slipping something into a desk . . . but the press finding it gone later . . . Jerry King back from the big trip east . . . and his happy voice back on the air . . . John Daggett painting the clouds with sunshine . . . Eugene Inge painting his tan with iodine . . . Ray Winters learn- ing a new routine . . . Marillah Olney among the missing . . . Ho, hum, it's a dog's life. FREDDIE HEWARD Fiddling Funster of the GREATER KYA SAN FRANCISCO "JUST ME and MY OLD GUITAR" ORIGINATOR AND PRODUCER OF over METRO and COSMO MON.—WED.—FRI.—6:15 P.M. GREATER KYA