Radio Digest (July 1924-Apr 1925)

My 26, 1924 RADIO DIGES T— Illustrated SPELL-BINDERS NOW HAVE ADDED WORRY RADIOCAST TO INFLUENCE POLITICS FOR BETTER adiophan Vote, Too Heavy to Neglect, Presents Difficult Problem for Wobbly Politicians By Carl H. Batman NEW YORK. — The Radiophans of the country, and practically everyone else are unanimous in the belief that Radio will sooner or later change the methods of selecting presidential candidates. Some assert that it is bound to effect the final vote in November. Radio, with its pitiless publicity, carries every word uttered at conventions, to members of both political faiths. It shows reactions, reveals the "inside stuff," and exposes faked enthusiasm, "hokum," "bunk," and "apple sauce." Radio takes all fans to the conventions. It has practically killed the old methods of "infighting," and will certainly tend to switch the battle to a more open style of play, as the sport writers say. It may urge the direct primary system of voting for candidates. Hard on Spell-Binders During the recent political conflicts, not onlv the regular fans but candidates, political headquarters, community centers, statesmen, governmental officials and editors; even the tired business men, shop girls and tin can tourists listened in on the proceedings. No longer can the lieutenants of a factional cause "put anything over" on the general public, which now has its ear tuned to the air through the aid of Radio. Spell-binders of the past cannot longer pattern their speeches to a single class of listeners — all classes listen in at the same time. A speaker can neither talk "down" nor "up" to his audience, since the morons and the intellectuals are both on the air. The Radio audience today, especially when a national question is being thrashed out, is cosmopolitan, with a capital C. No Ether "Editing" Every speaker will have to be careful, for his copy is no longer subject to correction and editing; it goes out in the heat of his oratory to the country at large. Even if he is a member of Congress, he cannot claim the privilege of editing his speech as he does for the Congressional Record. The newspapers also get it direct, without the coloring of special political writers or imaginative reporters, some'times influenced or swayed from the duty of telling the public the story in its bare and ungarnished truthfulness. The Radio public, at least, has learned considerable about politics during the past month than it ever knew before. It will not forget soon. The vote of some 25,000,000 fans must also be considered by campaign managers; another problem for them to handle. Only one solution is available: "Simon Pure" honesty, plain direct statements of facts and sincere promises, for they are talking directly to possible constituents of Radio land who will not tolerate much. "Do I Scream Well?" Now Question on Paris Minds PARIS. — France has just had a new kind of contest that promises to replace the familiar questions in the minds of so many movie-struck people: "Do I screen well?" or "Can I go into the movies?" For the new Radio contest the questions might be: "Do I scream well?" or "Can I go into Radio?" A long list of contestants willing to make the trial came to a Paris Radiocast studio one night, and tried the audibility and quality of their voices before the microphone. The judges were to pick the ones who could become regular Radio performers, from those whose voices were unsuited for such work. Among the contestants were several well-known singers and speakers, not all of whom "got by" over the Radio. BRITISH HAVE NEW 25 KW. RADIOCAST LONDON. — The British Broadcasting company with headquarters in this city, recently put in service their new station, 5XX, which will work on 1600 meters with a power of 25 kilowatts. This station should be easily audible in the United States during the coming winter. Plans are being made for another large station, which will be erected in the near future. WSB KAY AS WNAC GUEST ANNOUNCER BOSTON. — Station WNAC, Shepard Stores here recently had as guest announcer, Lambdin Kay, announcer at the Atlantic Journal Radiocast, WSB. Mr. Kay was in the city helping to celebrate the Elk's National convention and announced the concert program of Station WSB from "WNAC. Station WNAC has purchased a new 500-watt transmitter which will be placed in operation by September. RIGHT OFF THE CHEST OF NELLIE ssssss Nellie Revell, considered the world's greatest woman press agent, as she recently Radiocast from WIP's control studio on the steel pier at Atlantic ■> City. Miss Revell, who succeeded in a four-year fight against an ordinarily fatal spinal disease, while in a plaster cast and unable to move, wrote her famous "Right Off the Chest," telling of her hospital experiences and giving inspiration to the afflicted. Foto Topics Photo Hundred Millions Capital Backs Manufacturers' Body CHICAGO. — The Radio Manufacturers' association was permanently organized recently at a meeting here attended by representatives of more than forty concerns representing more than one hun ITALY LIKES SECRET RADIOCAST SYSTEM HAMMOND MAKES HIT USING MIESSNER IDEA Success Greets Italian Trials — Device Dedicated to Public in 1915 in United States ROUE. — The visit of John Hays Hammond, Jr., to Italy and France has created a keen interest in his plans for improved methods of Radiocasting. Very interesting results have been demonstrated in both countries. In Rome, Mr. Hammond worked with the military authorities, making many transmissions on various wave lengths with his system of secret, noninterfering waves. Among other trials, he transmitted steadily for periods of several hours between two stations a considerable distance apart, while at the same time six Italian military stations tried to interfere. For a part of the tests the interfering stations were even informed of the wave lengths being used by the Hammond stations. According to Mr. Hammond, the transmissions were not interrupted in the least. Patent on Non-Patentable Device? The principle of the Hammond system is that of multiple modulation. Revised originally for a Radio control system of boats, torpedoes, and the like, it has proved to have important possibilities for Radiocasting. Although this invention is claimed by John Hays Hammond, Jr., it was in reality invented by Benjamin F. Miessner who worked for Mr. Hammond in 1915. At this time, Mr. Miessner dedicated the invention to the public, and as far as the American rights are concerned, the device is unpatentable; although so-called patents have been issued to Hammond, who recently sold them to the Radio Corporation of America. JOHN REINARTZ GIVES NAVY FRUITS OF WORK dred million dollars. Manufacturers as far away as New York were represented in the organization which is to cover the entire United States and Canada. Major Herbert H. Frost was unanimously elected president, Frank Reichman, vice-president, and A. J. Carter, secretarytreasurer. Famous Amateur Is Awarded Second District Radio Cup NEW YORK. — In a short acceptance speech after receiving the Radio Cup, an annual award of the executive Radio council, second district, given to the Radio amateur whose experimental work during the year most befits him for the honor, John L. Reinartz, recognized Radio engineer and amateur experimenter announced at a monster convention of Radio amateurs from the metropolitan area that he had turned over to the Navy department his entire developments on a Radio transmitter functioning on ten meters. He further declared that his system could be adapted in less than ten minutes to any amateur station operating today. Previously, Radio communication on 100 meters was considered epoch-making. At this high frequency, special insulation is necessary, as bakeltte bursts. Mobilizing Relief Force; Use Radio Communication CLEVELAND. — When all other means of communication failed, as a result of the devastating storm that swept northern Ohio recently, Radio filled the breach. An amateur in Lorain, Ohio, kept in constant touch with another amateur in Cleveland, and as a result, Station WTAM, was enabled to expedite the mobilization of relief forces. Besides organizing relief, various army units were notified to mobilize and speed to the stricken zone. Harry Geise at WQJ CHICAGO. — Harry Geise, pianist and composer, has been added to the staff of Station WQJ here. Mr. Geise was at one time pianist for Wendell Hall, and collaborated with him in writing some popular hits. THE ANTENNA BROTHERS Spir L. and Lew P. Part III — Another Fish Story w