Radio Digest (Apr 1925-Jan 1926)

June 13, 1925 RADIO DIGES T— Illustrated The Famous Richmond Hill Station — WAHG To the right *s Marie Dressier, famous comedienne, who acts as announcer at WAHG when she's in town. Below is Evan Davies, Scotch comedian, and one of the most popular men at the station. His voice always brings a load of mail from bonnie Scotland. Below is "Ole Bill" Diehl, the Radio question box man at WAHG. But Bill does not devote all his time to answering fan mail on how to do it. He's one of the country's best known engineers and is responsible for the designing' of Grebe receivers. By "Bishop" Heber MacDonald EIGHT years ago, when Mayor Hylan of New York was just entering the lists for the mayorality, a young experimenter invited him out to his station on Richmond Hill. There the first political speech was broadcast. The experimenter was A. H. Grebe. So you see Grebe and broadcasting seem synonymous. And this proves that Kipling was right when he said: The -wisest thing, we suppose, That a man can do for his land Is the work that lies under his nose. With the tools that lie under his hand. Above Is Pat Booney, chief operator. It is said ha Is not ■o sad as he looks. Below Is the A. H. Grebe plant and the WAHG towers. Eight years has brought many changes in broadcasting. Today the studios and transmitter occupy the entire top floor of the big Grebe plant. The mechanical equipment of the station is in the able hands of Pat Rooney and Alfred Hiler. "Walter Neff is the station announcer. Evan Davies, Scotch comedian, is one of the regular features of WAHG and many letters from across the briny deep attest the excellent reach of the station and the immense popularity of Davies, who is a personal friend of Sir Harry Lauder. Madelyn Marshall Simon, wife of Robert Simon, the novelist, is the studio accompanist. Prior to her engagement at WAHG, Mrs. Simon was accompanist on the tours of Sigrid Onegin, the Swedish contralto of the Metropolitan Opera company. Burr Mcintosh, the Cheerful Philosopher, known as the man with 10,000,000 friends, has the 8:00 to 8:30 period every Friday night. Last September and October the Cheerful Philosopher was the daily noon hour feature, but motion picture engagements changed this time to the once-a-weak appearance. Thornton Fisher, the well-known sports announcer, was formerly at WEAF. He touches every phase of the world of sports and graces everything he touches. The mobile broadcaster WGMU and the marine broadcaster WRMU are also in the keeping of Mr. Fisher. No matter whether it is horse races at Belmont Park or boat races on the Hudson, Thornton Fisher is on the job for WAHG. Incidentally it might be mentioned that Tornton Fisher is one of the leading newspaper cartoonists when he is not handling the mike for the Grebe station. John Finnegan, tenor of Saint Patrick's cathedral, Fifth avenue and Fiftieth street, New York city. Is another regular Friday feature at WAHG. Granting that John MeCormack is the first Irish tenor, John Finnegan Is easily the Mikail Lambert!, cellist, was long a member of the New York Symphony orchestra under Walter Damrosch. .Mr. Lambert] Is on every Friday night and his concert tours are so arranged thai the Itinerary never Interfens with WAHG time. A deep niche has been {( onlinurd on pageft) Walter J. Neff, chief announcer at WAHG. Not only is Neff the announcer, but (sotto voice) it is said he can sing a mean song. second. The 8ynchrophase Bulck which calls for the artists and takes them home. Looks Synchrophase, doesn't It?