Radio Broadcast (Nov. 1925-Apr 1926)

APRIL, 1926 THE BEST CURRENT BROADCAST FEATURES 671 HENRY FORD'S OLD FASHIONED DANCE ORCHESTRA Composed of cymbalom, sousaphone, "fiddle," and dulcimer, which recently broadcast an interesting program of old time dance music over weaf, wjar, weei, woo, wcap, wcae, wtag, wgr, wwj, woe, wear, wcco, won, and ksd the early evening, while others come on a little later. Perhaps they would interfere less if they operated on staggered schedules. A train dispatcher is evidently needed if they all want us to ride with them. After all, we can't ride on more than one train or listen-in on more than a single wave at a time satisfactorily. Thoughtful members of the listeners' clan, point out that more instruction on reception is necessary; that dealers should be particular to sell correct accessories and, particularly, suitable length antennas, designating the proper installation of antennas and grounds for new comers. Incorrectly erected and poorly insulated antennas are the cause of a great amount of poor reception, several correspondents hold. Faith in fairly long outside antennas is evidently still strong, as 83 per cent, of the fans listed use them, nearly half of them being between 75 and 100 feet in length. A few listeners admit they would prefer one or two good programs a week rather than a continuous nightly performance by mediocre talent or even fair entertainment. Many offer to pay for better broadcast programs if it is necessary, so as to eliminate the amateur and inferior stations. The calls for silent nights were not missing, but most of the fans reporting seem able to get at least a few outside stations when they want to do so. This is perhaps because a large percentage of those writing in own three-, four-, or five-tube sets. Out of 2660 fans replying to the question, 40 per cent, operate five-tube sets, while 22 per cent, own three-tube receivers, and 13 four-tube sets. Very few boast of more tubes and even less seem content with single tubes or crystals. This would indicate that listeners are slightly better equipped that a year ago. Most of them get loud speaker volume on some station as 85 per cent, of their sets are equipped with loud speakers. Of these, horns seem still most prevalent, although the more modern types are coming into use gradually. These folk who wrote in about their sets, appear to prefer wet A batteries, but dry B batteries, although a few have installed eliminators. Complaints against barefaced advertising and sales talks were also registered, while protests against the conduct of announcers would make a story in itself. r"™"""" -"»——"•••< — n "■— 1 'Broadcast VXliscellany ^mniiuinini iMiumiuijuiHiiiiiuiuiuiiiiniiinuiniiiiiBmniuintntuiiiiii luiDuiinniiuiuiiuunniinniimiiuiiuiiuiuiHitiiiuiiiuiiniiii inuiiiuuiiur § A NOTABLE contribution to recent radio offerings was the series of Free Chamber Music Concerts by the Lenox String Quartette broadcast through wjz from the Music Library in New York City. These concerts were made possible through the courtesy of Mrs. Elizabeth S. Coolidge, who has taken a great interest in the development of musical appreciation in the American people and has spent large sums of money in the advancement of the education of the people along these lines. She is the founder of the Coolidge Chamber Music Festival, which is an annual event of three or four days duration in Washingcon each Autumn. It is Mrs. Coolidge's aim to institute free music concerts in every city in the United States and make the public libraries the seat of musical as well as literary education. It was she who paid for these concerts and her only stipulation was that the works of at least one American composer be played at each concert. The Lenox String Quartette is composed of Wolfe Wolfinsohn, first violin; Edwin Ideler, second violin; Herbert Borodkin, viola; and Emmeran Stoeber, violoncello. A WELCOME addition to the Chicago district's dinner music programs is the offering of the kdka Little Symphony concert through kyw. This is effected through kdka's short wave relay system which connects that station also with wbz and kfkx. AMONG the novelties recently introduced was the Henry Ford Old Fashioned Dance Orchestra broadcast through weaf and Associates. Besides the still up-to-date violin this quartette boasts of a cymbalom, sousaphone, and dulcimer. ONE of the best of the permanent features on kgo's program, is the concert by the station's Little Symphony Orchestra every Sunday afternoon at 3 :30. The orchestra is conducted by Carl Rhodehamel. Explanatory remarks are made by Arthur S. Garbett. TO STIMULATE a greater interest in the operations of governmental machinery and national problems, the Minneapolis League of Women Voters has arranged a series of 20 weekly talks from wcco. These are to be given at 2:00 p. m. every Tuesday. Each week the speaker will devote five minutes to answering questions which the listeners have sent in. The subjects to be discussed are: "Is Woman Suffrage a Failure?"; Why Vote?" "How Can Women Help in Bringing Universal Peace?"; "How Does My Vote Affect the Home?"; "City Government?"; "State Government?"; "National Government?"; "Women in Industry?"; "Women in Professional Life?"; "The Child at Play."; "The Child at School." OF THE stations we receive regularly on our set, we know of none that flaunts its call letters and location more frequently and persistently than wjax at Jacksonville, Florida. Since it is a municipal station, the explanation lies, probably, in its desire to impress the name of the village on the world at large. Personally, we're over-impressed. THE custom in Europe, we are told, is to announce the name of the station at the commencement of the program, and then to make no subsequent reference to it. The only exceptions are Toulouse, Oslo, Rome, and Munster, where the announcers state the station's name with every single announcement throughout the program. PROBABLY the most irritating mode of announcing in present use is that employed by wbbm, Chicago. An oh so cheer)', oh so democratic voice greets the listener before each number with a " Yes sir! Yesma'm! This is the so-and-so Company station!!!" IN NOTING the recent high spots in radio programs we first take occasion to welcome again the Victor Hour. The series started out auspiciously with John McCormack and Lucretia Bori, on whose heels quickly followed Titta Ruffo and the Flonzaley Quartette. BUT what we consider the best news since last writing is the winning over of the Boston Symphony Orchestra to broadcasting. For the first time in its history it has undertaken to broadcast its regular winter series of twelve concerts Saturday evenings through weei. The fact that season ticket holders have completely filled Symphony Hall for the last two seasons, to the exclusion of the general public, was a determining factor in causing the trustees to authorize the broadcast. Communications Mr. John Wallace, Radio Broadcast, Garden City, New York Sir: I have been hoping that someone would take a crack at those announcers who urge us to "write in." Why always "in?" Can't they say "out" or even "round about" once in a while? Also something about the announcers who only have "little" songs, "little" compositions, etc. Why not have something of a fair size or perhaps even large now and then? I grow somewhat tired, too, of the announcers who are so sure we are enjoying their programs. Beecher Ogden. Pleasantville, New York.